Mauritania
Mauritania is a sovereign state in West Africa and North Africa. Its capital is Nouakchott. About 4.9 million people live there (2026). It covers 1,030,700 square kilometres.
- Capital
- Nouakchott
- People (2026)
- 4.9 million
- Area
- 1,030,700 km²
- Currency
- Mauritanian ouguiya
Mauritania at a glance
- In its own language
- الجمهورية الإسلامية الموريتانية, République islamique de Mauritanie, Ndenndaandi Lislameeri Muritani, Réewu lislaam bu Muritani, Moritani Silaamin Jamaane
- Status
- Sovereign country
- Continent
- Africa
- Capital
- Nouakchott
- Population
- 4,900,000 (2026)
- Area
- 1,030,700 km² (397,955 mi²)
- People are called
- Mauritanian
- Official languages
- Arabic, French
- Currency
- Mauritanian ouguiya
- GDP (nominal)
- US$10 billion (2022)
- Life expectancy
- 63.2 years (2016)
- Human Development Index
- 0.556 (2021)
- Gini coefficient
- 32.6 (2014)
- Unemployment
- 31% (2014)
- Government
- presidential system
- Head of state
- Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (since 2019)
- Head of government
- Moctar Ould Djay (since 2024)
- Country codes
- MR, MRT
- Calling code
- +222
- Internet domain
- .mr
- Drives on the
- right
- Time zones
- UTC±00:00, Africa/Nouakchott
- Coordinates
- 21°, -11°
Mauritania and its neighbours
Mauritania borders Western Sahara, Algeria, Mali and Senegal. Click a neighbour on the map to open its page.
- Mauritania
- Neighbours
Divisions of Mauritania
- Adrar
- Assaba
- Brakna
- Dakhlet Nouadhibou
- Nouakchott
- Gorgol
- Guidimakha
- Hodh Ech Chargui
- Hodh El Gharbi
- Inchiri
- Tagant
- Tiris Zemmour
- Trarza
Member of
- United Nations
- Arab League
- World Trade Organization
- African Union
- Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
- International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
- International Development Association
- International Finance Corporation
- Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
- International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
- African Development Bank
- Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States
- Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa
- Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development
- Arab Maghreb Union
and 14 more organisations.
How far are you from Mauritania?
On a phone this uses GPS. The calculator shows the straight-line distance to the nearest country border from where you are.
Questions
What is the capital of Mauritania?
The capital of Mauritania is Nouakchott.
What is the population of Mauritania?
Mauritania has about 4,900,000 people, as recorded in 2026.
How big is Mauritania?
Mauritania covers 1,030,700 square kilometres (397,955 square miles).
What currency does Mauritania use?
The Mauritanian ouguiya.
What language is spoken in Mauritania?
The official languages of Mauritania are Arabic and French.
Which countries border Mauritania?
Mauritania shares a border with Western Sahara, Algeria, Mali and Senegal.
Data from Wikidata (CC0), retrieved October 9, 2026. Each figure carries the year it was recorded; a statistic with no recorded date is not shown as current. More on Wikipedia.