Key facts about location, terrain, climate, and borders.
Continent
Africa
Region
Sahel
Area
1,025,520 km²
Country Bounds
N: 27.2981, S: 14.7155, W: -17.0665, E: -4.82767
Landlocked
No
Coordinates of Capital
Nouakchott (18.08581, -15.9785)
Terrain
mostly barren, flat plains of the Saharasome central hills
Climate
desertconstantly hot, dry, dusty
Border Countries
Algeria 460 kmMali 2,236 kmMorocco 1,564 kmSenegal 742 km
Administrative & Political
Essential political and administrative details.
Capital
Nouakchott
Government Type
Republic
Established
1960
Driving Side
Right
Time zone
UTC +0 hours
Population & Society
Key demographic, linguistic, and cultural information.
Population
4,403,319
Population Density
4.27 people/km²
Nationality
Noun: Mauritanian(s) Adjective: Mauritanian
Distribution
vast areas of the country, particularly in the central, northern, and eastern areas, are desert and lack sizeable population clusters; half the population lives in or around the coastal capital of Nouakchott; smaller clusters are found near the southern border with Mali and Senegal, as shown in this population distribution map