Mauritania - Mauritania

Mauritania
Location
Coat of arms and flag
Capital	Nouakchott
Government	presidential republic
Currency	Mauritanian Ouguiya (MRO)
Surface	1,030,700 km²
Inhabitants	3.359.185 (2012 estimate), 1.864.236 (1988 census)
Tongue	Arabic
Religion	Islam (100%)
Electricity	230V / 50Hz (European socket)
Prefix	222
TLD	.mr
Time zone	UTC
Website	Tourist Board

ATTENTION: Since 2012, all non-essential trips to the country are not recommended. The Islamic Maghreb terrorist organization Al Qaeda (AQIM) has been the culprit of numerous incidents in recent years and poses a danger to travelers in Mauritania. AQIM has been involved in the kidnapping of several Westerners, killing some of them or others during kidnapping attempts, and a couple of suicide bombings. Due to the civil war in neighboring Mali, where AQIM has close ties to Islamic rebels, there is a growing threat to Westerners in Mauritania. Isolated desert regions along the border with Algeria and particularly near the border with Mali are particularly dangerous. (November 2012).

Mauritania is a nation ofSaharan Africa which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean to the west and borders the Western Sahara to the north, theAlgeria to the northeast, the Mali to the south and the Senegal southwest.

To know

The name Mauritania comes from the ancient Berber tribes of the Mauri. The Romans called with the name Mauri all the native peoples of North Africa.

On November 28, 1960 the country became independent and Moktar Ould Daddah was the first president, however the French retained control over the economy. Today's capital Nouakchott was founded on the site of a small colonial village, Ksar.

Geographical notes

Mainly Saharan and Sahelian in the south, its territory is 75% sandy and rocky desert. The main peak is the 915m Kédia d'Idjil. The main mountain massifs, Adrare and Tagant, do not exceed the altitude of 600m, at their feet extend great plateaus that characterize the northern and eastern part of Mauritania.

When to go

When choosing when to visit the country, it should be borne in mind that from March to September temperatures tend to increase in inland areas and between March and April there can be sandstorms. From November to March it is hot during the day, around 25 ° C, but the nights are cool, and this is the best time to visit the country. The climate, on the other hand, is unbearable from April to October, and especially in the months of June and August, when the ref, warm winds from the north, and the temperature rises up to 45 ° C. The rainy season (hivernage), from July to September, occurs in the form of torrential but short thunderstorms, more significant in the south, in this period the dunes are covered by a light layer of vegetation and the wadis are transformed into streams.

Furthermore, keep in mind that climatically the country is divisible into three areas:

1. Nouakchott area: maritime influence and constant trade winds
2. area of ​​the Senegal river: high temperatures for 6/7 months a year and a more humid climate
3. Saharan area: hot climate, with temperatures over 45 ° and strong daily temperature variations, in winter night temperatures can approach zero.

Background

Archaeological finds show the presence of man since prehistoric times and also that Mauritania has not always been a desert region. Since the 3rd century the Berber farming tribes since North Africa they migrated towards present-day Mauritania due to the progressive drying up of the soil. Around 1100 the process of Islamization on local populations began, assisted by war conquests. Although it was the Portuguese who landed in the early 15th century, it was the French who transformed Mauritania in 1903 first into a protectorate and then in 1920 into a colony forming part of French West Africa. On November 28, 1960 the country gained independence from France.

Spoken languages

Official as well as national language is the Arabic dialect known as Hassaniya. The French it was the second official language until 1991; today it is only the second "de facto" language of the country as it is widely spoken. Several black-African languages ​​are also spoken (Wolof, Pular, Soninke and Berber).

Suggested readings

• Francesco Tamburini, The Islamic Republic of Mauritania (1984-2007): From a regime of betrayed democratic hopes to a laboratory of African democracy?, in "Africana", 2007, pp. 127–146.
• Francesco Tamburini, The death of the first Arab democracy, in "Foreign Affairs", n. 162, 2009, pp. 384–393.
• Andrea Menegatti, "Authoritarianism, participation and fundamentalism in Mauritania, Confrerical Islam and democracy", in "Afriche e Orienti" nº3 / 4 2010 pp. 154–174.

Territories and tourist destinations

Mauritania is divided into 12 regions (wilaya) and one district (of the capital). Each region is divided into departments (moughataa, a term deriving from the Arabic muqaṭaʿa), which are in turn divided into municipalities.

      Coastal of Mauritania - Small coastal strip along the Atlantic which also includes the capital.

      Sahelian Mauritania - Semi-arid southern region less frequented by tourism which includes the lush valley of the Senegal River. This region does not offer particular beauties compared to those of the north and is generally frequented only to go to Senegal up to the border point of Red, even if the city of Oualata should not be forgotten: the last stopping point for the caravans heading to Timbuktu (in fact it is much easier to reach it from Mali) releases an intense atmosphere of a city forgotten by the world.

      Saharan Mauritania - Huge northern desert area whose surface is mostly empty. It is the tourist pearl of Mauritania, this Saharan region, full of sand, oases and rocky plateaus, offers historical attractions (such as Chinguetti is Ouadane) and naturalistic (such as Terjit is Tanouchert) unmissable for those visiting Mauritania.

Urban centers

Nouakchott Mosque

Other destinations

How to get

Entry requirements

Passport and entry visa. The VISA can be obtained upon arrival at the airport of Nouakchott, the passport must be valid for 6 months, the cost is 55 euros.

On the train

No train connects Mauritania with its neighboring states.

How to get around

The longest train in the world in the Mauritanian desert

On the train

There is only one train in the country, which connects Nouadhibou, Choum is Zouérat. This train can be considered a tourist attraction in itself, as it is said to be the longest in the world: 150 wagons for a total length of 2 km. It was used to transport the iron extracted from the mines of Zouérat to the port of Nouadhibou.

For those interested, the train leaves Nouadhibou every day around 3pm and arrives in Choum around 2am the next day. In any case, it is always good to check the actual timetables locally.

What see

In the Adrar region there are three noteworthy oases:

• Chinguetti - Place where the remains of ancient Muslim settlements were unearthed. The seventh holy city of Islam, heritage UNESCO, known for the preservation of numerous ancient books. It was home to the first university in West Africa.
• Tanouchert - Typical oasis, palm trees grown around fresh water, in the middle of the desert. Enchanting place to stop and sleep as it is on the road between Chinguetti and Ouadane.
• 

  Terjit
  Azougi - Quiet oasis that was once the imperial capital of the Almoravid Berbers.
• Terjit - Spectacular oasis, where inside an ocher-colored canyon that is gradually becoming narrower, there is an enchanting natural pool, fed by two springs, one cold and one hot, surrounded by very green vegetation. It is certainly a place that amazes.

In the Tagant region, a region in the geographic center of the country between the Sahelian Mauritania and the Saharan Mauritania and still unknown to tourism. there are other interesting oases:

• Tijikja - Oasis with incredibly beautiful and dense palm trees, perhaps the most beautiful in Mauritania. Famous is the Fort Coppolani, a French fort used to fight against the Moors. Don't miss the lively market and beautiful mosques.
• Rachid - 35 km from Tijikja, on top of a cliff is one of the most picturesque places in Mauritania, in the past it was a perfect place for ambushes to caravans.

It should be borne in mind that the access routes to Tagant are almost nil even if things are slowly changing.

• Natural pools of Matmata - Fed by a large waterfall that swells during the rainy season, they are the habitat of a colony of Nile crocodiles. This is another beautiful destination located in Tagant.

What to do

• Diving a Nouadhibou - The city is famous as a naval cemetery, as many boats have been sunk around the Cap Blanc peninsula, some of which are also visible from the ground.

Currency and purchases

The national currency is the Ouguiya (MRO).

Mauritania and the Madagascar they are the only countries to use a non-decimal currency.

Below are the links to know the current exchange rate with the main world currencies:

At the table

• Cous Cous Mauritanian - It is a couscous to which mutton is usually added, or a lamb is filled with couscous, in addition to the meat, seasonal vegetables are added. Usually couscous is accompanied by zrig which is a camel curdled milk that is not sweetened, not to be missed!
• Senegalese mafe - Peanut-based soup.
• Rice with fish - Typical dish of coastal areas.

Drinks

• The Mauritanian - It is good practice and politeness to accept at least the first 3 glasses that are offered.

Tourist infrastructure

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Events and parties

There Guetna or fête des dattes (date festival) is a festival that takes place between July and August in conjunction with the date harvest in the oasis. In this period the families leave the cities or the camps to gather in the palm groves (equipped with huts) where weddings are celebrated and griot concerts take place in a festive atmosphere.

National holidays

Being a predominantly Muslim nation, all the recurrences of Islam are celebrated.

Safety

Before embarking on the journey consult:

• Safe travel - Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Farnesina) (Country safety information). 

It is strongly not recommended to go to the areas bordering the Mali. In the coastal area petty crime is widespread so do not exhibit work items.

Activities of a homosexual nature are strictly prohibited in Mauritania and are punishable by death penalty through the beheading in public. It is recommended to LGBT travelers to be very careful and to avoid any talk about homosexuality (even supporters of gay rights are sentenced to death of course) and in general not to reveal one's sexual orientation.

Health situation

Hospitals are severely lacking in equipment and staff. Typhus and hepatitis A and B and malaria are widespread in Mauritania.

Respect the customs

As in most Muslim countries, the religious tradition of henna is also practiced in Mauritania. Foreigners cannot drink alcohol in public places because it is prohibited.

How to keep in touch

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Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Mauritania
• Commons contains images or other files on Mauritania
• Wikinews contains current news on Mauritania