Africa Mauritania. School encyclopedia

The state of Mauritania is located in northwestern Africa. It borders Algeria, Senegal and Mali. From the west, Mauritania is washed by the waters of the Atlantic; in the north, the western part of the Sahara adjoins the borders of Mauritania. The capital of the state is Nouakchott.

Population of Mauritania

More than 80% of the population are Moors. Many of them lead a nomadic lifestyle. The rest of the population consists of settled peoples of the Negroid race: Wolof, Pel, Fulani, Tukuler. The total population as of 2003 is about 3 million people.

Nature

The only river in Mauritania is the Senegal. It is in the immediate vicinity of the river that life develops. The rest of the territory is deserts and flat rocky hills unsuitable for human life. Along the sandy coast there is a strip of salt lakes and salt marshes, unsuitable for agriculture. The population settles near underground water sources that come to the surface in small oases.

Climatic conditions of Mauritania

The climate of the country is desert, tropical. The average monthly temperature in January is +16...20°C, in July +32...43°C. Precipitation throughout Mauritania is only 100 mm per year.

Language

Official languages ​​are Arabic and French. The local population speaks numerous dialects.

Cuisine of Mauritania

The national cuisine of Mauritania is very exotic. Often, a dish contains completely incompatible products. The taste of a dish can be sweet, sour and bitter at the same time. Each of them is prepared with special care. Fresh local herbs and spices are a must. Along with traditional varieties of meat (lamb, beef), camel meat is used. During the meal, there must be bread, rice, beans with couscous, herbs, vegetables, and fruits on the table.

Currency

The national currency of the country is the Mauritanian ouguiya. There are 100 khums in 1 ouguiya.

Time

Time in Mauritania is 4 hours behind Moscow.

Religion of Mauritania

The state religion of the country is Islam. Shariah rules are strictly observed here.

Holidays

November 28th is the largest public holiday in Mauritania - Independence Day. Here, as throughout the Muslim world, numerous religious holidays are celebrated.

Resorts of Mauritania

Mauritania is a great holiday destination. The country's most popular resort, Nouakchott, receives tens of thousands of tourists every year. The city, located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, attracts with its huge beaches with well-developed modern infrastructure, picturesque sand dunes surrounding the city, and lush tropical greenery that provides blessed coolness.

Sights of Mauritania

The ancient capital of the legendary Ghana Empire, the city of Kumbi Saleh, is one of the most interesting architectural monuments of Mauritania. Excavations have been going on here for the last 100 years. However, no more than a third of its structures have been restored. The most interesting of them are: religious buildings, fortress walls and ancient water supply systems. The ghost town of Tishit is located in the very center of the Sahara. Of the five thousand residents, no more than 10% live here regularly. The rest lead a nomadic lifestyle and move from place to place for 10 months a year. Tourists come to Tishit for impressions: here you can get to know the life and traditions of Berber nomads and admire the amazingly beautiful desert landscapes.

The main part of the territory of Mauritania lies within the African platform, in the structure of which the Reguibat shield stands out, the Tindouf syneclise adjacent to the shield from the north and the Taoudenni syneclise, located to the south of the shield and occupying the central and southern part of the country. To the west of the Taoudenny syneclise lies the Mauritanian fold belt, which lies in the submeridional direction and belongs to the Caledonian-Hercynides. This belt belongs to the folded belts that frame the African Platform. In the extreme west is the Mauritanian-Senegalese sub-Atlantic pericratonic trough.

The Regibat shield is divided into the West Regibat Archean orthocraton and the Lower Proterozoic orthocraton in the east, which is part of the larger West African orthocraton. The rocks in the western part of the Regibat shield belong to the Early Archean granulite-gneiss complex (Amsaga, Taziast and Gallaman series) and the Late Archean greenstone belts (Kedia-Ijil series). The granulite-gneiss complex is represented by gneisses of amphibolite and granulite metamorphic facies, leptinites with amphibole and garnet schists, charnockites (2.8 billion years). The Early Archean gneisses are unconformably overlain by rocks related to greenstone belts, represented by magnetite quartzites, mica schists, mica quartzites, jaspilites, amphibolites (metabasalts), and carbonate rocks.

In the eastern part of the shield lie complexes of greenstone belts of the mid-Early Proterozoic Nebkha series and volcano-plutonic complexes of the second half of the Early Proterozoic Ayub el-Malek series. The rocks of the Nebha series are volcanic-sedimentary and include sericite schists, quartzites, jaspers, marbles and metarhyolites; arkoses occur among the schists in the lower part. Volcano-plutonic complexes are represented by acidic metavolcanics with conglomerates, arkoses, quartzites and tuffs. The upper part of the Precambrian section of the eastern part of the shield is composed of continental arkoses and rhyolite covers at the base with a total thickness of up to800 meters. The above-mentioned, to varying degrees, dislocated metamorphic rocks are sharply unconformably overlain by subhorizontally occurring Upper Proterozoic sediments of the platform cover.

The igneous formations of the Regibat shield are represented by Archean and Lower Proterozoic syntectonic granitoids. Mainly in the eastern part, Lower Riphean dolerites and diabases are widely developed, in its western part there are Riphean alkaline complexes.

The deposits of the Tindouf and Taoudenni syneclises are of Upper Proterozoic and Paleozoic age.

The structure of the Mauritanian fold belt involves thick strata of sedimentary and volcanic rocks from Vendian to Devonian age inclusive, altered under the conditions of greenschist facies metamorphism. The rocks are composed of shales, sandstones, mixtites, layers of basalts, andesites, basic intrusive rocks and ultrabasites. Volcanogenic rocks are localized primarily along thrusts that divide the section into a number of tectonic plates.

The Senegal-Mauritanian trough in the lower part consists of terrigenous-saline deposits of Permian-Triassic age with a thickness of 500-1000 m. Further up the section lie carbonate Jurassic and carbonate-terrigenous Cretaceous deposits with a total thickness of up to 6 km. The Cenozoic section is composed of clayey and organogenic limestones of the Paleocene-Eocene (200-500 m) and overlying sandy-clayey continental and coastal-marine rocks of Oligocene-Quaternary age (up to 1 km).

Minerals

Mining production is important in the country's economy, its share in the gross national product is 12% and it accounts for more than 50% of exports in 2005. The most important mineral resource is iron, so of the total value of exports in 1967, the share of iron ores and concentrates accounted for 92.6%. Other minerals include copper, gold, cement, gypsum, salt and petroleum.

Iron ores. Proved reserves of iron ore (Proved economic reserves?) amount to 185 million tons of hematite ores with an iron content of 60–68% and 660 million tons of magnetite ores with an iron content of 36–40%. Iron ore deposits are associated mainly with Archean ferruginous quartzites occurring within the West Regibat orthocraton. Near the town of Fderik there are three iron ore zones covering an area of ​​25 km from east to west with a width of about 10 km.

There is an iron ore deposit, Legleitat el-Khader, located 20 km from Akjuzht, with reliable and probable reserves of 15 million tons. The deposit is confined to the horizon of ferruginous quartzites.

Copper. In the Mauritanids, among the Late Proterozoic and Riphean rocks, there is a copper-pyrite gold-bearing deposit Guelb Moghrein, in addition there are copper ore vein ore occurrences associated with Proterozoic granitoids and volcanics.

The Guelb Moghrein deposit is located in the Inchiri region near the town of Akjoujt approximately 250 km northeast of Nouakchott. Total copper reserves amount to 2.25 million tons, including proven 428 thousand tons, so the deposit is classified as medium in terms of reserves. There are oxidized and sulfide ores, in oxidized ores the copper content is 2.9%, gold 3 g/t, in sulfide ores the copper content is 1.5%, gold 1 g/t. The deposit lies in quartz shales.

Gold. There are known gold ore occurrences associated with quartz veins occurring in Proterozoic granitoids and volcanics. They belong to the gold-quartz low-sulfide type. In addition, there is a gold-bearing copper pyrite deposit described above.

The total gold resources in the country are 30 tons, most of which apparently belong to the gold-bearing copper pyrite deposit. There is also a Tasiast deposit with a gold resource of 12 tons and an ore grade of 2.7 g/t.

Additionally, the following information is available on mineral resources. Within the outcrops of Archean rocks, there are ore occurrences of chromite, nickel and asbestos associated with ultrametamorphic rocks. Manifestations of lithium, beryllium, tantalum, niobium and uranium are associated with granitic pegmatites. In addition to gold-quartz and copper ore occurrences, polymetallic, manganese, molybdenum and tin ore occurrences are associated with granitoids and volcanics of the Proterozoic. In the Mauritanides, among the rocks of the Late Proterozoic and Riphean, in addition to the copper pyrite deposit, there are deposits of ferruginous and manganese quartzites, a tungsten deposit, in nepheline syenites there are ore occurrences of rare earths, thorium and fluorite, in ultamafites there are occurrences of chromites. The Vendian deposits of the platform cover of the Taoudenny syneclise are associated with manifestations of cuprous sandstones, lead, zinc, barite and phosphorites, and with the Paleozoic deposits - lithified black sands with tantalum-niobates and radioactive minerals. In the Mauritanian-Senegalese trough, deposits of phosphorites were discovered in Eocene deposits, and deposits of uranium, table salt, gypsum and native sulfur were discovered in Quaternary deposits. On the coast, among Quaternary beach and dune sediments, black sands with titanomagnetite, ilmenite and zircon have been explored.

POPULATION: 2.4 million people. Three quarters of the population are the so-called Moors - Arabs and Berbers. The rest are Negro-African peoples: Tukuler, Soninke, Pular, Fulani, Wolof and others.

LANGUAGE: Arabic (official), French and numerous local dialects.

RELIGION: Sunni Islam is practiced by about 99% of the population.

GEOGRAPHY: Islamic republic in northwestern Africa. It borders Algeria, Mali, Western Sahara (under the patronage of Morocco) and Senegal. From the west it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean (about 700 km of coastline). More than 60% of the country's territory is occupied by the rocky and sandy deserts of the West. Sahara, the territory is mostly flat - the height is up to 915 m, although there are also picturesque remnant rock massifs. Total area - 1031 thousand square meters. km.

CLIMATE: Tropical desert, average monthly temperatures range from +16 C to +20 C in January to +32-43 C in July-August. Precipitation in most parts of the country is less than 100 mm. per year, only in the south, in the Sahel zone - 200–400 mm. The best time to visit the country is from December to February, when the temperature in the capital area ranges from +15 C at night to +28 C during the day and humid winds from the ocean bring relative freshness.

POLITICAL STATE: Islamic Republic. The head of state and government is the president. The legislative body is a bicameral parliament (Senate and National Assembly).

CURRENCY: Mauritanian Ouguiya (MRO), equal to 100 Khums. The best place to exchange currency is the capital airport bank. Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 8.30 to 11.15 and from 14.15 to 16.00. During Muslim holidays - from 8.30 to 14.00, Saturday and Sunday - closed (working hours may vary). It is possible to exchange currency on the black market, but in this case the risk of fraud is inevitable. In markets and in the private sector, it is quite possible to pay in French francs or US dollars, but most often the exchange rate will be very arbitrary. The use of credit cards is only possible at major international hotels in Nouakchott (American Express is preferred), and the use of traveler's checks is also limited. Tipping is 10% in restaurants, hotels and taxis.

TIME: It is 3 hours behind Moscow, from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October - 4 hours.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS: Nouakchott is one of the youngest capitals in the world - modern development began only in 1960. Located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, the city has good beaches with a completely modern recreation infrastructure, two typically African markets, which also provide the opportunity to purchase the entire range of goods typical of the nomadic peoples of the Sahara - from antique weapons to magnificent metalwork, for which local craftsmen are famous. You can get acquainted with the history and culture of the nomadic peoples of the country by visiting the National Museum in the center of the capital and the unique Carpet Center, where the best handicrafts from all over the Sahel zone are brought for a permanent exhibition and sale. Nouadhibou is a city and port on the peninsula of the same name in the north of the country - one of the best places in the country for water sports and sport fishing - one of the world's largest populations of ocean fish is concentrated off the coast of this area, which guarantees fantastic catches (however, from -due to the controversial issue of whether this region belongs to Mauritania, travel by foreign tourists without the accompaniment of local guides is not recommended by the authorities). Atar (“place of fast sands”), also known as Teyateyaneng, is the traditional craft and handicraft center of the country, the place of production of the famous Moorish tapestry, handmade fabrics and various wood products (moreover, local craftsmen do not have the “bad habit” of selling ritual masks or figurines that have already been used in ritual ceremonies, which is considered quite common in some African countries). Tishit is a “ghost town” in the heart of the desert. Of the 5 thousand inhabitants of the city, no more than 500 regularly live in it, the rest continue to lead a lifestyle typical of all nomadic tribes of the country - they roam the desert for 10 months a year. Tourists are usually brought to Tishit by the desire to become better acquainted with the life and traditions of the Berber peoples, as well as the fantastic landscape of the surrounding desert on all sides and the local mosque - one of the most intricately ornamented and elegantly decorated mosques in the world. Kumbi Saleh, located near the modern city of Ayoun el Atrous - the legendary capital of the medieval Ghana Empire and perhaps the largest city of its time - is one of the most interesting archaeological sites in Africa. Excavations have been carried out here since 1913, but no more than 30% of its territory has been restored, with numerous complexes of religious buildings, city walls, a park and even its own water supply system, the principle of operation of which is still not entirely clear. Ban d'Arguin National Park is one of the main natural attractions of the country. This unique section of the coast is the intersection of migratory flows of millions of birds from all over Europe, northern Asia and Africa; more than 2 million flocks of birds are recorded here during the winter. The ocean is here crystal clear and has thousands of sandy islands that serve as a haven for winged travelers, so this territory is protected with special care - the use of motorized vehicles is prohibited, and excursions to the islands are carried out on sailing or rowing ships, which gives them a special exoticism. the recently created Dowling National Park, which attracts tourists because it is the only place on Earth entirely dedicated to the protection of desert flora and fauna; special attention is also paid here to the protection of birds, many of which fly here for the winter from all over Europe.

ENTRY RULES: Visa regime. To obtain an entry visa, you must submit: 2 photographs, 2 forms in French, a passport, visas of neighboring countries (for a transit visa), an invitation or confirmation of a hotel reservation. The period required to obtain a visa is from two to three days. The visa is valid for entry and exit from the country for a month from the date of issue at the consulate. Citizens of France, Italy and Central African countries do not require a visa. There are no discounts for children who have their own passport. Children included in their parents' passports enter the country without paying a consular fee. For Russian citizens, entry is free; for citizens of Ukraine, the consular fee is 75 US dollars; citizens of other countries are recommended to contact the consulate to obtain accurate information.

CUSTOMS RULES: Import and export of foreign currency is not limited, declaration is required. When exporting unspent currency, you must have a bank certificate confirming the exchange of the missing amount into national currency or invoices and checks confirming the legality of the exchange or purchases. There are restrictions on the import of professional photographic equipment (this does not apply to amateur photographic equipment). The import of drugs, pornographic literature, weapons and ammunition, documentaries, videotapes and other items that contradict the norms of Islam, animals and plants that are on the verge of extinction, and objects of classical art is prohibited. With special permits from the relevant authorities, the following are exported: seeds and plants (a certificate is required), works of art, archaeological objects, works of art and historical documents. With a receipt or seller's invoice, the export of handmade carpets produced in local workshops and objects of decorative and applied art, including decorative weapons, is allowed.

Islamic Republic, state in the West Africa. The history of the name goes back to what existed on 3. North. Africa already in the 3rd millennium BC. e. history region (Mauretania) . The name was given by the Phoenicians, for whom this region lay on the extreme 3., and they called her Mauharim - "Western Edge". During the colonial period, the name referred to one of the territories of French West Africa, in 1960 G. he was inherited state .

Geographical names of the world: Toponymic dictionary. - M: AST. Pospelov E.M. 2001.

Mauritania

(Mauritanie, Spanish moros - the name of the Muslim conquerors of the Iberian Peninsula - Arabs and Berbers in the Middle Ages. Europe), state in the NW. Africa. Pl. 1030.7 thousand km², capital Nouakchott . In the IV–XI centuries. part of the territory within the state of Ghana; in the 11th–12th centuries. – Almoravids; in the XIII–XIV centuries. - Mali. In the XIV–XV centuries. Arabs invaded M. The first Europeans (Portuguese) appeared in the 15th century. From the middle of the 19th century. active colonization by the French; since 1920 the colony has been composed of French West Africa ; since 1946 – “overseas territory”; since 1958 ed. republic within the French Community. Since November 28 (national holiday) 1960 – independent Republic of Al-Jumhuriyah al-Islamiyah al-Muritaniya (Islamic Republic of Mauritania ), which is headed by the president; Legislative power is exercised by a bicameral parliament consisting of the National Assembly. Assembly and Senate.
B. h. territories - sandy and rocky deserts in the west. Sugars, low plains and low plateaus (up to 915 m); on the W. there are sand dunes, on the N. and NE. ergs (dry riverbeds with sands). The climate is tropical desert. Wed.-Mon. temperatures from 16 to 32 °C; daily range up to 40 °C, especially in winter. Precipitation per b.h. countries less than 100 mm per year (in the north up to 50 mm, in the south up to 400 mm). Withering east. harmattan winds. There are no permanent rivers, except for the transit river. Senegal to the southwest. border. The vegetation is sparse, dominated by ephemeral grasses (appearing after occasional rains); in the south there are semi-deserts with shrubs and acacias. National a park Ban d'Arguin; reserves.
Population 2747 thousand people. (2001); over 80% Arab-Berbers (Moors); the rest are Negroid peoples (chiefly sampled in the south). Official languages ​​– Arabic and French. Muslims (Sunnis) predominate. City dwellers 35%; nomads ("great nomads") approx. 25%. Over 4/5 of the population is located in the south. parts of the country (Sahel), including 1/5 - in a narrow strip of the Senegal valley (350 people per 1 km²). An agricultural country with a developing mining industry. Ferrous is extracted. ore (80% of foreign exchange earnings), gold, gypsum, rock salt, native sulfur. There are deposits of phosphates and industrial copper. meanings. Production of food, leather, cement, metallurgy. prom-sti. Sat down. x-in backward. Agriculture is limited to the Senegal valley and oases. The main crops are African sorghum, rice, millet, corn and date palm (especially in the Atar oasis, called the “pearl” for its huge palm grove). M. provides itself with grain only 30%; the deficit is covered by international. help. One of the first places in Africa in terms of the number of livestock per capita; under pastures approx. 1/4 of the territory; nomadic and semi-nomadic meat and wool cattle, camel breeding. Nomads (self-name - “sons of rain clouds”) cover distances of more than 1000 km, crossing the borders of the West. Sahara, Morocco and Algeria. Collection of gum arabic (gum) from acacias (approx. 10% of the world supply). Significant marine fish (sardines, tuna, whiting), river fish in Senegal, and marine fisheries (lobsters, shrimp). Crafts: making carpets, clothing, fabrics, art. and jewelry made of coral, metal, ebony, clay toys; embossing and painting on leather. 1.8 thousand km of paved roads; and. 670 km, used for the removal of iron. ore to the sea, served by specialists. trains of 150 cars (length up to 2 km); court according to the river Senegal; intl. airports and seaports (Nouadhibou, Nouakchott). Capital University (since 1983) and the Higher Institute of Islamic Studies in Butilimit. Rock paintings from various eras (including on the way through the Sahara - on the “chariot road”). In the south there are ancient fortified settlements on the hills; round stone burial grounds (shushi) near wells; numerous mosques made of stone; Berber villages - ksars (developed Kumbi-Sale; Chinguetti). Cash unit – ouguiya.

Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Ekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of academician. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006 .

Encyclopedia Around the World. 2008 .

MAURITANIA

AFRICAN ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF MAURITANIA
State in northwest Africa. In the north it borders with Western Sahara and Algeria, in the east with Mali and Senegal, and in the west it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The area of ​​the country is 1030700 km2.
The population of Mauritania (estimated for 1998) is about 2,511,500 people, with an average population density of about 2 people per km2. Ethnic groups: Moors (descendants of Arabs and Berbers) - 80%, blacks - 20%. Language: Arabic, French (both state), Hassanya, Woolof, Pular, Soninke. Religion - almost 100% Muslims (Islam is the state religion). The capital is Nouakchott. Largest cities: Nouakchott (560,000 people), Kaedi (74,000 people), Nouadhibou (70,000 people), Rosseau (50,000 people). The government system is an Islamic republic. The head of state is President Maauya Ould Seed Ahmed Taya (in office since April 18, 1992). The head of government is Prime Minister Sheikh Al Asia Ould Mohamed Hounah (since January 1996). The monetary unit is ougiya. Average life expectancy (as of 1998): 50 years for men, 53 years for women. The birth rate (per 1000 people) is 44.5. The mortality rate (per 1000 people) is 14.6.
Since 1903, Mauritania has been a French protectorate. The Islamic Republic of Mauritania was proclaimed on November 28, 1958, within the framework of the constitution of the fifth French republic. On November 28, 1960, the country gained full independence. Mauritania is a member of the UN, GATT, IMF, WHO, and the Organization of African Unity. Arab League.
Most of Mauritania is desert, but in the south there is a small belt of greenery where rare monkeys live. The average annual temperature reaches 38° C.

Encyclopedia: cities and countries. 2008 .

Mauritania is a state in West Africa, washed on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Area - 1030.7 thousand sq. km. Until 1960, Mauritania was a French possession (cm. France). The official language is Arabic. Administrative division: 12 regions and 1 autonomous capital district.
Most of the country is occupied by the sandy and rocky deserts of Western Sahara. The relief is dominated by vast low-lying plains and low plateaus (732 m above sea level). The only river with a permanent flow is the border Senegal.
The climate is tropical desert, with average monthly temperatures ranging from 16–20 °C in January to 30–32 °C in July. Precipitation in most of the country is less than 100 mm per year, only in the south - in the Sahel zone - 200–400 mm. The vegetation also has a corresponding character: sparse shrubs and isolated trees in the south, and in the rest of the territory, sparse greenery appears only for a short time after the rains. Large animals include oryx and addax antelopes, mountain goats, and small predators include the jackal and fennec fox. Lots of snakes and lizards, as well as insects and spiders.
The modern population of Mauritania (about 3.27 million people) is ethnically heterogeneous: three quarters are the so-called Moors - Arabs and Berbers, engaged primarily in cattle breeding; in the south, Negro-African peoples predominate - Toucouleur, Fulani, Wolof and others, who are mainly sedentary Lifestyle. Islam has been declared the state religion. Mauritania, unlike some other countries of North and West Africa, did not experience the heyday of medieval civilization, but the urban settlements of Chinguetti, Tishit, and Walata that have survived from that era testify to their former prosperity and the subtle art of decorating the facades of buildings. The Chinguetti Library contains 2 thousand manuscripts of Arab scholars. The musical, singing, and dance arts of the peoples of Mauritania are diverse. The capital and largest city of the country is Nouakchott, built only 30–40 years ago. The second largest and most important city is the port of Nouadhibou. In the 4th - mid-11th centuries. The southern part of the territory of Mauritania was part of the medieval states of West Africa (

- (Islamic Republic of Mauritania), a state in northwest Africa, washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Area 1030.7 thousand km2. Population 2.2 million; Moors (Arabs of Western Sahara) over 80%, Berbers, etc. The official language is Arabic.… … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Islamic Republic of Mauritania, a state in northwestern Africa. Art monuments dating back to the Neolithic belong to the culture of the Negroid peoples and Berbers (rock paintings, stone tombs of Shushi). In the Middle Ages on... ... Art encyclopedia

I arrived in Senegal yesterday. Before this, I traveled around Mauritania for about a week. That's what I can say about it.
In short, it is a full-fledged Arab country with an African way of life.

The country is small, almost all of it is in the desert, there is practically nothing to see.

Dunes are rarely found. Basically, the desert is not particularly remarkable.

In the northeast, in the Zuerat region, there are even some mountains where ore is mined. But still, a non-tourist country.

The main attraction (I think Bolashenko will support me 100% here) is the longest train in the world! Going to the aforementioned Zuerat. A rare African railway built after independence. The train is enchanting, I will, of course, write a detailed post about it.

A fishing port in the second city of the country and also the large port of Nouadhibou. An extremely colorful place. The second most interesting in the country.

Mauritania is a very poor and backward country. In most aspects, almost typical Africa.

The country is very dirty. Garbage is lying everywhere. There are very few trash cans, no one needs them here. Often people are selling something right in the middle of it.

An ordinary city street in Nouakchott. There is still asphalt on PCH, but instead of sidewalks there are sand-covered roadsides, which are difficult to walk on due to the abundance of sand. Garbage is everywhere.

The problem is that in Mauritania there is desert everywhere and, in fact, in the cities there is desert too. There is no improvement. There are small oases in the country, but apart from dirty palm trees, nothing much grows there.

That is, sand is just everywhere here! And besides, there are no parks or squares - when we wanted to relax and drink tea, we went to five-star hotels and ate there in the lobby (take note of this method!)

Where there are sidewalks, such moments are no longer perceived as wild. After all, the main thing is that there is a SIDEWALK, you can walk on it!

Well, don’t worry about this either.

In the second city of the country, Nouadhibou, the situation is generally more decent than in the capital (if you can call it that). But the views are also depressing - the desert begins right outside the outskirts.

When you get to the markets or just walk along the littered outskirts, you have virtually no doubt about what continent you are on.

But the country is not completely black. The population is approximately 60% Arabs and 40% blacks. There are a lot of completely dark-skinned people.

No, these are not Islamic terrorists! And they cover their faces in such a way as to protect it from sandstorms. Tuareg scarves.

Previously, blacks were slaves of the Arabs, but now there is freedom, equality, brotherhood

But, nevertheless, this is an Arab country, first of all, and, most importantly, religious. This is what is called the “Islamic Republic of Mauritania” (abbreviated ROME:)). Well, almost like Iran. Religiosity is manifested in everything here: locals are constantly inquiring about your religious affiliation, or more precisely, whether you are a Muslim. In Mauritania, you quickly learn the times of all prayers, since everyone around you does them. If you're on a minibus, it stops and everyone gets out to pray.

The aunts are all wrapped up. In theory, you can’t take pictures of them, but if you really want to, then... By the way, some of them themselves start talking to me. These girls even wanted to take a photo with me, but then their mother tutted at them and they retreated.

African women often carry all sorts of luggage on their heads like this.

National Moorish clothing, these are the robes. Every second person wears them here. Including officials.

Insane number of children. In the absence of playgrounds, people play with whatever they can on the streets.

Old tires are very popular.

We can only be glad for our children that they don’t have to play in garbage dumps like this. . Thank you comrade....(insert your choice) for our happy childhood!

I was sadly surprised at how poor children’s playgrounds are in Morocco, and how few there are. But what about Morocco? In Mauritania, there are practically no playgrounds for children at all. Children play with all sorts of rubbish, tires, stones, and whatever comes to hand. Childhood imagination is inexhaustible, as we know.

Mauritania is an African poor country. Everyone lives here more than simply.

Here is a typical house - bare walls, no furniture - they sleep on mattresses that are not the freshest, the set of dishes is minimal.

A shower, and indeed tap water in general, is a luxury in Mauritania. How else to be in a desert country. That's why everything is dirty - there is physically not enough water to wash anything other than clothes.

A donkey brings water to this house every few days; it is stored in a special tank. The water is dirty, you can only wash with it.

Standard Moorish shower combined with toilet. Be thankful that LJ hasn’t learned how to convey smells yet.

But no matter how modest the decoration of the house, there will almost certainly be a zombie box in it. I remember this rule from Amazonian Peru.

The roads in the country are generally quite good. The asphalt is laid, more or less tolerably. There is even a marking somewhere.

This asphalt on the Arat-Zuerat highway was obviously just laid. There used to be a dirt road here.

However, road signs and kilometer posts are missing as a class! You can only roughly imagine where you are.

There are an incredible number of police checkpoints along all the highways. At each of them, the police stop all the cars and rewrite the data. However, the police are harmless to foreigners. They rewrite the data and that’s it. Often they just want copies of their passport, it is recommended to make more of these copies before leaving for Mauritania. This will speed up the process of passing posts.

And so, they are quite friendly. They feed, water, catch cars. Several times the police treated me to local pilaf. And then we found a car to the right place.

The police checkpoints are desperately simple and primitive. The booth measures 3 by 3 meters. There is nothing inside except a table, a chair and a notebook in which everyone passing by is written down. Of course, there is no light (there are no less problems with it than with water), in the evening and at night everything is recorded with a flashlight. The police usually sleep here, they have the same dirty mattresses. Sometimes there is a gas cylinder for making tea or pilaf. There are hordes of flies flying around.

In general, whatever you say, it is an extremely unenviable prospect to be a police officer in Mauritania. And it’s still winter, there’s no heat. And it’s all the more joyful that Mauritanian police officers do not become malicious assholes from this way of life, taking out all their troubles on citizens, but remain pleasant and sympathetic people.

The country's lack of tourism is very beneficial in this aspect. In neighboring Morocco, they pester you with questions and pestering more often, and they want to deceive you more often. There is none of that here.

Most of the shops are more than primitive. If space allows, sellers also sleep right in them. The vast majority of products are imported from neighboring countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia. There are also Spain and France.

Those stores that rent more space for the sake of respectability create the appearance of an abundance of assortment in the “Soviet” way, so popular in Cuba - by displaying the same product in a row in the windows.

The only Auchan in the whole country. We came in at the height of the working day - completely empty. It is unusual for the Moors to stock up in supermarkets; markets are much clearer and cheaper. I asked if I could pay by card, they said something like “yes, we’ll get the device now.” In the end, they never found him.

There are cool villas in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou! Flowers, landscaping... And all around, right next to the walls, there is a dusty primer and a garbage dump.

Surprisingly, there are wind turbines in the country! I wonder if they are actually used for their intended purpose?

Mauritania is a country of pets. Goats, donkeys, camels, chickens. Occasionally there are even cows. Absolutely everything is carried on donkeys.

Sometimes they interact with each other without the intermediary services of a person.

Camel hangout on the outskirts of Nouakchott. All are one-humped.

In Zuerat.

Why not?

Donkey parking. Just enter the payment directly. Why not?

I have never seen so many goats in any country before. Well, somehow sheep are more popular everywhere. I’ll even say more: I haven’t seen goats anywhere except for isolated specimens in Russia. Or I don't remember. And here there are only goats, no sheep.

Due to the lack of meadows and generally any grass in desert areas, goats usually graze in garbage dumps. Or at best, they gnaw the trees.

Moorish leader! Reminded me of Old Man

The food is simple and primitive. In eateries you can eat chicken with side dishes for 2-3 dollars, or somewhere else they seem to have fish. Couscous, a dish made from some kind of flour, is popular among residents. By the way, it is also common in Morocco. They eat everything from one large plate, and always with their hands.

On the penultimate day, I found a cool cafe next to my registration, where for about 2 euros you can eat chicken with so many different side dishes that it’s not easy for two people to eat.

The cafe looks like this: food on the floor, we sit on cushions. Popular with locals who eat couscous here, yes, with their hands.

Nearby is a Moorish McDuck.

The Moors drink tea all the time. But it is difficult for a Russian person to drink it. And now I will explain why. No, the tea is very tasty! But... by the time you wait for him, you will go crazy. The Moors boil tea for a long time in a small teapot, then pour it into glasses, then pour it from glass to glass, then pour some of it out, then put the kettle back on, then add mint and sugar, thimble some more with the glasses, and, voila! After 15 minutes you are given a cup with a capacity of 100 g, half filled!!! You drink it in one gulp, maybe they will pour you another 50 g of tea, and wait another 15-20 minutes for the next batch..

This procedure constantly froze me out. I tried, if possible, to prepare a lot of tea in a thermos myself and brew it in tea bags :)

So to summarize: the main attraction in the country (well, besides the train, of course) is the people. Kind, open, direct. However, Mauritania is definitely not a country that you want to visit again. Not because there is something wrong with her, but because once is enough for her. And it is visited in many ways only because the route from Europe to Africa lies through it, and due to the geopolitical features of the continent, there is no way to get around it.