Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara

Geographic coordinates 20 00 N, 12 00 W

Map references Africa

Area
total: 1,030,700 sq km
land: 1,030,400 sq km
water: 300 sq km

Area - comparative slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico

Land boundaries
total: 5,074 km
border countries: Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km

Coastline 754 km

Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

Terrain mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Sebkha de Ndrhamcha -3 m
highest point: Kediet Ijill 910 m

Natural resources iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate

Land use
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 38%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 58% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 490 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; very limited natural fresh water resources away from the Senegal which is the only perennial river

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country

NOTE: The information regarding Mauritania on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Mauritania Geography 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Mauritania Geography 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.