africa • MRT
Mauritania
Location marker · geographic overview
20° N / 12° WTHE WORLD, ONE COUNTRY AT A TIME
- Capital
- Nouakchott
- Population
- 5,169,395 2024
- Area
- 1,030,700 km² (year unavailable)
- Languages source-listed
- Arabic
- Currency
- Mauritanian ouguiya (MRU)
- Geography
- Coastal country
Population: World Bank 2024. Other facts: REST Countries snapshot. Sources & limitations.
STAY A LITTLE LONGER
Discover Mauritania
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FROM THE TRAVEL GUIDE · Mauritania
Mauritania (Arabic: موريتانيا, Mūrītānyā; French: Mauritanie) is a land of desert and ocean. It is of course no wonder that the main attractions for most tourists are the desert in Adrar and Tagant areas (around Atar), and the ocean in Banc d'Arguin (a natural reserve with dunes ending in the sea, full of millions of birds and protected by UNESCO).
Landscape & landmarks
In the southeast, the oasis city of Oualata was the southern end of most trans-Sahara trading routes in the 13th & 14th centuries. The city has colourful buildings, many of which feature intricate geometric designs. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also boasts a manuscript museum with examples of ancient scrolls in fine calligraphy.Read the see section ↗
Food & everyday culture
Mauritanian cuisine is often overlooked in favour of the more recognisable cuisines of North Africa and the Middle East. Don't let that stop you from fully experiencing Mauritanian gastronomy; Mauritanian cuisine is a unique blend of flavours and incorporates African, Arab, and French influences.Read the eat section ↗
Excerpts from Wikivoyage contributors, revision 2026-08-22. CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected excerpts; wiki formatting removed; omissions marked […]. Guide wording and any figures belong to this dated source; they do not replace the atlas statistics above. Food descriptions are not official national-dish designations.
A little more to discover +
- National flower
- Not yet verified
- Official national dish
- Not yet verified
- Representative food
- Not yet verified
- Subregion
- Western Africa
- Calling code
- +222
- Internet domain
- .mr
- Land border codes
- DZA, MLI, SEN, ESH
Quick facts
- Traffic keeps to the right side of the road. Source ↗
- The country-code web domain is .mr. Source ↗
- The source lists monday as the start of the week. Source ↗
Population: World Bank 2024. Other facts: REST Countries snapshot. Source-matched September 26, 2026; not live data. Sources & limitations.