Mauritania People - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population: 1,691,000(July 1986), average

annual growth rate 2.1%

Nationality: noun—Mauritania n(s); adjective—Mauritanian

Ethnic divisions: 40% mixed Moor/black;

30% Moor, 30% black

Religion: nearly 100% Muslim

Language: Hasaniya Arabic (national);

French (official); Toucouleur, Fula, Sarakole, Wolof

Infant mortality rate: 136/1,000(1983)

Life expectancy: men 44, women 47

Literacy: 17%

Labor force: total labor force 465,000 (1981 est.); about 45,000 wage earners (1980 IMF),

47% agriculture, 29% services, 14% industry and commerce, 10% government; considerable unemployment

Organized labor: 30,000 members claimed by single union, Mauritanian Workers’ Union

NOTE: The information regarding Mauritania on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Mauritania 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Mauritania 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.