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Mauritania Geography 2016
https://allcountries.org/world_fact_book_2016/mauritania/mauritania_geography.html
SOURCE: 2016 CIA WORLD FACTBOOK AND OTHER SOURCES











Mauritania Geography 2016
SOURCE: 2016 CIA WORLD FACTBOOK AND OTHER SOURCES


Page last updated on February 11, 2016

Location:
Western 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
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 1,030,700 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 29

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

Land boundaries:
total: 5,002 km
border countries (4): Algeria 460 km, Mali 2,236 km, Senegal 742 km, Western Sahara 1,564 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
754 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

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

Climate:
desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

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

Elevation:
mean elevation:
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m

Natural resources:
iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish

Land use:
agricultural land: 38.5% arable land 0.4%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 38.1%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 0.2%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 61.3% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
450 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
11.4 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.35 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%)
per capita: 420.2 cu m/yr (2005)

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

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

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
Mauritania is considered both a part of North Africa's Maghreb region and West Africa's Sahel region; most of the population is 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 2016 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Mauritania Geography 2016 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Mauritania Geography 2016 should be addressed to the CIA.




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