Located along West Africa's Atlantic coastline, Mauritania is one of the world's least developed countries, primarily covered by the Sahara desert. Nonetheless, a number of attractions are found in Nouakchott, its capital city, and throughout its 12 regions for those undeterred by harsh desert conditions. As a fairly new city, Nouakchott offers little in the way of tourist attractions other than its beaches and its central marketplace, where one can find exquisite handicrafts. Regional sites worth seeing include various stretches of colorful dunes, medieval desert cities, green oases and centuries-old mosques.
The weather in Mauritania is hot but not humid with little to no rainfall. From June to August, temperatures average about 40 C (104 F), although coastal breezes keep the temperatures down a little. Weather between December and March in the capital Nouakchott averages 29 C (85 F) during the day with overnight lows of 13 C (55 F).
Most of Mauritania's roads are in poor condition. Exceptions are roads linking Nouakchott with Rosso, Nema and Akjoujta and the paved highway running from the capital to Mali. Taxi service is available in urban areas but is unmetered and expensive. On a bright note Mauritania's airline service is more than adequate. Air Mauritanie offers full domestic service to a number of major cities and international service to Paris, Spain, the Middle East and North and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Although Mauritania's communications infrastructure is not well developed, telephone, fax and limited Internet services are available in Nouakchott, Nouadhibou and five regional capitals.
The majority of Mauritania's population is comprised of Arabic-speaking "White" Moors who share Arab and Berber (North Africa) ancestry and primarily live in the north. Mauritania's "Black" Moors originate from Sub-Saharan or Black Africa and are divided into five ethnic groups - Toucouleur, Fulbe, Soninke, Bambara, and Wolof. The majority of these groups resides in the south and speaks Pulaar, Soninke and Wolof. Arabic is Mauritania's official language, but French is widely spoken. Nearly all Mauritanians are Muslim.
Unfortunately, the diverse nature of Mauritania's social structure has given way to number of ethnic and racially based conflicts. Political rallies and demonstrations occasionally turn violent and should be avoided. Travel along Mauritania's borders with Morocco and Algeria is highly discouraged, as tourist groups have been robbed in these areas in the past. As for urban crime, the majority of all theft and violence occurs on Nouakchott's beaches.
For a free map of Mauritania and more detailed information, be sure to click on the Destination Brief above.
Please note: the situation in Mauritania can be volatile and dynamic. You are encouraged to purchase an Intelligence Brief ($7.50) or Destination Tracker ($25) for complete, up-to-the-minute information on the Country, Security and Health, Local Travel Alerts, Entry/exit requirements, Transportation, Communications/Technology, Legal and Financial situation, Environmental concerns and Language in Mauritania.