:Mauritania Government
Long-form name:
Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Type:
republic; military first seized power in bloodless coup 10 July 1978; a
palace coup that took place on 12 December 1984 brought President Taya to
power; he was elected in 1992
Capital:
Nouakchott
Administrative divisions:
12 regions(regions, singular - region); Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet
Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh el Gharbi, Inchiri,
Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza; note - there may be a new capital district of
Nouakchott
Independence:
28 November 1960 (from France)
Constitution:
currently 12 July 1991; 20 May 1961 Constitution abrogated after coup of 10
July 1978; provisional constitution published 17 December 1980 but abandoned
in 1981; constitutional charter published 27 February 1985 after Taya came
to power; latest constitution approved after general referendum 12 July 1991
Legal system:
based on Islamic law
National holiday:
Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
Executive branch:
president
Legislative branch:
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) and Senate
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid`Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)
Political parties and leaders:
legalized by constitution passed 12 July 1991; emerging parties include
Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS), led by President Col. Maaouya
Ould Sid`Ahmed TAYA; Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), coalition of seven
opposition factions, three leaders: Mohameden Ould BABAH, Diop Mamadou
AMADOU, and Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR; Assembly for Democracy (RDU), Mohamed
Ould SIDI BABA; Rally for Democracy and Unity (RDUN), Mohamed Ould Sidi
BABA; Popular Social and Democratic Union (UPSD), Mohamed Mahmoud Ould MAH;
Progressive Popular Alliance (APP), Taleb Ould Jiddou Ould Mohamed LAGHDAF;
Mauritanian Party for Renewal (PMR), Moulaye El Hassan Ould JEYID; National
Avant-Garde Party (PAN or PAGN), Khattry Ould Taleb JIDDOU; Mauritanian
Party of the Democratic Center (PCDM), Bamba Ould SIDI BADI; Union for
Planning and Construction (UPC), Mohamed Ould EYAHA; Democratic Justice
Party (PJD), Mohamed Abdallahi Ould EL BANE; Party for Liberty, Equality,
and Justice (PLEJ), Ba Mamadou ALASSANE; Labor and National Unity Party
(PTUN), Ali Bouna Ould OUENINA
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held January 1992 (next to be held NA)
results:
President Col. Maabuya Ould Sid`Ahmed TAYA elected
Senate:
last held 3 and 10 April 1992 (next to be held April 1998)
:Mauritania Government
National Assembly:
last held 6 and 13 March 1992 (next to be held NA 1997)
Member of:
ABEDA, ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, CEAO,
ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Mohamed Fall OULD AININA; Chancery at 2129 Leroy Place NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-5700
US:
Ambassador Gordon S. BROWN; Embassy at address NA, Nouakchott (mailing
address is B. P. 222, Nouakchott); telephone [222] (2) 526-60 or 526-63; FAX
[222] (2) 515-92
Flag:
green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal crescent;
the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color green
are traditional symbols of Islam
:Mauritania Economy
Overview:
A majority of the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for
a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many subsistence farmers
were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s.
Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for almost 50%
of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led
to cutbacks in production. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest
fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens
this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near
Nouakchott in 1986. In recent years, the droughts, the endemic conflict with
Senegal, rising energy costs, and economic mismanagement have resulted in a
substantial buildup of foreign debt. The government has begun the second
stage of an economic reform program in consultation with the World Bank, the
IMF, and major donor countries. But the reform process suffered a major
setback following the Gulf war of early 1991. Because of Mauritania's
support of Saddam Husayn, bilateral aid from its two top donors, Saudi
Arabia and Kuwait, was suspended, and multilateral aid was reduced.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $1.1 billion, per capita $535; real growth rate
3% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.5% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
20% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $280 million; expenditures $346 million, including capital
expenditures of $61 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
$436 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
iron ore, processed fish, small amounts of gum arabic and gypsum; unrecorded
but numerically significant cattle exports to Senegal
partners:
EC 43%, Japan 27%, USSR 11%, Ivory Coast 3%
Imports:
$389 million (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, capital goods
partners:
EC 60%, Algeria 15%, China 6%, US 3%
External debt:
$1.9 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
growth rate 4.4% (1988 est.); accounts for almost 20% of GDP
Electricity:
190,000 kW capacity; 135 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
fishing, fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum
Agriculture:
accounts for 29% of GDP (including fishing); largely subsistence farming and
nomadic cattle and sheep herding except in Senegal river valley; crops -
dates, millet, sorghum, root crops; fish products number-one export; large
food deficit in years of drought
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $168 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.3 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $277
million; Arab Development Bank (1991), $20 million
:Mauritania Economy
Currency:
ouguiya (plural - ouguiya); 1 ouguiya (UM) = 5 khoums
Exchange rates:
ouguiya (UM) per US$1 - 79.300 (January 1992), 81.946 (1991), 80.609 (1990),
83.051 (1989), 75.261 (1988), 73.878 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Mauritania Communications
Railroads:
690 km 1.435-meter (standard) gauge, single track, owned and operated by
government mining company
Highways:
7,525 km total; 1,685 km paved; 1,040 km gravel, crushed stone, or otherwise
improved; 4,800 km unimproved roads, trails, tracks
Inland waterways:
mostly ferry traffic on the Senegal River
Ports:
Nouadhibou, Nouakchott
Merchant marine:
1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,290 GRT/1,840 DWT
Civil air:
3 major transport aircraft
Airports:
28 total, 28 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
poor system of cable and open-wire lines, minor radio relay links, and radio
communications stations (improvements being made); broadcast stations - 2
AM, no FM, 1 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2
ARABSAT, with six planned