Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 38% forest and woodland: 5% other: 56%
Irrigated land: 120 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion
aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; very
limited natural fresh water resources away from the Senegal which is
the only perennial river
natural hazards: hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows
primarily in March and April; periodic droughts
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified -
Biodiversity, Desertification, Law of the Sea
Note: most of the population concentrated along the Senegal River in
the southern part of the country
@Mauritania:People
Population: 2,263,202 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (female 544,674; male 551,099)
15-64 years: 49% (female 574,282; male 542,762)
65 years and over: 3% (female 28,955; male 21,430) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.17% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 47.32 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 15.66 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)