Land use: arable land: 0.48% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.51% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
490 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and
April; periodic droughts
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
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and
Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the
country
People Mauritania
Population:
2,912,584 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (male 671,080; female 668,408)
15-64 years: 51.8% (male 743,573; female 764,358)
65 years and over: 2.2% (male 26,669; female 38,496) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 16.9 years
male: 16.6 years
female: 17.2 years (2002)