Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh
(56 seats; a portion of seats up for election every two years;
members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms) and
the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (95 seats; members elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 9 and 16 April 2004 (next to be held
21 January 2007); National Assembly - last held 19 November and 3
December 2006
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats
by party - CFCD 41 (including RFD 16, United Forces for Progress
(UDP) 9, APP 5, Islamists 5, HATEM-PMUC 3, RD 2, FP 1), RNI
(coalition of independent candidates) 38, PRDR 7, Union for
Democracy and Progress (UDP) 3, RDU 3, Alternative (Al-Badil) 1,
RNDLE 1, UCD 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts
Political parties and leaders:
Alternative or Al-Badil; Coalition for Forces for Democratic Change
or CFCD (coalition of political parties including RFD, United Forces
of Progress or UDP, APP, Islamists, HATEM-PMUC, RD, UDC); Democratic
Renewal or RD; Islamists (Centrist Reformists); Mauritanian Party
for Unity and Change or HATEM-PMUC; National Rally for Freedom,
Democracy and Equality or RNDLE; Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould
CHEIKH MALAININE]; Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messoud Ould
BOULKHEIR]; Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH];
Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA];
Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR (formerly ruling
Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS) [Boullah Ould
MOGUEYA]; Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint
MOUKNASS]; Union of Democratic Centre or UCD
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Arab nationalists; Ba'thists; General Confederation of Mauritanian
Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general];
Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory
Ould BEYE]; Islamists; Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely
Ould BRAHIM, secretary general]
International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Tijani Ould Mohamed EL KERIM
chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700, 5701
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Charles H.
Twining
embassy: 288 Rue Abdallaye (between Presidency building and Spanish
Embassy), Nouakchott
mailing address: BP 222, Nouakchott
telephone: [222] 525-2660/525-2663
FAX: [222] 525-1592
Flag description:
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
Economy Mauritania
Economy - overview:
Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for
a livelihood, even though many of the nomads and 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 nearly 40% of total exports. 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 the past,
drought and economic mismanagement resulted in a buildup of foreign
debt which now stands at more than three times the level of annual
exports. In February 2000, Mauritania qualified for debt relief
under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and in
December 2001 received strong support from donor and lending
countries at a triennial Consultative Group review. A new investment
code approved in December 2001 improved the opportunities for direct
foreign investment. Ongoing negotiations with the IMF involve
problems of economic reforms and fiscal discipline. In 2001,
exploratory oil wells in tracts 80 km offshore indicated potential
extraction at current world oil prices. Mauritania has an estimated
1 billion barrels of proved reserves. Substantial oil production and
exports began in early 2006 and averaged 75,000 barrels per day for
the year. Meantime the government emphasizes reduction of poverty,
improvement of health and education, and promoting privatization of
the economy.