Mauritania: an introduction of sorts, parte deux

The following is the introduction to my master’s thesis. I wrote it some months ago and haven’t yet edited it so please pardon any and all mistakes.

Land and Climate

Situated in northwest Africa, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania is a largely desert country, measuring 1 030 000 square kilometers in size with a shoreline some 700 kilometers long. It is bordered by Morocco and Algeria to the north, Senegal and Mali to the south and east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The large expanses of flat plains that cover the northern and central regions are occasionally interrupted by ridges, sand dunes and rocky plateaus, which are often rich in iron-ore. The most significant of these deposits occur in Zouérat, in northern Mauritania. The southern portion of the country is mostly flat scrubland.

The rainy season occurs from the months of July to September; average annual rainfall in the Sahara region is less than 100mm while that in the south is approximately 600mm. The limited rains allow for some cultivation. Desertification, however, is a severe problem. The Sahara, which covers approximately 75% of the country, including Nouakchott, is slowly expanding southward. Wood has become scarce, with most cooking now being done on kerosene stoves. Further cause for environmental concern comes from increasing livestock herds, which as a result of additional wells and human population growth, is contributing to overgrazing.

Mauritania has recently experienced several natural disasters. Some 150 000 square kilometers of land were transformed into desert during the droughts of the 1970s and 1980s, causing a mass migration of peoples towards the south. Apart from the Senegal River, surface water is scarce. This, along with a recent worsening of the water crisis has led to food insecurity, damage to infrastructures caused by advancing sands, and various health problems. In addition, drought stricken lands often become submerged in floods during the rainy season. These conditions have fueled urban migration, resulting in a 53% increase of the urban population and the appearance of several squatter settlements around urban centers within the recent past [Red Cross Annual Report: Mauritania {14 July 2006}]. Consequently, today only some 10% of the population is officially nomadic, compared 83% in the late 1960s.

Government and Economics

Mauritania is administratively divided into 13 regions, 53 departments and 218 communes. Despite its size, the country’s approximately 3 million people are limited mostly to towns and cities and a few fertile areas. Access to most of the population is limited, however, due to a lack of adequate roads.

Mauritania’s economy has languished in the recent past. The country is one of the poorest in the world, with a gross national income (GNI) per capita of US$560. This dismal situation is further exacerbated by a high national growth rate, which will see the country’s population double in the next 20 years.

More than three-quarters of its population live by traditional subsistence activities, predominantly animal husbandry. Agriculture along the Senegal River contributes to one-third of the gross national product (GNP). Use of irrigation systems is increasing; however, the government encourages cattle-raising and rain-fed farming methods, traditionally Moorish activities, to the detriment of black Mauritanians. While the fishing and iron-ore industries account for over 90% of export earnings, uncontrolled fishing practices and a weakening world iron market are devastating them.

Economic growth has also been undermined by political instability at the national level. Mauritania is currently in the process of ‘controlled democratization’, with a non-violent coup d'état occurring in 2005. It is hoped, however, that the first presidential elections, currently being held, in addition to recent debt relief and oil production will markedly improve the nation’s economic situation.

People

The Mauritanian people, almost exclusively religiously Islamic, are composed of a diverse array of ethnic groups. Socio-economic and cultural differences, however, between the traditionally nomadic Arabic-speaking Moor herders – who dominate the central and northern regions of the country – and the Afro-Mauritanian sedentary cultivators of the Halpulaar, Soninké and Wolof ethnic groups – who are concentrated mainly in the south – have given rise to racial discrimination and conflict. The most severe of this occurred in 1989 when some 40 000 to 50 000 black Mauritanians were expelled from the country on government orders. Racial tensions exist to current day.

Next time on “Adventures in Puddles”: What’s yellow and flies in the air? A fly with a gold tooth! – Reporter R. N. investigates French humor.