Mauritania Packages/Deals & Travel Agents Near Me

Mauritania's attractions include desert oases, beaches, nomadic people and four-wheel-drive treks in the Sahara, but the desolation and constantly encroaching sands make other desert countries more appealing.

Every year, sand dunes cover more and more of Mauritania, and even those interested in desert culture tend to travel to other countries. The country's capital, Nouakchott, which was far from the Sahara when it was founded in the 1960s, is now surrounded by sand. There are a few spots for fishing and bird-watching along the coast but not enough to draw visitors.

Geography

History

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to venture so far south along the western coast of Africa, landing in what is now Mauritania in 1441. But it was the French who were to affect the nation most, and they didn't arrive in force until 1904.

Mauritania experienced one of the shortest colonial periods on the continent (French rule ended in 1960), and unlike some other African nations, Mauritania was left with most of its natural resources intact—major deposits of iron ore were not discovered until the late 1950s. Unfortunately, the nation hasn't been able to turn mineral exploitation into economic stability: Despotic governments, economic mismanagement, a costly war and racial tensions have made independence a rocky experience.

Before a bloodless military coup in August 2005, the government was dominated by Arabic Moors, even though they made up only about 40% of the population. The rest of the population consists of sub-Saharan blacks and Haratine, or black Moors, who are the descendants of former slaves. For a long time, the border with Senegal was closed as a result of strife between the two nations. One result was a kind of ethnic cleansing, with tens of thousands of blacks being sent south to Senegal while huge numbers of Moors were expelled from Senegal and sent north to Mauritania.

The loss of many skilled laborers caused economic problems (including high inflation) in Mauritania, and it didn't help that, for a while, the nation lost access to the port at Dakar, Senegal.

Mauritania held its first democratic elections in 2007 and elected Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi as president. However, a second bloodless coup in 2008 removed him from power. Democratic elections were held in 2009 and Ould Abdel Aziz, the 2008 coup leader, was elected president. He was succeeded in 2019 by Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.

Snapshot

Desert oases, sand dunes, nomadic people, beaches, deep-sea fishing, bird watching and four-wheel-drive treks are among the foremost attractions of Mauritania.

This poor desert country will appeal to few travelers. It's not a destination for those who are simply interested in the Sahara—other desert countries are more hospitable.

Potpourri

Mauritania boasts the world's longest train—the one carrying iron from Zouerate to Nouadhibou can stretch to nearly 2 mi/3 km. You can ride the train, too. There are a few compartments—and plenty of space on top of the cars.

Africa's first desalinization plant was built in Mauritania.

Slavery has been outlawed several times in Mauritania, most recently in the 1980s. Still, accusations of abuses continue, and some estimates put the population of unpaid servants at 90,000. A rigid caste system existed for a dozen centuries, and attitudes toward race are proving difficult to change.

The longest sand beach in the world is the 450-mi/725-km Atlantic coastline of Mauritania.

Mauritania has been repeatedly ravaged by famine and drought (there's been very little rain since the early 1980s). Livestock raising was decimated by the southward advance of the Sahara. At least 60% of the country is desert: About half of that desert is now covered with unconsolidated (i.e., drifting) sand and the other half is so barren even camels can't survive there.