Mauritania

Mauritania is a country in northwest Africa, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Its classification is stable and verifiable: UN M49 code 478, ISO alpha-2 code MR, ISO alpha-3 code MRT, UN region Africa, UN subregion Sub-Saharan Africa, and a UN member state. The World Bank lists the capital as Nouakchott. These identifiers come from the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) and the World Bank, not from any single national source, and they serve as the neutral backbone for comparing Mauritania with other countries. None of these codes imply a political stance on borders, sovereignty, or territorial disputes; they are statistical conventions used for data organization.

The country sits between the Maghreb and Sub-Saharan Africa, which shapes both its demographics and its culture. It is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, and the Arab League. Much of its territory is covered by the Sahara Desert.

Country basics

Official name: Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Capital: Nouakchott. UN M49 code: 478. ISO codes: MR (alpha-2), MRT (alpha-3). UN region: Africa. UN subregion: Sub-Saharan Africa. UN member state: Yes. World Bank capital field: Nouakchott. These classification facts come from the UN M49 overview and the World Bank country API. The M49 code is a statistical identifier, not a political statement about borders or sovereignty.

How to verify current population, languages, currency, government, economy, and travel requirements

Mauritania is a stable entry point for comparing countries, but several headline figures change frequently. Do not memorise a single number. Instead, check the source directly and always cite the year and the dataset name when you quote a figure. The table below shows the categories, the source you should use, and the reference year to look for.

Category	Primary source	How to find current data	Reference year to look for
Population	UN World Population Prospects	Open the latest “estimates” table, not the projections table, and record the medium-variant estimate	2023 or latest revision
Capital	World Bank country profile	Confirm Nouakchott is still listed as the administrative capital in the current profile	Static; verify in current profile
Currency	IMF or the central bank of Mauritania	Search for the official ISO 4217 code MRU (Ouguiya); note the redenomination history so you do not confuse old and new Ouguiya	Current year
Languages	Ethnologue or UNESCO	Arabic is official; French is widely used in administration; check the current constitution or language law for other national languages	Check current constitution or language law
Government	CIA World Factbook / national sources	Look up government type, head of state, and ruling structure; note the year of the last election	Current year
Economy	World Bank, IMF	Retrieve GDP, GDP per capita, growth, and poverty figures; specify whether the number is PPP or nominal and record the reference year	Current year

How to use these sources

1. Pick a category from the table above and open the primary source.
2. Find the reference year listed in the dataset description or table header. If the year is older than you expected, check whether a newer revision exists.
3. Record the exact figure, the dataset name, and the year in your notes. Write “UN World Population Prospects 2024 revision” rather than just “UN data”.
4. For currency, confirm the ISO code is still MRU and check the central bank website for any recent redenomination or policy change before quoting a conversion rate.
5. For government, cross-check the CIA World Factbook entry against a national government source, such as the official presidency or parliament website, and note any discrepancy.
6. For the economy, decide in advance whether you need PPP or nominal GDP. The World Bank and IMF both provide both; using the wrong measure will produce a misleading comparison.

What to skip

• Do not rely on a single news article or an unlabelled chart for population or GDP. Use the primary source directly.
• Do not cite a projection as if it were an estimate. The UN “projections” table and “estimates” table serve different purposes.
• Do not mix old and new Ouguiya without adjusting for the redenomination; the values differ by a factor of 10.

How to check travel requirements

Travel rules for Mauritania change without notice. Do not rely on a guidebook or a forum post. Follow these steps each time you plan a trip.

1. Start with your government’s travel advisory. For example, check the US State Department, UK FCDO, or Canadian travel advice page. Look for the last update date and read the entry requirements section, not just the safety summary.
2. Open the nearest Mauritanian embassy or consulate website. Find the visa section and note the required documents, fee, processing time, and whether a visa on arrival is available for your nationality. Print or save the page with the date you accessed it.
3. Check passport validity rules. Many countries require six months of validity beyond your planned departure date. Confirm the exact rule for Mauritania on the embassy site or your foreign ministry advisory.
4. Look up vaccination requirements. Search the WHO or CDC travel page for Mauritania. Yellow fever vaccination may be required if you are arriving from a country with risk of transmission. Record the certificate requirement and any other recommended vaccines.
5. Verify with your airline. Some airlines deny boarding if you do not meet entry rules that are stricter than the official government policy. Call or check the airline’s “visa and passport” page for Mauritania before you buy the ticket.
6. Save offline copies. Screenshot the embassy visa page, the travel advisory, and your vaccination certificate. Internet access may be unreliable on arrival.

What to skip

• Do not assume a visa on arrival is available just because a travel blog mentions it. Confirm on an official embassy or foreign ministry site.
• Do not book a flight before you have checked passport validity, visa processing time, and vaccination rules together. One missing item can block entry.