Portal:Mauritania

The Mauritania Portal - بوابة موريتانيا Flag of Mauritania Seal of Mauritania Mauritania, formally the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to the north and northwest, Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the east and southeast, and Senegal to the southwest. By land area Mauritania is the 11th-largest country in Africa and 28th-largest in the world; 90% of its territory is in the Sahara. Most of its population of some 4.3 million lives in the temperate south of the country, with roughly a third concentrated in the capital and largest city, Nouakchott, on the Atlantic coast. The country's name derives from Mauretania, the Latin name for a region in the ancient Maghreb. It extended from central present-day Algeria to the Atlantic. Berbers occupied what is now Mauritania by beginning of the third century AD. Groups of Arab tribes migrated to this area in the late seventh century, bringing with them Islam, Arab culture, and the Arabic language. In the early 20th century, Mauritania was colonized by France as part of French West Africa. It achieved independence in 1960, but has since experienced recurrent coups and periods of military dictatorship. The 2008 Mauritanian coup d'état was led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who won subsequent presidential elections in 2009 and 2014. He was succeeded by General Mohamed Ould Ghazouani following the 2019 elections, head of an autocratic government with a very poor human rights record, particularly because of its perpetuation of slavery; the 2018 Global Slavery Index estimates there are about 90,000 slaves in the country (or 2.1% of the population).. Despite an abundance of natural resources, including iron ore and petroleum, Mauritania remains poor; its economy is based primarily on agriculture, livestock, and fishing. Mauritania is culturally and politically part of the Arab world; it is a member of the Arab League and Arabic is the official language. The official religion is Islam, and almost all inhabitants are Sunni Muslims. Despite its prevailing Arab identity, Mauritanian society is multiethnic; the Bidhan, or so-called "white moors", make up 30% of the population, while the Haratin, or so-called "black moors", comprise 40%. Both groups reflect a fusion of Arab-Berber ethnicity, language, and culture. The remaining 30% of the population comprises various sub-Saharan ethnic groups. (Full article...) Selected article - Kaedi Gorgol (Arabic: ولاية كركول, romanized: Wilāyat Gorgol) is a region in southern Mauritania. Its capital is Kaédi and the Gorgol River forms parts of the landscape. Other major cities/towns include M'Bout and Maghama. The region borders the Mauritanian regions of Brakna and Assaba to the north, the Mauritanian region of Guidimaka to the south-east and Senegal to the south-west. The Senegal River runs along the region's border with Senegal. As of 2013, the population of the region was 335,917, compared to 310,656 in 2011. There were 48.23 per cent females and 51.77 per cent males. As of 2008, the activity rate was 48.90 and economic dependency ratio was 1.24. As of 2008, the literacy rate for people aged 15 years and over was 40.50. The local government is headed by an elected district representative, while the elections for the local government are conducted every five years. On account of the political instability, the last elections were held in 2023. (Full article...) List of selected articles Mohamed Ould Ghazouani Agriculture in Mauritania Mauritania–Senegal Border War Emirate of Trarza Richat Structure Nouadhibou Kiffa Ouadane Mauritania Railway Economy of Mauritania Mauritanian cuisine Zouérat Precolonial Mauritania Slavery in Mauritania Mauritania Airlines Armed Forces of Mauritania Flag of Mauritania Mauritania national football team Greater Mauritania Mauritanian ouguiya 2019 Mauritanian presidential election LGBT rights in Mauritania Rosso Human rights in Mauritania En attendant les hommes Mining in Mauritania Hodh Ech Chargui Region Adrar Region Hodh El Gharbi Region 2011–12 Mauritanian protests Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz 2007 Mauritanian presidential election Mohamed Ould Ghazouani Adrar Region Ba Mamadou Mbaré Arab Maghreb Union Diawling National Park Koumbi Saleh Soninke people Amar Godomat Serer people Wolof people Toucouleur people Assaba Region Banc d'Arguin National Park 2008 Mauritanian coup d'état Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya Good article - This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards. Malouma performing in 2004 Malouma Mint El Meidah (Arabic: المعلومة منت الميداح, romanized: al-Maʿlūma Mint al-Maydāḥ), also simply Maalouma or Malouma ( /mɑːloʊmɑː/; born October 1, 1960), is a Mauritanian singer, songwriter and politician. Raised in the south-west of the country by parents versed in traditional Mauritanian music, she first performed when she was twelve, soon featuring in solo concerts. Her first song "Habibi Habeytou" harshly criticized the way in which women were treated by their husbands. Though an immediate success, it caused an outcry from the traditional ruling classes. After being forced into marriage while still a teenager, Malouma had to give up singing until 1986. She developed her own style combining traditional music with blues, jazz, and electro. Appearing on television with songs addressing highly controversial topics such as conjugal life, poverty and inequality, she was censored in Mauritania in the early 1990s but began to perform abroad by the end of the decade. After the ban was finally lifted, she relaunched her singing and recording career, gaining popularity, particularly among the younger generation. Her fourth album, Knou (2014), includes lyrics expressing her views on human rights and women's place in society. Alongside her singing, Malouma has also fought to safeguard her country's music, urging the government to create a music school, forming her own foundation in support of musical heritage, and in 2014 creating her own music festival. She was elected a senator in 2007, the first politician in her caste, but was arrested the following year after a coup d'état. When elections were again held in 2009, she became a senator for the opposition Ech-Choura party where she was given special responsibilities for the environment. This led in 2011 to her appointment as the IUCN's Goodwill Ambassador for Central and West Africa. In December 2014, she announced she was moving from the opposition to join the ruling party, the Union for the Republic, where she felt she could be more effective in contributing to the country's progress. Her work has been recognized by the French, who decorated her as a Knight of the Legion of Honor, and the Americans, whose ambassador to Mauritania named her a Mauritanian Woman of Courage. (Full article...) List of Good articles Nouakchott Ten Hamadi Mauritania at the 2012 Summer Olympics Mauritania at the 2008 Summer Olympics Mauritania at the 2000 Summer Olympics Mauritania at the 2004 Summer Olympics Categories Category puzzle Select [►] to view subcategories Mauritania Mauritania-related lists Arab tribes in Mauritania Buildings and structures in Mauritania Culture of Mauritania Economy of Mauritania Education in Mauritania Environment of Mauritania Geography of Mauritania Government of Mauritania Health in Mauritania History of Mauritania Organisations based in Mauritania Mauritanian people Politics of Mauritania Society of Mauritania Mauritania stubs General images - The following are images from various Mauritania-related articles on Wikipedia. After the Portuguese, the Dutch, and then the French, took control of Arguin until abandoning it in 1685. (from Mauritania) Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi (from Mauritania) Nouakchott is the capital and the largest city of Mauritania. It is one of the largest cities in the Sahara. (from Mauritania) Chinguetti was a center of Islamic scholarship in West Africa. (from Mauritania) Sandy area west of Chinguetti (from Mauritania) A Moorish family in the Adrar Plateau. (from Mauritania) Mauritanian blogger and political prisoner Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir. (from Mauritania) Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in his hometown, Akjoujt, on 15 March 2009. (from Mauritania) Camel market in Nouakchott (from Mauritania) The Portuguese Empire ruled Arguin (Portuguese: Arguim) from 1445, after Prince Henry the Navigator set up a feitoria, until 1633. (from Mauritania) Rock art in the Sahara Desert (from Mauritania) 2011–12 Mauritanian protests. (from Mauritania) Terjit oasis in the Adrar Region (from Mauritania) French West Africa, circa 1913 (from History of Mauritania) Qur'an collection in a library in Chinguetti (from Mauritania) Related portals Religions in Mauritania Arab states Other countries All Africa-related portals WikiProjects You are invited to participate in WikiProject Mauritania, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about Mauritania. WikiProject Africa Topics in Mauritania Culture Demographics Economy Geography History Politics Cities and towns   Largest cities or towns in Mauritania citypopulation.de Rank Name Region Pop. Nouakchott Nouadhibou 1 Nouakchott Nouakchott 1,195,600 Kiffa 2 Nouadhibou Dakhlet Nouadhibou 118,167 3 Kiffa Assaba 60,005 4 Néma Hodh Ech Chargui 57,000 5 Rosso Traza 51,026 6 Kaédi Gorgol 45,539 7 Zouérat Tiris Zemmour 44,469 8 Sélibaby Guidimaka 26,420 9 Atar Adrar 25,190 10 Aïoun Hodh El Gharbi 22,796 Communes Associated Wikimedia The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject: Commons Free media repository Wikibooks Free textbooks and manuals Wikidata Free knowledge base Wikinews Free-content news Wikiquote Collection of quotations Wikisource Free-content library Wikiversity Free learning tools Wikivoyage Free travel guide Wiktionary Dictionary and thesaurus Discover Wikipedia using portals List of all portals The arts portal Biography portal Current events portal Geography portal History portal Mathematics portal Science portal Society portal Technology portal Random portal WikiProject Portals