Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign state 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 southwest. Mauritania is the eleventh largest country in Africa, and 90% of its territory is situated in the Sahara. Most of its population of 4.4 million lives in the temperate south of the country, with roughly one third concentrated in the capital and largest city, Nouakchott, located on the Atlantic coast. The official language in Mauritania is Arabic, although there are other spoken languages which include Fula, Soninke and Wolof. The country’s mineral wealth includes large reserves of iron ore, copper and gypsum, all of which are now being exploited, as well as some oil resources.
TRENDING FASHION IN MAURITANIA
ACCESSORIES IN MAURITANIA
TRIBES IN MAURITANIA AND THEIR FASHION
Mauritanian traditional dress is consisted of light clothing to protect the people against the sun and as well as the sandstorms. The women traditional dress in Mauritania is called Melahfa, while the men traditional dress is called Daraa or boubou, and they wear it with sandals made from gazelle skin. Most Mauritanian women also use Melhafa not only as a traditional dress; but as hair cover because of religious reasons. The Darras are mostly blue, black or white and they are perfect when the weather gets very hot because the wide cloth allows air to move around.
The berber
The berber
The Bafour
TOURIST AND HISTORICAL PLACES IN MAURITANIA
Chinguetti – a place of eerily empty streets that have been chiselled and chipped by winds, it was once an important trading stopover between the Med in the north and sub-Sahara in the south.
Banc d’ Arguin – it is Mauritania’s only large-scale national park.
Atar – a gateway to the Adrar Plateau, and the place where visitors come to plan trips out to desert-shrouded medieval caravan towns like aforementioned Chinguetti.
Zouerat – a place known for its proximity to some of Africa’s richest mineral reserves.
Tichit – it clings to life from its far-flung position deep in the midst of Sahara Desert. Another aspect of the country’s UNESCO Ksours, the town is a truly breathtaking affair.
Terjit – it springs up from the dry-cracked desert lands on the edges of the Sahara in a medley of verdant date palms and babbling streams; a speck of tropical greenery surrounded by a sea of sand.
Selibaby – a town with its feet firmly placed in the more tropical reaches of the African Sahel, deep down on the southern fringes of the nation and close to its border with Senegal.
Oualata – one part of Mauritania’s acclaimed UNESCO World Heritage Site in the desert. It is unquestionable one of the most enchanting and impresive wonders in the country.
Ouadane – a haunting, interesting place that does well to reveal the harsh realities of life in this arid.
Nouakchott – a sprawling, dusty haze of a capital city that is packed with tooting traffic and crumbling low-rise homes. It is a curiously endearing place.
Nouadhibou – the engine room of the Mauritania fishing industry. It is at the spit desert, from the Atlantic Ocean known as Cabo Blanca.
Nema – a place with glimpse of the old nomadic way of life that once dominated the Mauritania.
Kiffa – an interesting crossroads town set under the shadow of the dramatic Affolle Mountains, which rise in sheer walls of rock and flat-topped bluffs where the southern reaches of the Sahara crash into the lands of the African Sahel.
Kaedi – the town of Kaedi exhibits a rare speck of urban greenery, for which you will need to travel to the extreme southern reaches of the country.
Diawling National Park – a small enclave greenery deep on the southern edge of Mauritania. It is one of the country’s birding hotspot.
MUSIC IN MAURITANIA
Mauritania is musically and culturally influenced by the North Africa culture. The main traditional music instruments in Mauritania are Tidnit and Ardin. Tidnit is an instrument for men and Ardin is an instrument played by women. One of the popular genres of music in Mauritania is Sega. It is a kind of dance and it has many sub-genres.
Some musicians in Mauritania include:
Malouma
Noura Mint Seymali
ART WORK IN MAURITANIA
MEALS IN MAURITANIA
There are nice and delicious meals and beverages in Mauritania to make your stay memorable. Meals like;
Fish ball – rounded meat balls made from fish paste that is boiled or deep fried.
Yassa – a spicy dish prepared with onions and either marinated poultry or fish.
Avocado pudding – meshed ripe avocado that can be taken as breakfast.
Mauritania terrine – a delicious meal spectacular to Mauritania
Hakko – a sauce made from onions, vegetables and spices.
Caravane – a special camel cheese produced in Mauritania.
Fish ball
Yassa
Avocado pudding
Mauritania terrine
Hakko
Caravane
baobab – a drink made from baobab seed
Date palm – an edible sweet fruit cultivated across northern Africa and well taken across the globe.
Dairy products – a popular drink such as yogurt, cheese and butter, produced from the milk of mammals, most commonly, cattle, buffaloes, goats, sheep and camels.
Couscous – a small steamed granule of rolled durum wheat semolina, traditionally served with a stew spooned on top.
Mechoui – a meal from a whole roasted lamb.
Maghrebi mint tea – a green tea prepared with spearmint leaves and sugar.
Baobab
Date palm
Dairy products
Couscous
Mechoui
Maghrebi mint tea
ENIVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND HABITAT PROTECTION IN MAURITANIA
According to the United Nations. Food and Agricultural Organization, 0.2% or about 242,000 ha of Mauritania is forested. Mauritania had 21,000 ha of planted forest. Change in forest cover occurred between 1990 and 2010, Mauritania lost an average of 8,650 ha or 2.08% per year. This loss can be attributed to biodiversity in this predominantly arid country which offers important habitat for wildlife including migratory birds, as well as repositories of medicinal plants. There are also several zoos in Mauritania, where wildlife is protected.
EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN MAURITANIA
The most obvious effects of climate change on the land ecosystem in Mauritania is desertification and its consequences. In fact, the disappearance of the vegetation gives rise to the movement of the sand and badlands, depending on the type of substrata. Mauritania has experienced significant droughts and projections related to climate variations and climate change are even more dire, with these conditions leading to more severe droughts with extreme climate conditions. Flooding will also occur and sea levels rise, hence the importance of protecting the country from such adverse effect. The situation in Mauritania is sufficiently alarming to warrant urgent action.
GENDER EQUALITY IN MAURITANIA
Globally, some progress on women rights has been achieved. However, work still need to be done in Mauritania to achieve gender equality. As of February 2021, only 20.3% of seats in the parliament were held by women.
Some prominent women in Mauritania include;
Mariam Mint Ahmed Aicha – former Minister of Women affairs in Mauritania.
Khadijatou Bint Ahmed Aiche – Mauritanian politician and country’s first woman in cabinet, who served as Minister of Mines and Industry.
Miriam Mint Ahmed Dit – the first lady of Mauritania
Lemina Mint El Kotob Ould Moma – Mauritanian politician and Minister of Agriculture
Mariam Mint Ahmed Aicha
Khadijatou Bint Ahmed Aiche
Miriam Mint Ahmed Dit
Lemina Mint El Kotob Ould Moma
Vatma Vall Mint Soueina – Mauritanian politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Fatimata B’Baye – Mauritanian lawyer and human rights activist.
Aissata Toure Kane – Mauritanian politician who was the country’s first female government minister.
Vatma Vall Mint Soueina
Fatimata B’Baye
Aissata Toure Kane
