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Monday 18 April 2016

Mauritania

Mauritania derives its name from the ancient Berber Kingdom of Mauretania, which existed from the 3rd century BC to the 7th century, in the far north of modern-day Morocco.

The flag was adopted on April 1, 1959. It is almost unique among national flags as it does not contain any of the three most common flag colors; red, white, or blue - a distinction only shared with Jamaica.


Mauritania was the last nation to outlaw slavery in 1981 but didn't make it a crime until 2007.

According to a 2012 report, only one slave owner has ever been successfully prosecuted and the practice of slavery still widely continues. Some estimates state that up to 600,000 Mauritanians, or 20% of the population, are still enslaved.

Offshore oil was discovered in Mauritania in 2001. Oil is now one of the country’s main exports.

Mauritania banned in 2014 the use of plastic bags to protect the environment and the lives of land and sea animals.

At 1,030,700 km² (397,929 mi²), Mauritania is the world's 29th-largest country.

70 per cent of Mauritania is covered by the Sahara Desert. Consequently the population is concentrated in the south, where precipitation is slightly higher.

The Eye of the Sahara, Mauritania, is a unique geological feature over 50 kilometers in diameter which can be seen from space.

The capital city, which is also the biggest city in the country, is Nouakchott. Its name means “place of the winds”.

Nouakchott is one of the largest cities in the Sahara. By Александра Пугачевская 

Nouakchott is home to around one-third of Mauritania's 3.5 million people.

Mauritania highest mountain, Mount Ijill, is made almost totally of iron ore.

Source Daily Express

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