History UsefulNotes / Mauritania

* ''Film/{{Timbuktu}}'' (2014) is the first film from Mauritania to ever get an Oscar nomination for [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestForeignLanguageFilm Foreign Language Film]]. (Timbuktu is actually in UsefulNotes/{{Mali}}.)

** Prime Minister: Mohammed Ould Bilal
** President of the National Assembly: Cheikh Ahmed Baye

Mauritania ('''Arabic:''' ''موريتانيا‎ Mūrītānyā'', '''Berber:''' ''Muritanya or Agawej'', '''Wolof:''' ''Gànnaar'', '''Soninke:''' ''Murutaane'', '''Pulaar:''' ''Moritani''), officially known as the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ('''Arabic:''' ''الجمهورية الإسلامية الموريتانية al-Jumhūriyyah al-ʾIslāmiyyah al-Mūrītāniyyah'', '''Berber:''' ''Tagduda Tislamant n Muritanya ⵜⴰⴳⴷⵓⴷⴰ ⵜⵉⵙⵍⴰⵎⴰⵏⵜ ⵏ ⵎⵓⵔⵉⵜⴰⵏⵢⴰ'', '''French:''' ''République Islamique de Mauritanie'', '''Wolof:''' ''Republik bu Lislaamu bu Gànnaar''), is a country simultaneously considered part of both West Africa and the Maghreb (also called Northwest Africa) bordering the Atlantic Ocean, as well as UsefulNotes/{{Mali}}, UsefulNotes/{{Senegal}}, UsefulNotes/{{Algeria}}, and [[UsefulNotes/ThatDryPatchOfLandUnrecognized Western Sahara]]. It was named after the ancient [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Kingdom of Mauretania]], which was actually located to the north in present-day UsefulNotes/{{Morocco}}. While geographically considered part of West Africa, the country is ethnically and culturally closer to the Arabic countries of North Africa, as evidenced by its sole official language being Arabic (with a local Arabic dialect called Hassaniya Arabic) and the country being a member of the Arab League.

[[AC: Film]]

Mauritania ('''Arabic:''' ''موريتانيا‎ Mūrītānyā'', '''Berber:''' ''Muritanya or Agawej'', '''Wolof:''' ''Gànnaar'', '''Soninke:''' ''Murutaane'', '''Pulaar:''' ''Moritani''), officially known as the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ('''Arabic:''' ''الجمهورية الإسلامية الموريتانية al-Jumhūriyyah al-ʾIslāmiyyah al-Mūrītāniyyah'', '''Berber:''' ''Tagduda Tislamant n Muritanya ⵜⴰⴳⴷⵓⴷⴰ ⵜⵉⵙⵍⴰⵎⴰⵏⵜ ⵏ ⵎⵓⵔⵉⵜⴰⵏⵢⴰ'', '''French:''' ''République Islamique de Mauritanie'', '''Wolof:''' ''Republik bu Lislaamu bu Gànnaar''), is a West African country bordering the Atlantic Ocean, as well as UsefulNotes/{{Mali}}, UsefulNotes/{{Senegal}}, UsefulNotes/{{Algeria}}, and [[UsefulNotes/ThatDryPatchOfLandUnrecognized Western Sahara]]. It was named after the ancient [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Kingdom of Mauretania]], which was actually located to the north in present-day UsefulNotes/{{Morocco}}. While geographically West African, the country is ethnically and culturally closer to North Africa. It mainly speaks an Arabic variety (Hassaniya Arabic) and is part of the Arab League.

* '''Highest point:''' Kediet ej Jill (915 m/3,002 ft) (174th)

* '''Highest point:''' Kediet ej Jill (915 m/3,002 ft) (159th)

* '''Highest point:''' Kediet ej Jill (915 m/3,002 ft) (179th)

* '''Lowest point:''' Sebkha de Ndrhamcha (−5 m/−16 ft) (29th)

* '''ISO-3166-1 Code:''' MR

Also, note that many Mauritanian names have ''Ould'' (pronounced "wool") in their names. That means "[[{{UsefulNotes/Patronymic}} son of]]" in Hassaniya Arabic and is the equivalent of ''Bin/Ibn'' in Eastern Arabic. The feminine equivalent is ''Mint'', a form of Eastern Arabic's ''Bint''.

The region's original population was a mixture of Sanhaja Berbers from North Africa and blacks from sub-Saharan Africa. UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} was introduced in the 11th century by the Almoravid dynasty of Morocco, whose founding fathers came from a tribe of the Sanhaja Berbers. Around the same time, the Arab tribe of Beni Hassan moved into West Africa, triggering a major social upheaval. Assimilating the Berbers, the Arabs dominated the upper class, who came to be called the ''Beidane'', and subjugated the blacks. Some enslaved blacks later underwent Arabization themselves (cf. UsefulNotes/{{Sudan}}) and are nowadays called the ''Haratin''. The lowest social strata is occupied by blacks speaking the various sub-Saharan languages and therefore do not consider themselves Arab.

Under Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, Mauritania improved its relationship with the West and became the third Arab country to exchange ambassadors with UsefulNotes/{{Israel}}. He was brought down by a military coup in 2005 while abroad. Another coup followed three years later, just as the country was preparing for elections, and placed Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (known for being a leading figure for the 2005 coup) as president. He won the elections in July 2009 (which he ran for since ''April''). Ould Abdel Aziz was an ally of the West during the Islamist insurgency plaguing West Africa and, to his credit, was largely responsible for keeping the country safe from insurgents, as what is currently happening in neighboring Mali. After two terms, he announced that he would not run for president again, paving the way for the first peaceful transfer of power since the country's independence in 2019. The president elected, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, was handpicked by Ould Abdel Aziz, however.

Also, note that many Mauritanian names have ''Ould'' in their names. That means "[[{{UsefulNotes/Patronymic}} son of]]" in Hassaniya Arabic and is the equivalent of ''Bin/Ibn'' in Eastern Arabic.

* '''Area:''' 1,030,000 km (400,000 sq mi) (28th)

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