Mauritania

Mauritania is a country nearly twice the size of France. Mauritania is located on the west coast of Africa. About 47% of the country Mauritania is desert. The Sahara desert covers much of the north of Mauritania. The only settlements found in this area are around oases, where a little millet, dates and vegetables can be grown. The main agricultural regions are in the Senegal river valley in the south. The rest of the country is made up of the drought stricken sahel grasslands. The majority of the people are traditionally nomadic herdsmen but the severe droughts since the 1970s have killed about 70% of the nations animals and the population have settled along the Senegal rover. As a result, vast shanty towns have spring up around all the towns. Deposits of iron ore and copper provide the country's main exports and development of these and the fishing industry on the coast is the only hopeful industry.

The capital of Mauritania is Nouakchott and the currency used in Mauritania is the Ouguiya.