TOURISM IN MAURITANIA

Travels to Mauritania

Travel to Mauritania

Superficie: 1.030.700 kmq
Borders: Marocco, Algeria, Mali, Senegal
Population: 3.1 million (40% black moors, 30% moors, 30% black africans (soninké, pulaar, peul, wolof)
Capital: Nouakchott (670.000 inhabitants)
Languages: arabic (official), french, fula, soninke, wolof
Religions: Islam
National holiday: November, 28th
Time: GMT
Telephone access code: 00 222
Money: Ougouia

Mauritania is a large and diverse territory, mainly covered by the Sahara Desert, with its fields of golden dunes, rocky mountain ranges and fertile oases. It has a long Atlantic coastline, with waters rich in fish. In the north at the Banc d’Arguin, large sand banks host colonies of Palearctic birds which breed and winter here. It is considered one of the best places in the world for bird watching.

Mauritania’s neighbouring countries are Algeria to the north-east, Mali to the east and south, Senegal to the south and the Western Sahara, – a much disputed territory to which Morocco lays claim, to the north-west. The country is inhabited in its central and northern regions by the Moors of Arab-Berber origin and in the south by Black Africans. A former French colony, it gained its independence in 1960.

The Oases Town

Chinguetti and Ouadane are two of the most ancient and beautiful oases in the north. Chinguetti is a UNESCO world heritage site, much of the money is used to preserve its many important libraries and keep the ever encroaching desert sands at bay. Less frequently visited, but very interesting, is the region of the Aoukar, with its archaeological remains of ancient settlements. At the spectacular site of Aghrijit you can still see the little streets, walls and yards of a large ancient village that was abandoned thousands of years ago.

On the eastern boundary of Aoukar is the oasis of Oualata – an ancient caravan centre, even older than Timbuktu. Although many oases are now abandoned, Oulata still has many inhabited houses. The inhabitants have kept alive the tradition of decorating their doorways with beautiful geometric designs in Arabic colours, unique to this area.

Limited tourism possibilities

Apart from the above-mentioned regions which, together with Nouakchott, the capital, and the Atlantic coast receive a degree of tourist attention, the chance of meeting other western travellers in the rest of the country is extremely rare – in fact, almost zero. Few travellers venture into the north of the country, up towards the areas surrounding the mining town of Zouerat and the great sand lakes of Maqteir and El Amami where the vastness of the desert can be overwhelming. Venturing into the central part of the country you come across large herds of zebu cattle tended by the nomadic Fulani tribe.

The Senegalese border is home to the Black Africans who farm millet, rice, maize and vegetables along the banks of the River Senegal. Here the women decorate the interior of their homes in bright, vivid geometric patterns. Some comment needs to be made here about the vast open spaces that this country has to offer – all of them largely unexplored, for example, the extreme north bordering Algeria and Mali. These territories, with huge dune ranges, rocky ridges, canyons, mysterious archaeological remains and vast fossilised lakes stretching off into the distance in colours of green and violet are fascinating to explore. In this unique landscape, totally isolated from the rest of the world, wander rare groups of Reguibat nomads who rarely come into contact with foreigners.

For more informations:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/mauritania

Encarta Mauritania    Maps