Mauritania is a poor country situated in northwestern Africa, with part of its western border acting as a coastline for the North Atlantic Ocean.
Mauritania exports an estimated US$1.7 billion worth of products around the globe in 2016. Highest-value Mauritanian exports include fish, iron ores, gold, copper and crude oil according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Nouakchott, Mauritania: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: Fishing port, Saudi mosque, Gallery Zeinart of African art and the Olympic Stadium
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Nouakchott, Mauritania:
- Moustapha Sall, national soccer team head coach (born May 31, 1967)
- Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, diplomat & politician (born Nov. 9, 1960)
- Dominique Da Sylva, soccer/football player (born Aug. 16, 1989)
- Jidou El-Moctar, Olympic runner (born Jul. 8, 1985)
- Bilal Sidibé, soccer/football player (born Dec. 31, 1978)
- Dahmed Ould Teguedi, soccer/football player (born Nov. 15, 1984)
- Aicha Fall, Olympic runner (born Dec. 31, 1993)
- Oumar N’Diaye, soccer/football player (born Dec. 9, 1988)
- Youba Hmeida, Olympic runner (born Jan. 1, 1976)
- Gerardo Miranda, soccer/football player (born Nov. 16, 1956)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Nouakchott resident: Mauritanian
Population: 968,000 (Nouakchott)
Density: 29,333 people per square mile (11,326 per square kilometer)
Population: 3,677,293 (Mauritania)
Density: 9 people per square mile (4 per square kilometer)
Financial
GDP: US$16.29 billion in 2015 (for Mauritania, per CIA World Factbook)
GDP per person: $4,400
Note: The above country-level GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars. Credible city GDP statistics for Nouakchott were unavailable.
Official currency used in Nouakchott: Mauritanian ouguiya
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data). Accessed on January 5, 2017
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas. Accessed on January 5, 2017
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition. Accessed on January 5, 2017
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition. Accessed on January 5, 2017
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 2, 2017
Official Government Website, U.S. Embassy in Mauritania. Accessed on January 5, 2017
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas – Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on January 5, 2017
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags. Accessed on January 5, 2017
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, List of countries and territories by population density. Accessed on February 15, 2017
Wikipedia, Nouakchott. Accessed on January 5, 2017
Wikipedia, Mauritania. Accessed on January 5, 2017
Nouakchott had an estimated population of 968,000 residents in 2015, living in a land area measuring 33 square miles (85 square kilometers).
According to the CIA World Factbook, Mauritania’s national borders contain 397,955 square miles (1,030,700 square kilometers).
Population density is higher within Mauritania’s capital city with an average 29,300 residents per square mile (11,300 per square kilometer).
At the national level, population density shrinks to a miniscule 9 Mauritanians per square mile (4 per square kilometer).
Mauritanians celebrate Independence Day each November 28 since that date 1960 when Mauritania broke free from France.