Geography |
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania, located in north-western Africa, is bounded on the north by Western Sahara and Algeria, on the east by Mali, on the south by Mali and Senegal, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The area is 1 025 520 km2.
With the exception of a narrow strip in the south along the Sénégal River and a savanna in the south-east, the country lies entirely within the Sahara. The elevation varies from 150 m in the south-west to 460 m in the north-east. The Sahara is barren and rocky or sandy, broken only by rocky plateaus and a few oases. The Sénégal River plain is the main agricultural area, while livestock is pastured on the savanna.
Daytime temperatures in much of the country can reach 38° C for more than six months of the year, although temperatures can fall to as little as 7° C at night. Annual rainfall varies from less than 130 mm in the north to 660 mm in the Sénégal Valley.
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.