Mauritania: Capital, Flag and Fun Facts

About Mauritania

Mauritania is a country in northwest Africa with a long Atlantic coast. About 90 per cent of its land lies in the Sahara Desert. It is known for old desert oasis towns, huge sand dunes and coastal wetlands full of birds.

About Nouakchott

Nouakchott lies on the Atlantic coast of Mauritania, at the edge of the Sahara. It was built as the new capital around independence in 1960 and is now the country's largest city.

Fun facts about Mauritania

1. The Richat Structure, a giant ring of rock about 40 kilometres wide, is nicknamed the 'Eye of the Sahara'.
2. Some of the world's longest trains, more than 2 kilometres long, carry iron ore across Mauritania's desert.
3. Banc d'Arguin National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a resting place for millions of migrating birds.
4. The libraries of the old desert town of Chinguetti hold thousands of medieval manuscripts.
5. Mauritania's currency, the ouguiya, is split into five khoums instead of 100 smaller units.
6. About 90 per cent of Mauritania's land lies within the Sahara, the world's largest hot desert.