Mauritania

Local Information

Mauritania, country on the Atlantic coast of Africa. Mauritania forms a geographic and cultural bridge between the North African Maghrib  and sub-Saharan Africa. Culturally, it forms a transitional zone between the Arab-Amazigh (Berber) populations of North Africa and the African peoples in the region to the south of the Tropic of Cancer. Much of Mauritania encompasses part of the Sahara desert, and, until the drought conditions that affected most of that zone of Africa in the 1970s, a large proportion of the
population was nomadic.

Mauritania was administered as a French colony during the first half of the 20th century and became independent on November 28, 1960. By the terms of the constitution, Islam is the official state religion, but the republic guarantees freedom of conscience and religious liberty to all. Arabic and French are the official languages; Fula, Soninke, and Wolof are national languages.

The capital, Nouakchott, is located in the southwestern part of the country.

Mauritania offers a small but steadily growing market to investors. With a population of 4.4 million and an average per capita GDP of
US$1,296, growth has fluctuated throughout the years, due largely to the economy’s dependence on commodity prices. The best market opportunities for investors are in the energy (oil & gas exploration and production, hydrocarbon refinery and storage, and power generation and transmission), fisheries, and tourism sectors. As BP works towards first production of the Tortue natural gas
field in 2022, hydrocarbons are poised to replace iron ore as the primary driver of the Mauritanian economy. Various supermajor oil & gas companies continue to explore offshore, and 19 blocks remain available to lease. There are also opportunities to develop fields where oil has already been discovered and to provide supplies and logistical support to companies working in the sector. Mining, primarily of iron ore, is one of the largest industries in Mauritania. The production of iron ore makes up 46% of total exports. Other minerals currently being mined in Mauritania include gold, copper, and a variety of rare earth minerals.

There's no doubt that Mauritania has some of the continent's grandest scenery. The Saharan Adrar region, with its World
Heritage–listed caravan towns but the desert is a constant presence elsewhere, pushing hard up against the Atlantic Coast. Millions of migratory birds winter along the coast at Parc National du Banc d'Arguin, and the expanding capital Nouakchott is where modernity takes root in the desert.

Hapag-Lloyd in Mauritania:

Hapag-Lloyd arrived in Mauritania in 2018, represented by
local agent SOGECO partner of Bolloré Logistics & Transport.

Quick Hints:

Currency: ouguiya (MRU)

Time zone: GMT

Dialing code: +222

Languages: Arabic, French(officials)

Religion:           100% Islam

Imports Partners: China 22.2%, France 7.93%, UAE 6.73%, Spain 4.68%, Turkey 3.85% (2020)

Exports Partners: China 33.9%, Switzerland 15.2%, Spain 8.27%, Canada 7.67%, Japan 5.66%, Germany 3.53%