Mauritania

• Capital: Nouakchott
• Population: 2,336,048
• Land Area: 398,000 square miles
• Population Density: 6 per square mile
• Major Religion: Muslim
• Major Language: Hasaniya Arabic and Wolof (both are official)
• Government: Islamic republic
• Local Divisions: 12 regions, 1 capital district
• Gross Domestic Product: $2.4 billion (1993)
• Life Expectancy: 46 male; 52 female