Who Leads Mauritania?

Leadership

Mohamed Ould Ghazouani

President of Mauritania

Political Party

El Insaf

Inaugurated

Aug 1, 2019

Term Ends

2029

Next Election

2029

Born

Dec 1956 in Boumdeid, Mauritania

Country Population

4.9M

Continent

Africa

Mohamed Ould Ghazouani became president in 2019 in what was Mauritania's first peaceful transfer of power between elected presidents. A former army chief of staff and close associate of his predecessor, he won re-election in 2024. He has focused on security, economic development, and social cohesion while maintaining Mauritania's neutral diplomatic positioning.

Government

Capital

Nouakchott

Official Language(s)

Arabic

Currency

Ouguiya (MRU)

Government Type

Presidential Republic

Area

1,030,700 km²

Mauritania is a large, mostly Saharan country bridging North and West Africa. It has significant iron ore deposits and fishing resources. The country has a complex social structure with ongoing tensions related to its history of slavery, which was only legally abolished in 1981. Mauritania has been relatively successful in combating jihadist threats compared to its Sahel neighbors.

Mauritania is a presidential republic. President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani has been president since August 1, 2019, succeeding Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (who had seized power in a 2008 coup; ruled 2008-2019; was later convicted of corruption). Ghazouani was elected in June 2019 with 52% of the vote (the first peaceful democratic transfer of power in Mauritanian history) and re-elected in June 2024. The National Assembly has 176 seats.

Economic Snapshot

GDP

$10.3B

GDP Per Capita

$2,100

Income Group

Lower-middle income

Trade Balance

Deficit (LNG improving)

Inflation

3.7% (ONS, 2023)

Mauritania's economy is extractive: iron ore (SNIM), fish (European fleet access fees), and now gas (Grand Tortue). The wealth from these resources has not been broadly distributed: Nouakchott's rapid growth (from a desert town in 1960 to approximately 1 million people today; approximately 25% of the national population) reflects both urbanization and crisis (drought; desertification; and internal displacement from rural areas). The slavery-development paradox is profound: the Haratine (approximately 40% of Mauritania's population; descendants of enslaved Black Africans brought to Mauritania by Moorish Arab-Berber masters over centuries) are the most economically and socially marginalized group; most are landless; many are in hereditary servitude; their forced labor subsidizes the agricultural and pastoral economy; the 2015 anti-slavery law has led to some prosecutions but enforcement is inconsistent. Mauritania's Grand Tortue LNG (offshore; 2024 first production) represents a potentially transformative revenue source: Phase 1 LNG (approximately 2.5 million tonnes/year) will generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually for a country of 4.7 million. If Phase 2 is developed, it could generate over $1 billion/year. The question is whether governance institutions (strengthened somewhat under Ghazouani vs. Aziz) are capable of managing this wealth transparently.

Major Industries

• Iron ore (SNIM; Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière; Zouerate; approximately 15-20 million tonnes/year; one of Africa's largest iron ore operations)
• Fishing (Atlantic coast; one of West Africa's richest fishing grounds; European fleets pay significant access fees)
• Oil & gas (Tortue Ahmeyim LNG; offshore; Grand Tortue; BP/Kosmos; first LNG production 2024)
• Livestock (camels; goats; cattle; traditional pastoral economy)
• Agriculture (limited; Senegal River valley; millet; sorghum; dates)

Mauritania is known for: Mauritania's SNIM (Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière) operates one of Africa's largest iron ore mines at Zouerate (northeastern Saharan Mauritania) and exports via a dedicated 700 km railway (the Mauritania Iron Ore Railway; one of the world's longest; train runs from Zouerate through the Sahara to the port of Nouadhibou). The Grand Tortue Ahmeyim LNG project (offshore; Mauritania-Senegal shared maritime area; BP operator; first gas 2024) is a major new gas development. Mauritania is also known as the last country where slavery is still practiced despite multiple legal abolitions.

Trade Profile

Mauritania runs a trade deficit, with LNG revenues expected to significantly improve the balance from 2024 onwards. Iron ore revenues are significant but volatile (Chinese steel demand affects prices).

Top Exports

• Iron ore (~40%)
• Fish (~25%)
• Gold (~10%)
• Crude oil (~10%)
• Livestock (minor)

Top Imports

• Food
• Petroleum products
• Consumer goods
• Machinery
• Vehicles

Export Destinations

• China
• EU
• Japan
• UAE

Import Partners

• China
• France
• Spain
• Morocco

The world depends on Mauritania for: Iron ore (approximately 15-20 million tonnes/year; significant global supply), Atlantic fishing grounds (EU fleets pay for access; major fish stock nursery), and Grand Tortue LNG (new West African gas supply)

Mauritania depends on the world for: Food (all food; cannot produce enough), petroleum products, consumer goods, machinery, and EU/Chinese development assistance

Global Role

Mauritania's global significance is the world's last country to officially abolish slavery (1981) and where modern hereditary slavery still persists (~90,000-150,000 people), the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim LNG project (first West African gas), the Mauritania Iron Ore Railway (one of the world's longest freight trains), and Western Sahara border dynamics.

• Mauritania was the world's last country to officially abolish chattel slavery (1981; the practice was so normalized that no urgency was felt earlier; criminal penalties came only in 2007); approximately 90,000-150,000 Mauritanians (primarily Haratine Black Africans; descendants of enslaved people) are still estimated to be in conditions of hereditary servitude or forced labor despite three legal abolitions
• The Mauritania Iron Ore Railway (approximately 700 km; Zouerate to Nouadhibou; Sahara Desert) runs some of the world's longest freight trains (up to 3 km; 200+ wagons of iron ore); the train is a famous adventure travel experience for passengers who ride atop the ore wagons for the 16-18 hour desert crossing
• The Banc d'Arguin National Park (UNESCO; Mauritanian Atlantic coast; approximately 12,000 km² of coast and sea) is one of the world's most important shorebird and wetland habitats: approximately 2 million migratory birds (from the East Atlantic flyway; breeding in Scandinavia; Iceland; Siberia; wintering in West Africa) pass through; some of the world's most productive shallow sea nurseries for Atlantic fish
• Mauritania received LNG first gas in 2024 from Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (the BP-operated floating LNG facility off the Mauritania-Senegal maritime border; approximately 425 billion cubic feet Phase 1 gas reserves): this is the largest offshore gas development in West Africa since Equatorial Guinea's LNG
• Biram Dah Abeid (born 1964; Haratine; anti-slavery activist; founder of IRA; Initiative pour la Résurgence du Mouvement Abolitionniste) has twice been imprisoned by Mauritanian authorities for his activism against modern slavery; he ran for president in 2019 (finished 2nd; approximately 18% of vote); he is one of Africa's most prominent human rights activists
• Chinguetti (UNESCO World Heritage; ancient caravan city; Adrar Plateau; central Mauritania; approximately 5,000 inhabitants) was the staging post for trans-Saharan trade caravans and medieval Islamic pilgrimage routes (it was called the seventh holiest city of Islam); its ancient libraries contain thousands of medieval Islamic manuscripts (astronomy; philosophy; mathematics; theology); the city is being swallowed by advancing sand dunes

Frequently Asked Questions

Who governs Mauritania?

President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (Union for the Republic; UPR) has governed since August 1, 2019, in what was Mauritania's first peaceful democratic transfer of power. He was re-elected in June 2024 with 56% of the vote. His predecessor Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (who had seized power in a 2008 coup and governed 2008-2019) was later convicted on corruption charges and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment (2023). Ghazouani is a former general and defense minister who has been seen as a more institutionally-oriented leader.

Is slavery still practiced in Mauritania?

Yes. Mauritania was the world's last country to formally abolish chattel slavery (in 1981). Criminal penalties for slavery came only in 2007 and a stronger law with up to 20-year sentences was passed in 2015. Despite these legal measures, approximately 90,000-150,000 Mauritanians (primarily Haratine; Black Africans descended from enslaved people brought to Mauritania by Arab-Berber masters over centuries) are still estimated to live in conditions of hereditary servitude, forced labor, or debt bondage. Anti-slavery organizations (IRA; SOS Esclaves) have documented ongoing cases; the prominent activist Biram Dah Abeid has twice been imprisoned. Enforcement of anti-slavery laws remains inconsistent.

What is the Mauritania Iron Ore Railway?

The Mauritania Iron Ore Railway is one of the world's longest freight railways: approximately 700 km of narrow-gauge track running from the Zouerate iron ore mines (northeastern Sahara) through the desert to the Atlantic port of Nouadhibou. The SNIM (Mauritanian national mining company) operates iron ore trains that are among the world's longest: up to 3 km long with 200+ ore wagons, pulled by multiple diesel locomotives. The journey takes approximately 16-18 hours through Saharan landscape. Adventurous travelers ride on top of the iron ore wagons (as paying passengers in a limited passenger car at the back, or in the ore wagons for free): it is one of the world's most extreme and memorable rail journeys.

Related Countries

• Senegal: Southern neighbor; shared Grand Tortue Ahmeyim LNG project (maritime boundary offshore); the Senegal River valley separates the two countries; many Black Mauritanians are ethnically related to Senegalese Wolof and Fulani; 1989 Mauritania-Senegal crisis (ethnic violence; expulsions)
• Morocco: Northern neighbor; Western Sahara (which Mauritania briefly occupied and then ceded; Morocco claims the remainder); Morocco-Mauritania-Western Sahara triangle is the central Saharan geopolitical issue
• Mali: Eastern neighbor; shared Saharan/Sahelian geography; Tuareg and Moorish groups cross both; jihadist insurgency groups operating in northern Mali have extended into Mauritanian territory
• France: France colonized Mauritania (French West Africa; 1903-1960); French is a key administrative language; France maintains security engagement (Operation Barkhane; anti-jihadist operations in Sahel)
• China: China is Mauritania's largest export destination for iron ore; Chinese companies invest in Mauritanian infrastructure; growing Chinese presence vs. declining French influence
• Western Sahara: Mauritania occupied the southern third of Western Sahara 1975-1979 before withdrawing; Mauritania recognized the Sahrawi SADR in 1984; the Western Sahara issue directly affects Mauritanian foreign policy