Maps of Mauritania

Mauritania, a country in Northwest Africa, occupies an area of 1,030,000 sq. km. Mostly a dry and arid nation, much of the population clings to the coastal cities or by the Senegal River in the south. Mauritania borders four other nations, West Sahara, Senegal, Algeria, and Mali. The capital city of Nouakchott also happens to be the largest. 

The Senegal River is the most important waterway in the country. Giving the people of Mauritania much-needed access to water for irrigation. The little farming that does happen in this nation takes place either in the south or along the Atlantic coast. The river also serves as a vital artery for trade, commerce, and transportation. 

The Sahara Desert makes up the majority of Mauritania's landscape and area. The northern and eastern parts of the nation are incredibly difficult to live in or establish any serious urban center. While it might be desolate, it does offer a certain level of beauty that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The most prominent feature of this region is the Guelb er Richat, also known as the Eye of the Sahara, which is a deeply eroded dome consisting of a variety of intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks.

Mauritania has a generally flat landscape with vast plains that are punctuated by the occasional ridge or cliff-like outcropping. Bisecting the plains in the center of the country is a series of sandstone plateaus giving way to spring-fed oases. As observed on the map, three-quarters of the Mauritania landscape is desert or semidesert, and as a result of severe drought, the arid land has been expanding. There are no significant lakes or rivers in the country.  the highest point of the country is Kediet Ijill at 3,001 ft (915 m); the lowest point of Mauritania is Te-n-Dghamcha at -16 ft (-5 m).

Regions of Mauritania Map

Mauritania has 12 major administrative divisions called regions or wilayah. In alphabetical order, they are as follows: Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, and Trarza. It also has one capital district called Nouakchott. These regions are subdivided into 44 moughataa or departments which, in turn, are divided into 216 communes. 

With an area of 252,900 sq. km, Tiris Zemmour is the largest region while Hodh ech Chargui is the most populous one.

Where is Mauritania?

Mauritania is a country in Northwest Africa in the Western and Northern Hemispheres of the world. It is bordered by four countries. Western Sahara to the north and northwest, Senegal to the southeast, Mali to the southeast and east, and Algeria to the northeast. The country also has a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

Mauritania Bordering Countries: Mali, Algeria, Senegal, Western Sahara.

Regional Maps: Map of Africa