Where is Mauritania?
Mauritania is a country in Western Africa, bordered by Algeria, Mali, Senegal, and Western Sahara.
Find Mauritania on the map
Find MauritaniaTwo tries
Crazy but True
One of the longest trains in the world runs across Mauritania, and people ride on top of the ore for free. The iron ore train stretches two to three kilometers, takes hours to pass, and crosses the Sahara to the coast. Mauritania was also the last country on Earth to formally abolish slavery, in 1981.
Mauritania facts
- Capital
- Nouakchott
- Population
- 5,315,065 (2025)
- Area
- 1,030,700 km²
- Continent
- Africa
- Region
- Western Africa
- Currency
- Mauritanian ouguiya (MRU)
- Languages
- Arabic
- Coordinates
- 20°, -12°
- Landlocked
- No
- Country code
- MR · MRT
How Mauritania compares
- Mauritania is the 29th largest of the 168 countries on our map by area.
- It is smaller than Bolivia and larger than Egypt.
- It is the 123rd most populous of the 167 with population data.
- It shares land borders with 4 countries.
- Within Africa, it is the 11th largest of 49 countries by area.