Mauritania Passport

The Islamic Republic of Mauritania (La R é publique Islamique de Mauritania).

【 Area 】 1.03 million square kilometers.

【 Population 】 4.92 million (2023), generally divided into two categories: Mohr and Black Non ethnic (African Black). White Moors (of Arab Berber descent) make up 30% of the Mohr ethnic group, while Halatins (also known as Black Moors) with Arab cultural and linguistic traditions make up 40%, and African blacks make up 30%. The main Black African ethnic groups are the Tukule, Boer, Sonink, Wolof, and Bambara. Arabic is the official language and French is the common language. The ethnic languages include Hassan, Burar, Sonink, and Wolof. About 96% of residents believe in Islam.

The capital is Nouakchott, with a population of 1.43 million (as of 2023).

Mohamed Ould Cheikh Mohamed Ahmed Ghazouani, the head of state, was elected in June 2019 and re elected in July 2024.

[Important holiday] Independence Day (National Day) November 28th.

【 Overview 】 Located in the western Sahara Desert of Africa. Bordered by Western Sahara, Algeria, Mali, and Senegal. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west and has a total coastline of 667 kilometers. It belongs to a tropical desert climate with high temperatures and little rainfall. The annual average temperature is about 25 ° C. The earliest inhabitants of Mao were the Balfour black ethnic group. The Berber people from North Africa migrated to northern Mao. In the 7th century AD, Arabs entered Mao. In 1920, Mao became a colony under the jurisdiction of French West Africa. In 1956, it became a "semi autonomous republic", joined the "French Community" in September 1958, and declared the establishment of the "Islamic Republic of Mauritania" in November. On November 28, 1960, independence was declared and Dadah became the president. In 1978, the military launched a coup and established the "National Military Commission for Reconstruction" (later renamed the National Salvation Military Commission), with Salek serving as its chairman. In 1980, Haider was appointed as the Chairman of the Military Commission, Head of State, and Prime Minister of the government. In December 1984, Chief of Staff Taya came to power in a coup and served as Chairman of the Military Commission and Head of State. In 1992, 1997, and 2003, Taya was elected president three times. On March 25, 2007, a general election was held, and independent candidate Abdullahi was elected president. On August 6, 2008, the military led by the Chief of Special Staff of the Presidential Office, Aziz, established the "Supreme State Council" and took over the government. On July 18, 2009, Mao held presidential elections and Aziz was elected. On June 21, 2014, Aziz was re elected as the President. On June 22, 2019, Mao held a new round of presidential elections, with the ruling party seeking the election of the Republican Alliance candidate and former Defense Minister Gazwani as president.

In August 2008, the military political power led by Aziz came to power. Aziz accepted mediation from the International Contact Group, reached a compromise with the opposition, and signed the "Framework Agreement of the Three Major Political Factions of Mao Zedong". From July 2009 to July 2019, Aziz served as the President. Since taking office, Aziz has advocated the concept of change, strengthened administrative management, vigorously punished corruption, and achieved outstanding results in maintaining stability and developing the economy. In June 2019, Mao held a new round of presidential elections, and Gazwani was successfully elected as the new president of Mao. In August 2020, former Mao Zedong President Aziz was detained by the police for investigation on suspicion of corruption. In the same month, President Ghaznavi reorganized the government and appointed Bilal as Prime Minister. In June 2021, former Mao Zedong President Aziz was imprisoned on charges of corruption, money laundering, and abuse of power. In March 2022, President Ghaznavi instructed Prime Minister Bilal to restructure the government. In September, the government underwent two small-scale reorganizations. In January 2023, the Mao Anti Corruption Court held a trial on the corruption case of former President Aziz. In December, the Mao court found former President Aziz guilty of illegal enrichment and money laundering, sentencing him to 5 years in prison, confiscating his illegal gains, and depriving him of civil rights. In June 2024, Mao held presidential elections, and Gazwani received 56% of the vote in the first round of voting. On July 5th, the Constitutional Committee of Mao announced that Gazwani was re elected as the President of Mao.

The first constitution was promulgated on May 20, 1961. The main content is to implement a presidential system, with the president as the head of state, elected by universal suffrage for a term of 6 years, and eligible for re-election; Establish a parliamentary system and a multi-party system. After the coup in August 2005, the military and political power led by Var adjusted and supplemented the 1991 constitution, and held a constitutional amendment referendum in June 2006, which was passed with 96.97% support. The revised constitution stipulates that President Mao's term of office will be shortened from the original 6 years to 5 years, and the president can only be re elected once, with candidates not exceeding the age of 75; Constitutional amendment requires at least one-third of the members to propose and two-thirds of the members to approve before it can be submitted for a national referendum. In October 2016, Mao held a "National Inclusive Dialogue" and suggested the abolition of the Senate; Revise the national flag and anthem, and submit a draft constitutional amendment to the parliament. Although the Senate rejected the draft, the Mao government still held a constitutional amendment referendum on August 5, 2017. The voter turnout for this referendum was 53%, with 85% of voters voting in favor of amending the constitution. According to the referendum results, Mao canceled the Senate and changed the national flag and anthem.

The constitution passed in 1991 stipulates that legislative power belongs to the parliament. Mao implemented a bicameral system of the National Assembly and the Senate, but after the constitutional amendment referendum passed in August 2017, the Senate was abolished and the National Assembly became the only legislative body of the country. The National Assembly has a total of 176 seats, which are directly elected and elected for a term of 5 years. In May 2023, Mauritania held legislative elections, with the ruling Justice Party winning 107 seats, the political party alliance supporting President Ghazwani winning 42 seats, and the opposition party winning 27 seats. In June, Mohamed Bamba Meguett was elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly, serving until 2028.

In August 2024, Mokhtar Ould Diay was appointed as the Prime Minister of the government. The government includes 29 ministers, mainly including Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Overseas Chinese Affairs, and Hanena Ould Sidi, Minister of Defense, Veterans and Martyrs' Children Affairs.

Currently, the country is divided into 13 regions (Wilaya) and 53 provinces (Moughataa). There are 238 communes in the country. The 13 regions are: Nouakchott, Adrar, Asaba, Brakna, Dahelet Nouadhibou, Gorgor, Guidimaca, East Hodh, West Hodh, Inchili, Traza, Tagan, and Tiris Zamur.

The 1991 Constitution stipulates that the judicial power is independent of the legislative and executive powers. The President guarantees the independence of the judiciary and presides over the Supreme Judicial Council. The government has a Ministry of Justice. The judicial institutions of Mao are composed of county-level courts, provincial courts, labor courts, appellate courts, criminal courts, and the Supreme Court. The President of the Supreme Court is appointed by the President for a term of 5 years and must adhere to Islam. The current President of the Supreme Court is Cheikh Ahmed Ould Sid'Amed. Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Sidi Mohamed Lemine.

In the early days of Mao Zedong's independence, a multi-party system was implemented. During the Dadah regime, a one party system was implemented. After the military came to power in 1978, all political parties were banned. During the Taya administration in August 1991, the ban on political parties was lifted, the Political Party Law was promulgated, and a multi-party system was implemented. After the Var coup in August 2005, the party ban was completely lifted. The main political parties are:

(1) Ruling Party - Justice Party (Parti El Insaf): Established in March 2009, formerly known as the "Coalition for the Republic", renamed as the "Justice Party" in July 2022. From May 5th to August 2nd, 2009, Aziz served as the chairman of the transitional "Supreme State Council", head of state, and newly elected president of the party. After resigning as party chairman, Mohamed Ould Mohamed Lamine was elected as party chairman. In September 2014, Sidi Mohamed Ould Maham was elected as the party chairman. In March 2019, Seyidna Ali Ould Mohamed Khouna was elected as the acting party chairman. In December 2019, Sidi Mohamed Ould Taleb Amar was elected as the party chairman. In July 2022, Mohamed Melanine Ould Eyih was elected as the party chairman. In August 2024, Sid Ahmed Ould Mohamed was elected as the party chairman. The party advocates for the implementation of diversified political and democratic systems, and the maintenance of national unity; Encourage private economy and improve people's lives; Developing neighborly friendship, defending national territory and sovereignty; Advocate for universal education and achieve economic and social development.

(2) The National League for Democracy and Development (Pacte National Pour la D é mocratie et le D é evelopment), PNDD）： Established in January 2008. The chairman is Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf.

(3) The Democratic Forces D é mocratiques, RFD）： One of the main opposition parties. In October 2000, it was dissolved by the government, and some of its leaders established the Democratic Forces Union in June 2001, continuing to exist as an opposition party, with Ahmed Ould Dadah as the party chairman.

(4) The Union des Forces du Progr è s, UFP）： Belonging to the moderate faction within the original opposition party, advocating for resolving differences through dialogue and negotiation. Party Chairman Mohamed Ould Maouloud. The main supporters are intellectuals and middle-class people.

(5) Parti R é publicain pour la D é mocratie et Renouveau for Democracy and Renewal, PRDR）： The former Democratic Social Republican Party, the ruling party during the Taya period, was established in August 1991 and renamed in October 2005. After the Var coup in August 2005, the party announced its recognition of the new regime, supported the reform measures of the Military Commission, and expressed its intention to break with the past. In October 2005, the Third National Congress was held and a National Committee composed of 280 people was elected. In December, the party elected Sidi Mohamed Ould Mohamed Vall as its General Secretary.

(6) The Alliance Popular Progressiste, APP）： Established in October 1991, it was one of Mao Zedong's earliest opposition parties. The main supporters are the lower class people. Party Chairman Messaoud Ould Boulkheir.

(7) National Pound La R é forme Et Le D é evelopment (RNRD or TAWASSOUL): Established in August 2007. Its predecessor was the Central Reformers Group. A moderate Islamic political party with a background in the Muslim Brotherhood, it is the largest opposition party. The current party chairman, Mohamed Jemil Ould Mansour, was elected in December 2012.

Other major political parties include: Union pour la D é mocratie et le Progr è s, UDP）， Democratic Solidarity Union (RDU) and others.

Mao Zedong has been designated by the United Nations as one of the world's least developed countries. The economic structure is single and the foundation is weak. Mining and fishing are the two pillars of the national economy, and the oil and gas industry is an emerging industry. Foreign aid plays an important role in national development. In 1992, Mao Zedong reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to implement an economic structural adjustment plan, promote liberalization, and take measures such as national regulation, market supervision, and price stability. Subsequently, Mao implemented economic liberalization policies and poverty reduction development strategies, formulated preferential policies to attract foreign investment, promoted market economy system reform, and increased investment in agriculture and infrastructure. In 2008, Mao continued to actively cooperate with international financial institutions, and the World Bank, IMF, and the G8 began implementing debt forgiveness commitments, waiving Mao's annual repayment of $25 million. After the August 2008 coup, foreign aid totaling over 500 million US dollars was frozen, but international cooperation in the fishing, mining, and oil industries, which are the pillars of the economy, was not affected by sanctions, resulting in slow growth of the gross economy. After Aziz took office as president in August 2009, international aid and cooperation gradually resumed. Ali vigorously develops agriculture and industry, actively develops mineral resources, attracts foreign investment, increases infrastructure construction, and is committed to improving people's livelihoods and changing the backward appearance of the country. After taking office as president in August 2019, Gazwani vigorously improved the economy and people's livelihoods. However, affected by the COVID-19 and the decline in international raw material prices, the revenue of gross minerals, especially iron ore, decreased, resulting in tight national finances and increased downward pressure on the economy. To promote economic recovery, we have launched development strategies such as the "Priority Project Plan" and the "Economic Takeoff Plan", actively sought foreign aid, and worked hard to improve the business environment to attract more foreign investment. In recent years, large natural gas fields have been discovered in the waters near the border between Mauritius and Senegal, and the economic situation of Mauritius is expected to improve. The main economic data for 2023 are expected to be as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 9.3 billion US dollars.

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 1937 US dollars.

Economic growth rate: 4.7%.

Currency name: Ouguiya.

Exchange rate: 1 US dollar ≈ 39.68 Uygia.

Inflation rate: 8%.

The main mineral resources are iron ore, with a proven reserve of 6 billion tons and an estimated potential of 14 billion tons. Other resource reserves: 28 million tons of copper, approximately 4 billion tons of gypsum, 140 million tons of phosphate, and 35 million ounces of gold. The fishery resources are abundant, with a reserve of 4 million tons. The oil reserves are approximately 120 million barrels. The natural gas reserves are approximately 100 trillion cubic feet. The total forest area is 47440 hectares.

Industry is underdeveloped, mainly consisting of some mining and small-scale processing industries. The mining industry mainly focuses on extracting iron ore and is the seventh largest supplier of iron ore in the world. In 2022, approximately 13.34 million tons of iron ore will be exported, with iron ore export revenue exceeding 1 billion euros. Iron ore is mainly exported to China, Italy, Germany, France, and other countries. Oil and gas production is an emerging industry. In 2007, it produced about 16000 barrels of crude oil per day and earned $642 million in foreign exchange through exports throughout the year. The crude oil production has been declining year by year, and was forced to shut down in 2018. In 2019, the GTA natural gas project in the southern waters of Maoshan began construction and is expected to be put into operation by the end of 2024.

Mao currently has a arable land area of 535000 hectares, including 135000 hectares for irrigated fields, 350000 hectares for rain fed fields, and 50000 hectares for oases. The agricultural output value accounts for 19% of the gross domestic product, and the main crops include sorghum, rice, millet, corn, wheat, barley, beans, dates, etc. Agriculture depends on the weather for its livelihood and is greatly affected by natural disasters. The self-sufficiency rate of gross grain is 35%, requiring a large amount of imported grain every year and international assistance. Animal husbandry plays an important role in the national economy, with its output value accounting for 10% of the gross domestic product. Mainly raises sheep, cattle, and camels. At present, the total number of livestock in stock is 16.333 million sheep, 1.342 million camels, and 2 million cattle. The Maohai area is an important component of West African fishing grounds, and the fishing industry is the pillar industry of Mao's national economy. The annual catch exceeds 1.5-1.8 million tons, and the fishery output value accounts for about 6% of the gross domestic product. Fishery exports account for 26% of the total gross export value.

Transportation is underdeveloped. There is only one railway with a length of 675 kilometers, mainly responsible for transporting iron ore. As the main mode of transportation, highways bear 90% of passenger transportation and 80% of freight transportation. The total length of the domestic highway network is about 11000 kilometers, and the overall road conditions are worrying, with only 5935 kilometers of paved roads. The main port cities are Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, with a total throughput of 16.7 million tons, including 4 million tons at Nouakchott Friendship Port, 1.2 million tons at Nouadhibou Port, and 12 million tons at the mining company's ore terminal. Mauritanian Airlines went bankrupt in 2007 and is now a joint venture between Tunisian Airlines and local entrepreneurs, with three passenger planes. There are 27 airports in Maoyou, among which Nouakchott and Nouadhibou airports are international airports.

The total import and export volume in 2023 is 6.42 billion US dollars, of which the export volume is 3.43 billion US dollars and the import volume is 2.99 billion US dollars. The main exports are iron ore and fishery products. Iron ore is mainly exported to China, while fishery products are exported to countries such as Spain, Japan, and Nigeria. Mainly importing energy and mineral products, food and agricultural products, machinery and equipment, and consumer goods. 80% of the necessary living materials and most of the production materials are imported, of which 22.1% are mechanical equipment, 16.8% are petroleum products, 15.8% are grain, and the rest are chemical, building materials, textile products, etc. 80% of imported goods come from the European Union, and oil comes from Algeria. The main trading partners are China, the United States, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Japan, Belgium, South Korea, Spain, etc.

The foreign trade situation in recent years is as follows (in billions of US dollars):