Maurinania

Geography

Of a 1030700 km surface ², Maurinania divides in 4 natural regions. Along the Atlantic rib extends a big sandy desert.

The central region is strewed with steep trays: in the East open wide dunaires washbasins. The river Senegal dug a valley along the south border of the country. The capital of Maurinania is Nouakchott. The climate is there very dry.

Population

The population consists for 2/3 of Moors, a group of Arabian-Berber origin crossed with the black populations. Other third of the population consists of Sudanese Blacks, Wolofs and Fulanis.

The population consists to 99,5 % of Sunni Moslems. We find in the South of the country of the catholic and animistic minorities. The growth rate of the population reaches 3 % a year.

Because of the droughts, the urbanization and the settlement were fast: there is today less than 20 % of nomads. The rate of urbanization reaches 56 %. 90 % of the population concentrates in the Sahelian South of the country.

Nouakchott, the capital, is a major administrative and commercial center, endowed with a big port. Nouadhibou, in the North, Welcomes the processing industry of the fish.

History

Of Ier in XIIIth s AD, the Berbers dominate the territory. Then Arabic tribes arrive. This Arabian-Berber interbreeding gives birth to the Moorish company, tribal system gives a complex mixing Berber maraboutiques tribes in religious vocation, Arabic tribes warriors and tribes slaves, blacks or Berber.

At the end of the XIXth century, France becomes established in Maurinania, but the French administration remains very weak there. In 1960, the Islamic Republic of Maurinania reaches the independence.

The regime turns to the socialism from 1968. In 1975, Maurinania joins in Morocco to demand a part of Spanish Sahara, against the independent sahraoui movement, the Polisario.

The effective guerrilla warfare of Polisario, the cost of the war and the links of numerous Moors with Sahraouis put the country in trouble. A military junta takes the power in 1984 and since remained there.

The political power is very unstable, because of the increasing Islamist pressure, the tensions within the army and the economic difficulties.

Tunisia