Mauritania

Key Facts About Mauritania

• •Mauritania is mostly covered by the Sahara Desert, with over 75% arid land.
• •The Richat Structure (Eye of the Sahara) is a 50 km-wide geological formation visible from space.
• •Nouakchott, the capital, was a small village until it became the capital in 1960.
• •Mauritania's ancient city of Chinguetti was once a major centre of Islamic scholarship.
• •Iron ore mining is the backbone of the country's economy.

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