by LaVonne Redelinghuys

Created on: January 21, 2009   Last Updated: January 27, 2009

Overview

Mauritania is a desert country located on the northwestern African coast. Rolling sand dunes blend into unsullied beaches free of crowds. Ancient cities stand as they have for centuries with only the blowing sand to alter their exteriors. You can experience the ancient and unblemished wonder of Mauritania on a West Africa Discovery cruise.

Ancient History

Berber migration into present-day Mauritania began around the 3rd century followed by migrating Arab Moors. These groups enslaved the indigenous black Africans or drove them further south into Senegal. Islamic warrior monks had completed the conquest of southern Mauritania by 1076 and fought to retain their domination over the Berber resistance for the next 500 years. Berbers retained influence by preserving and teaching Islamic tradition.

Modern History

French colonization in the early 20th century prohibited slavery and sought to end intertribal conflicts. These measures encouraged the descendents of the people who had been forced out centuries ago by the Moors to return to Mauritania and take on military and administrative roles in the rapidly-modernizing country. Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott, grew as the country gained its independence from colonial rule in 1960.

As many of the repatriates leading the newly-independent country were French educated, a resistance movement to preserve Arab culture, Islamic law, and the Arabic language in Mauritania began to emerge. This conflict has resulted in occasional bouts of violence and several coups.

Culture

Much of Mauritania's population is made up of Arabs of Moorish descent and black Africans, many of whom have returned to their ancestral homeland after many generations in exile. Many present-day Mauritanians preserve their nomadic traditions, while others prefer an urban lifestyle in the capital and largest city, Nouakchott, or in some of the smaller cities such as Nouadhibou or Rosso.

The official language is Arabic, but an Arabic dialect, Hassaniya, is also widely spoken. French, Wolof, Pulaar, and Soninke are the other commonly-spoken languages.

Nearly 100% of the Mauritanian population is Muslim, primarily Sunni. In spite of this strong Islamic influence, the people of Mauritania are rarely extremist in their views or attitudes toward non-Muslims. Most Mauritanians are friendly to tourists, but outside the capital many people are not used to tourists and may act reserved around outsiders.

Geography

Mauritania is bordered by Western Sahara and Algeria to

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