Mauritania Trivia

1. What is the full, official name of Mauritania?

From Quiz Africa: All about Mauritania

Answer: Islamic Republic of Mauritania

Mauritania is named after Mauretania, the Roman name for the area the modern country now covers, and for the ancient Berber tribes that lived in the area, known as " Masaesyli" or "Mauri" to the Romans. The ancient region of Mauretania spanned through the centre of modern-day Algeria, the north of modern-day Morocco and then to the Atlas Mountains. It has held the official title of "Islamic Republic of Mauritania" since 1960, after the country's independence.

From Quiz Magnificent Mauritania

Answer: Western Sahara

Mauritania is bordered by Mali on the east and southeast, Algeria on the northeast, and Senegal on the southwest. Western Sahara borders Mauritania on the north but it is not an independent country. It is a disputed territory claimed by Morocco. Ifni was a disputed territory also but has now integrated into Morocco.

From Quiz Africa: All about Mauritania

Answer: Senegal

Between 1989 and 1991, Mauritania and Senegal were involved in a dispute over the two countries' borders, and over the grazing rights in and around the River Senegal, which splits the two nations. There is a large population of Mauritanians in Senegal, after 70,000 black Mauritanians were forcibly expelled by the government of Mauritania in 1989. Following this, the border closed and remained so between the two countries until 1992.

From Quiz Mauritania: Moor Than a Feeling

Answer: France

The Congress of Vienna (1815) assigned to France that part of West Africa which includes Mauritania. It wasn't until 1903, though, that it became a formal French protectorate and a civil territory the following year. The name looks back to an ancient Berber kingdom of Mauretania that was then absorbed into a Roman province of the same name. Ironically, neither of these included the territory that is modern day Mauritania. The Berber kingdom derived its name from a tribe called the Mauri and this, in turn, led to Europeans using "moors" or "maures" to describe many different tribes in North Africa. Mauritania also shares France's sporting passion for soccer, though the country is ranked very close to the bottom of the FIFA world rankings.

From Quiz Magnificent Mauritania

Answer: Arizona

Mauritania is 397,837 square miles (1,030,400 square kilometers) in area and is the world's 29th largest country after Bolivia.

From Quiz Africa: All about Mauritania

Answer: 1981

Despite abolishing slavery in 1981, reports dating back to 2012 estimated that between 10 - 20% of the population was still enslaved. It was again outlawed in 2007, but is still a problem of the country. Very few (some reports even stating just one person) have been prosecuted for enslavement in Mauritania since it was abolished on paper in the country.

From Quiz Magnificent Mauritania

Answer: Ouguiya

The Ouguiya was adopted as Mauritania's currency in 1973, switching from the CFA Franc which is still used in several former French colonies in Africa. The Ouguiya is divided into Khoums, five of which equal one Ouguiya. The Taka is the currency of Bangladesh, Dalasi is the currency of The Gambia, and New Kwanzaa is the currency of Angola.

From Quiz Africa: All about Mauritania

Answer: Nouadhibou

Nouadhibou's ship grave yard is the grave site for over 300 ships. Corrupt officials have allowed ships to be illegally abandoned here, as an alternative to the owners dismantling and disposing of them legally, which is more expensive. This was particularly prevalent in the 1980s. Despite warnings of oil spills and habitat destruction, some species of fish and other undersea creatures have thrived in these wrecks. Nouadhibou is the second largest city of Mauritania, and the country's only railway line regularly delivers iron ore to this port city.

From Quiz Magnificent Mauritania

Answer: Nouakchott

The city of Nouakchott is the capital of Mauritania and is located on the center of Mauritania's coastal area. The population (1999 estimate) was 881,000 persons. Nouadhibou is Mauritania's main port located on the northern coast of the country, Tidjikdja is a city located in the central area of the country, and Rosso is a city in the south along the border with Senegal.

From Quiz Africa: All about Mauritania

Answer: Guidimaka

Guidimaka Region has the countries of Mali lying to its south-east, and Senegal to the south-west. The capital of Guidimaka Region is the town of Sélibaby, which is one of the wettest towns in the country, receiving an annual rainfall of approximately 450 mm (18 inches).

From Quiz Mauritania: Moor Than a Feeling

Answer: Admire it - It's a giant depression observable from space

Also known as the Richat structure, the Eye of Africa measures approximately 50km (30 miles) across. It was once thought to have been caused by a meteorite but scientists now attribute it to natural geological processes. If you can spare some time, it's well worth checking out the spectacular images that you'll find online.

From Quiz Magnificent Mauritania

Answer: Kediet Ijill

Kediet Ijill is 3002 feet (915 meters) high and is located near the town of Zouîrât in the north-central area of the country. Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha is the lowest point in the country at -16.4 feet (-5 meters), El Djouf (Empty Quarter) is a large area of sand dunes that adjoins the Sahara desert in the northeast of the country, and Adrar is the name of a sandstone plateau located near the center of the country.

From Quiz Africa: All about Mauritania

Answer: Mali

The border between Mauritania and Senegal is around 740 miles (1,190 km) long. Both countries were colonized by France during colonial times, and both borders were defined by the French.

From Quiz Mauritania: Moor Than a Feeling

Answer: A giant monolith

Ben Amera is a 400m high black granite monolith, variously described as the world's second or third largest. Suffice to say that if Ben Amera were in the middle of Australia it would be a lot better known and visited. In Scotland, "Ben" is the English form of the Gaelic "Beinn" which means hill or mountain.

From Quiz Magnificent Mauritania

Answer: Sunni Islam

The country is near 100% Muslim, with almost all of the population being members of the Sunni Islam sect. Shia'a Islam and traditional African beliefs are all but nonexistent in Mauritania, and Zoroastrianism is an ancient Persian (Iranian) religion.

From Quiz Magnificent Mauritania

Answer: 28 November 1960

On November 28, 1960, Mauritania gained independence from France after being ruled since the late 1800's. Due to Mauritania's economic situation, Mauritania still depends on French aid to sustain itself.

From Quiz Africa: All about Mauritania

Answer: Rosso

Mauritania's Trarza region is located in the south-west of the country, on the Senegal River. It is situated approximately 130 miles (205 km) away from the capital, Nouakchott. The Emirate of Trarza was once a semi-nomadic state ruled by an emir, dating before colonial times. It also had Rosso as its capital.

From Quiz Mauritania: Moor Than a Feeling

Answer: To make her more attractive for marriage in a country that prizes plumpness

In Mauritania it is said that the size of a woman indicates the amount of space she occupies in her husband's heart. From as young as five, girls are fattened up and this is often reinforced with beatings and other forms of torture. This means that Mauritania is one of the few countries in the world where girls, on average, have received more food than boys. The rationale is simple. A fat girl is taken to be evidence that her family are wealthy enough not to require her to work. This tradition, known as "Leblouh", was thought to be dying out but, following a military coup in 2008, there have been claims by women's groups that it is once again on the rise.

From Quiz Magnificent Mauritania

Answer: Green background with yellow star above yellow horizontal crescent

The green background symbolizes Islam and the gold star and crescent represent the sands of the Sahara desert and are also symbols of Islam. It became the national flag on April 1, 1959.

From Quiz Africa: All about Mauritania

Answer: Algeria

Situated in the north-east of Mauritania, the country's border with Algeria is only around 285 miles (460 km) long. The border stretches through a particularly barren and sparsely populated part of the Sahara. The first border crossing between the two nations was opened in 2018.

From Quiz Mauritania: Moor Than a Feeling

Answer: He was a former slave

Messaoud Ould Boulkheir is the Barack Obama of Mauritanian politics who has twice run, unsuccessfully, for national president. Slavery in Mauritania is a thorny issue. Officially, it is outlawed. Legislation was passed in 1905, 1981 and again in 2007. Mauritania's government has also gone as far as banning use of the word "slave" in the media and refuses to register the anti-slavery group, IRA (Initiative pour la résurgence du mouvement abolitioniste). This has meant that several of its activists have been tried for membership of an illegal organisation. The 'slave' population of Mauritania, or haratine, runs into the hundreds of thousands. As a general rule, slave owners are of Arab or Berber descent (so called 'white moors') and the slaves are of black African descent (so called 'black moors'). Escape is difficult both because of the desert conditions and because most slaves have no education or means of financial self-sufficiency. They are economically dependent on their masters who only need to pay a pittance and declare that their 'employees' are free to leave whenever they might choose, knowing full well that they have nowhere to go.

From Quiz Magnificent Mauritania

Answer: Morocco

Mauritania and Morocco annexed Western Sahara in 1976, with Mauritania receiving the lower one-third of the territory. In 1979, after clashes with the Polisario, local inhabitants backed by Algeria, pushed Mauritania out and Morocco gained control of that third of the territory.

From Quiz Mauritania: Moor Than a Feeling

Answer: Magnetite

The magnetite, a form of iron ore, is guaranteed to send your compass crazy. Probably also a good idea to keep your credit cards well away from it. Mauritania has substantial deposits of iron ore and it constitutes about 50% of total exports. Most of the mining takes place in the north of the country in the area close to Kediet ej Jill and the border with Western Sahara. Severe problems were caused in 1975, when the Mauritanian government chose to annexe a third of their neighbour's land. For the Western Saharan Polisario guerrillas, it was an easy task to cripple the mining activities until normal service was resumed in 1978 after a military coup deposed the Mauritanian president. The railway that runs from the mines to the sea, Mauritania's only line, is recognised as having some of the world's longest trains and these are often more than 1.5 miles in length.

From Quiz Africa: All about Mauritania

Answer: Nouakchott

"Nouakchott" likely comes from the Berber, "nawakshut" which means "place of the winds." The city is where the main university of Mauritania is located, the University of Nouakchott Al Aasriya, which opened in 1981.

From Quiz Africa: All about Mauritania

Answer: 28 miles (45 km)

Located near the small Mauritanian town of Ouadane, the Richat Structure is a large, circular rock feature, and is composed of igneous and sedimentary rock. Classified as a domed anticline, the originally flat layers have been exposed via erosion, making striking viewing even from space. The rock formation resembles a bullseye shape in the centre.

From Quiz Africa: All about Mauritania

Answer: Khoums

"Khoums" translates to "fifth" in Arabic. Ouguiya replaced the CFA Franc as currency of Mauritania in 1973. The ouguiya is one of the only two currencies in the world not made up by the power of ten, instead using five - the other currency being Madagacar's Malagasy ariary, which is divided into five iraimbilanja.

From Quiz Africa: All about Mauritania

Answer: Senegal

The Senegal River creates the border between Mauritania and Senegal. The fertile southwestern corner of Mauritania is drained by this river. By contrast, the top two thirds of Mauritania are covered by the Sahara Desert.

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Last Updated Dec 21 2024 5:52 AM

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