m/yr (9%/3%/88%)
per capita: 554 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and
April; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:

overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought
are contributing to desertification; limited natural fresh water
resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial river;
locust infestation

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and
Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the
country

People
Mauritania

Population:

3,364,940 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 45.3% (male 763,845/female 759,957)
15-64 years: 52.5% (male 872,924/female 894,980)
65 years and over: 2.2% (male 29,147/female 44,087) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 17.2 years
male: 16.9 years
female: 17.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.852% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

40.14 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

11.61 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 66.65 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 69.69 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 63.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 53.91 years
male: 51.61 years
female: 56.28 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

5.69 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.6% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

9,500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 500 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and Rift Valley fever (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Mauritanian(s)
adjective: Mauritanian

Ethnic groups: