🇲🇷 Mauritania

Mauritania is a vast, mostly desert country of 4.8 million bridging Arab North Africa and sub-Saharan West Africa. GDP is about $10 billion. The country is one of the last places on earth where slavery persists — despite being officially abolished three times (most recently in 2007), an estimated 1-4% of the population remains in hereditary servitude. Iron ore from the massive Zouérat mines is transported on one of the world's longest trains — up to 2.5 km long — to the port of Nouadhibou. Mauritania's Atlantic coast has some of the richest fishing waters in the world. The Sahara covers about 75% of the country.

Iron ore, gold, and fish are the main exports. China, Japan, and the EU are the primary trade partners. A major offshore gas field (Greater Tortue Ahmeyim, shared with Senegal) is expected to begin production soon, potentially transforming the economy. Fishing licenses sold to foreign fleets generate significant revenue but have depleted stocks. Agriculture is limited to the Senegal River valley. The ouguiya was redenominated in 2018.

Mauritania's Richat Structure (the "Eye of the Sahara") is a 50-km-wide geological formation visible from space — some fringe theorists claim it's the location of Atlantis. The country's Banc d'Arguin National Park is one of the world's most important bird migration sites, hosting millions of shorebirds. Nouakchott, the capital, was a tiny village of 200 people in 1958 — it now has over 1 million residents.

Mauritania's gas discovery could be transformative, but the country's governance challenges — including the slavery issue — need addressing. The fishing sector is being depleted faster than it can recover.