A country in northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, by Senegal on the southwest, by Mali on the east and southeast, by Algeria on the northeast, and by the Morocco-controlled Western Sahara on the northwest.

It is named after the ancient Berber kingdom of Mauritania. The capital and largest city is Nouakchott, located on the Atlantic coast.

At 1,030,700 km² , Mauritania is the world's 29th-largest country (after Bolivia).

The climate is hot and dry in summer with average temperature in the between 27-42 °C and relatively cold in winter averaging around the 12 - 28 °C in winter .

A majority of the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood . Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for almost 50% of total exports. With the current rise in metal prices, gold and copper mining companies are opening mines in the interior. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world .