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We bought the visa, we needed for Mauritania in the Mauritanian consulate in the Gambia. You have to pay for every week you intend to stay in the country.
We entered Mauritania from Mali at the small village Ouid Yenjé, where we did our first formalities at the police-post and douane-office. In Kiffa we had to visit the douane-office and the police-post again to obtain the right papers.
The office of the douane was at a dusty road one block south of the main road. Somebody had to show us the way. When we arrived at the office at 10 am, nobody was around. We had to wait till a woman came with a big envelop with all kind of formularies. Luckily she had the ones we needed, the ''carnets de passage'' for the cars. After a man in uniform gave us a stamp and a signature, we were ready to go to the police.
The police-post was at a side-road at the north side of the highway. After our visit there, we were ready to travel legally in the country. All took us about almost one and a half hour. Leave a Comment
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Visiting Mauritania?
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Mauritania or the so-called Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is with 80% almost totally a part of the Sahara. Only a strip along the Senegal River in the south isn't part of the desert.
From Europe to Gambia we flew over Mauritania, It was not the first time for me to see those endless desert landscapes without any vegetation from the plane. But this time it was different, because I knew, that within a few days we should drive there deep down with our tiny 4WDS. Yes we were on our way to tropical Africa to make my first transsahara crossing from the south to the north back to Europe. Leave a Comment
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Maouya Ould Sidi Ahmed Taya became army chief of staff in 1980, and in 1981 he became prime minister. Taya lead a bloodless coup later that year. In 1992 he was elected president amidst protests of fraudulent election practices.
Economic reforms provoked violent protests, and ethnic clashes between those of sub-Saharan descent and those of North African descent have produced tension within Mauritania and with neighboring Senegal, where nearly 200,000 Mauritanian refugees reside.
Later this last year the some president won the election and before the election ended he put his oppositor in jail saying he was going to make a civil war inside the country after the elections were over. I think the guy come out from prision now. Leave a Comment
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In Mauritania you have the second most fishy sea in the world and you have the wonderful Sahara. You can tread the same sand of the ancient caravans, few things are changed around. The time here has stopped, like in the ruins of Cinguetti and Oudane. Islam here is tollerant, some people are mistic belonging to Sufism. Leave a Comment
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Mauritania, formerly part of French West Africa, achieved full independence on 28 November 1960 (having become a self-governing member of the French Community two years earlier).
Moktar Ould Daddah, leader of the Parti du regroupement mauritanien (PRM) and Prime Minister since June 1959 became Head of State at independence, and was elected President in August 1961.
After independence all parties merged with the PRM to form the Parti du peuple mauritanien (PPM), with Ould Daddah as Secretary-General, and Mauritania became a one-party state in 1964. The country moved away from the French sphere of influence and towards closer relations with Arab nations.
Under a tripartite agreement of November 1975, Spain ceded Spanish Sahara to Mauritania and Morocco, to be apportioned between them. The agreement took effect in February 1976, when Mauritania occupied the southern portion of the territory.
Guerrilla fighting ensued, with Moroccan and Mauritanian troops in action against the forces of the Polisario Front, which sought independence for Western Sahara.
Attacks within Mauritania by Polisario forces proved highly damaging to the economy. Diplomatic links with Algeria, which was supporting Polisario bases within its borders, were severed in March 1976. Leave a Comment
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Visiting Mauritania?
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Go to the desert, which is not difficult, it is everywhere. Then sit down, look and listen, and meet the people.
In a few days, I was just able to touch the soul of this country, the purest place of human hospitality. Desert is full of people. You never cross a car or see a tent without stopping and having tea. I sat down alone in the dunes at 6 a.m. waiting the magic moment when the sun is raising in one time like an orange. I sat down alone during the night, listening to the incredible silence, looking to the moon on top of my head and to the unbelievable show of 360 grades stars around me. I went in a tent, where I was offered tea in the middle of nowhere. That is the way to feel Mauritania. Leave a Comment
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Alvise Ca' da Mosto
born 1432, Venice
died July 18, 1488, Venice
Ca' da Mosto also spelled Cadamosto Venetian explorer and trader who wrote one of the earliest known accounts of western Africa and Mauritania.
Retained by Prince Henry the Navigator, he set sail on March 22, 1455, visited Madeira and the Canary Islands, and coasted along Africa past the mouth of the Senegal River.
Cadamosto's narrative, which was first published in 1507, gave valuable information about the caravan routes of the interior, from Mali via Ouadane to Morocco, from Mali via Timbuktu to Gao eastward, and from Timbuktu via Taghaza to Morocco and Tunis, and also described the trade, especially in gold and salt. G. R. Crone (1937) commented that Cadamosto's "is the first original account to have survived of a voyage into the regions opened up by European enterprise at the dawn of modern overseas expansion, and reflects the spirit of openminded enquiry characteristic of the new age." Leave a Comment
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We hired a jeep and we had to bargain a lot for the price.Finally we got it.On the way back from our excursion he invited us to sleep at his place ,after having dinner and a tea.
Hospitaliy is a must, even after a hard bargaining session.
.Don´t refuse it they'll get upset.
His place was a jaima in the middle of nowhere ,We sat on cushions and talk half Arabic and half French.He was delighted I could talk alittle Arabic.
Please do a trip on a camel at least for one day and a night to enjoy the starry nights.There is nowhere else starrier than the desert. Leave a Comment
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It´s really difficult to choose the best recommended site to visit in Mauritania. Probably the best places were:
Nouakchott fishers arrival
Chingetti,
Wadan,
Terjit,
Banc de Argüin ,and
Diawling N.P.
Anyway (i did not arrive at this village) it is highly recommended to go to Oulata.
1.- Dunes around Chingetti (the Sahara you expect to find):
2.- Oasis of Terjit (magical landscape)
3.- Fish market at Nuakchott (coulouful)
4.- Sahel lanscape (contrast of dunes and coast:
5.- People in general:
Maures
The warriors (hassani) and the religious leaders (zawaya), dominate Maure society.
Zenaga
The zenaga tend to be ethnically and culturally more Berber than the hassani and zawaya.
Artisans and Entertainers
The two most prominent occupational castes in Maure society are skilled craftsmen (or artisans) and entertainers (or storytellers)
Toucouleur
The Toucouleur live along the Senegal River in Mauritania and Senegal. The Toucouleur speak Fulfulde.
Fulbe
The Fulbe of Mauritania are part of the larger Fulbe population that inhabits scattered areas across the African savanna from Senegal to Sudan.
Soninké
The Soninké in Mauritania are the westernmost branch of the large and widely dispersed Soninké people (also called the Sarakolé.
Wolof
A relatively small number of Wolof live in Mauritania. Most live in Senegal, where they are the dominant group.
Bambara
Only a small number of Bambara live in Mauritania; most reside in Mali. They are thought to be descended from the founders of the thirteenth-century kingdom of Mali.
see this excellent document Leave a Comment
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gather some information about the country since you are entering another world.
Here are some data:
Population: 2,667,859 (July 2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 78.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50.76 years
male: 48.7 years
female: 52.87 years (2000 est.)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 37.7%
male: 49.6%
female: 26.3% (1995 est.)
Population below poverty line: 57% (1990 est.)
For more info: The World Factbook 2000 Leave a Comment
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on December 29, 2005
on January 15, 2004
on November 2, 2004
on September 8, 2002
on August 26, 2002
on November 26, 2002
on August 25, 2002
