Descending from Mauritania

By: Mahfoudh Mohamed

You’ve probably never heard of Mauritania, especially if you are from the United States because it never makes the news; it’s irrelevant. Mauritania is a mid-sized country located in western Africa in the middle of Morocco and Senegal. Not too many Mauritanians live here in America, in fact only about 4,000, and 90% live in the greater Cincinnati area.

Most people in Mauritania speak Hassaniya, an Arabic dialect; French is also spoken by many people there. Wolof and Puular are common in Mauritania as well. Mauritania was colonized by France until November 28, 1960, like most surrounding countries were under their ruling including Senegal, Algeria, and Morocco.

Mauritania is all about culture and religion. 100 percent of the population there practices Islam. People are expected to slaughter an animal according to the number of wives and the wealth of the husband. At the end of Ramadan, and at the sacrificial feast that ends the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, a married man is expected to offer a lamb. The meat must be eaten up within three days, or it is thrown away. It is customary to offer an animal in connection with name-giving, initiation, marriage, and funeral ceremonies, and when people return from Mecca or other important places. Only circumcised adult men are allowed to slaughter animals.

Mauritania is one of the least industrialized countries in the world. Only a few industries involve the production and partial processing of iron ore. There is a fish processing plant and an
oil refinery in Nouadhibou, a sugar refinery in Nouakchott, as well as a meat processing factory in Kaedi. Traditional crafts are produced in Nouakchott, and there is a textile factory in Rosso.

Mauritania is an Islamic republic with a highly centralized government in which power is vested in the executive president as head of state, aided by a prime minister who acts as the head of government and also a council of ministers. Since 1992, direct presidential elections have been scheduled every six years. Universal suffrage occurs at eighteen years of age. The legal system is derived from Islamic law and modern Western law. The legislative branch includes a legislature consisting of the fifty-six-seat Senate, who are all elected by mayors, for six-year terms and a seventy-nine-seat National Assembly, who are all elected by popular vote, for five-year terms. The judicial branch has lower courts, appeals courts, and a supreme court. Administratively, the country is divided into twelve regions. Twelve regions that not many people here know about!