Mauritania: Mauritania Population Profile

The Mauritania People are traditionally nomadic. In 1963, the nomadic population of Mauritania was recorded as 83% of the entire Mauritania population. By the year 1986, the nomadic population dropped down to merely 25% of the total Mauritania population. These nomadic Mauritania People survive on the cattle and sheep rearing.

The different races of people live in the land of Mauritania. The people of black African inheritance and mixed Moor form 40 % of the Mauritania population. The Moors are mainly descendants of Arab and Berber origin. Most of the Moors lead lives of nomads in Mauritania.

The southern part of Mauritania is very populated. It is recorded that an excess of 90 % of Mauritania population reside in this part of the country. Nearly 47 % of the total area of Mauritania is desert. A meager %age of the population lives in these desert areas of the country. Around 30 % of the population is found in the Senegal Valley. In this part are settled the black African farmers.

The African tribes form a good %age of the Mauritania population. The major African tribes living in the south of Mauritania include:

• the Pular
• the Sarakole

There are few other minority tribes who contribute in the multiracial culture of Mauritania. The minority tribes of Mauritania include:

• Tukulor
• Wolof
• Bambara