Discover Nouakchott, the capital city of Mauritania

Discover Nouakchott, the capital city and economic hub of Mauritania

Nouakchott, originally derived from Berber, meaning "place of the winds" is the capital and largest city of Mauritania. It is one of the largest cities in the Sahel. The city also serves as the administrative and economic center of Mauritania.

Nouakchott was a mid-sized village of little importance until 1958 when it was chosen as the capital of the nascent nation of Mauritania, and since then, the city has seen nothing but growth.

Nouakchott was a large, fortified fishing village in pre-colonial times and under French rule. As Mauritania prepared for independence, it lacked a capital city. The area of present-day Nouakchott was chosen by Moktar Ould Daddah, the first President of Mauritania, and his advisors. The village was selected as the capital city for its central location. Ould Daddah desired the new capital to symbolise modernity and national unity, which ruled out existing cities or towns in the interior.

At the time Nouakchott was chosen to be capital, it was planned to accommodate 15,000 people. However, beginning in the 1970s, a vast number of Mauritanians began moving to Nouakchott because environmental conditions in their home villages had become too harsh due to drought and increasing desertification. This migration rose the city's population to 20,000 in 1969. As of 2013, the city had a population of 958,399 million people. Many of the newcomers settled in slum areas of the city that were poorly maintained and extremely overcrowded. However, more recently, the living conditions of some of these inhabitants have improved.

The economy of Mauritania in general is still largely based on agriculture and livestock, even though most of the nomads and many subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurring droughts in the 1970s and 1980s.
Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for almost 50% of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production. 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, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. In recent years, drought and economic mismanagement have resulted in a buildup of foreign debt.

Nouakchott's culture is a mixture of many influences, both indigenous and external from the ancient Berber people, the Moors and the French, especially visible in both music and cuisine. Mauritanian music is a tradition carried down by the Moors when musicians formed the lowest rung of society and performed for anyone who paid them. Today, the industry is more refined, but the use of Moor instruments such as the four-stringed lute and the kettle drum remain firmly intact.
In a similar fashion, Nouakchott cuisine can be seen as an amalgamation of several influences.

While many dishes and ingredients like dried meats, grilled goat, sheep and couscous clearly highlight Berber and Moorish contributions, there are also more modern interpretations like baked goods and French pastries.

Attractions in Nouakchott include the National Museum of Mauritania, the National Library and the National Archives. The city hosts several markets, including the Marocaine market and the beaches. One beach is devoted to fishing boats where fish can be bought fresh at the Fish market. Nouakchott is a principal selling place of native Saharan meteorites. Among the places of worship, they are predominantly Muslim mosques.

There are also Christian churches and temples like the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nouakchott, Protestant churches and Evangelical Churches.
Nouakchott is a beautiful city and it's a good place to explore if you're seeking a getaway destination.