Travel Guide Mauritania - Country Information

Coordinates: 20 00 N, 12 00 W
Population: 3,177,388 (July 2006 est.)
Religions: Muslim 100%
Languages: Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof
Climate: desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
Elevation: lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m / highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m
Hazards: hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts
Background Mauritania: Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976, but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA seized power in a coup in 1984. Opposition parties were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991. Two multiparty presidential elections since then were widely seen as flawed, but October 2001 legislative and municipal elections were generally free and open. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council headed by Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL, which declared it would remain in power for up to two years while it created conditions for genuine democratic institutions and organized elections. For now, however, Mauritania remains an autocratic state, and the country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population and different Moor (Arab-Berber) communities.

Summary of recommendations:All travelers should visit either their personal physician or a travel health clinic 4-8 weeks before departure.
Malaria: Prophylaxis with Lariam, Malarone, or doxycycline is recommended for all areas except the northern areas of Dakhlet-Nouadhibou and Tiris-Zemmour.
Vaccinations:
Hepatitis A	Recommended for all travelers
Typhoid	Recommended for all travelers
Yellow fever	Recommended for all travelers. Required for travelers greater than one year of age except those arriving from a non-infected area who stay less than two weeks.
Meningococcus	Recommended during the dry season (November through June)
Polio	One-time booster recommended for any adult traveler who completed the childhood series but never had polio vaccine as an adult
Hepatitis B	For travelers who may have intimate contact with local residents, especially if visiting for more than 6 months
Rabies	For travelers who may have direct contact with animals and may not have access to medical care
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)	Two doses recommended for all travelers born after 1956, if not previously given
Tetanus-diphtheria	Revaccination recommended every 10 years