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Nouakchott

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: African Geography

                       نواكشوط
   Nouakchott
   Landsat image of sand dunes encroaching on Nouakchott.
   Landsat image of sand dunes encroaching on Nouakchott.
   Map of Mauritania showing Nouakchott
   Map of Mauritania showing Nouakchott
                Coordinates: 18°6′N 15°57′W
   Capital district Nouakchott
        Mayor       Didi Ould Bounaama
         Area
        - City      1,000 km²  (400  sq mi)
      Population
     - City (1999)  881,000

   Nouakchott (Arabic: نواكشوط or انواكشوط [alleged translation from
   berberic "The place of the winds"] Nawākšūṭ) is the capital and by far
   the largest city of Mauritania, and is Sahara's largest city if one
   excludes marginal cases like Cairo (in the Nile River Delta) and the
   cities north of the Atlas Mountains on Africa's northern coast. The
   city is the administrative and economic centre of Mauritania.

Geography

   Nouakchott department
   Enlarge
   Nouakchott department

   Located on the Atlantic coast of the Sahara Desert, it lies on the west
   coast, on the Atlantic Ocean, although with the exception of Nouakchott
   Wharf and a deep water port, the coastal strip is mostly left empty and
   allowed to flood.

   Due to the rapid build-up, the city is quite spread out, with few tall
   buildings. It also often acts as an interface between urban
   Mauritanians and their nomadic fellow citizens.

   Nouakchott is built around a large tree-lined street, Avenue Abd
   an-Nasir, which runs northeast through the city centre from the
   airport. Other major streets are named (in French) for notable
   Mauritanian figures, or international personages of the 1960s: Avenue
   de Gaulle, Avenue Kennedy, and Avenue Lumumba, for example.

   Temperatures range between 33°C (92°F) and 13°C (56°F), and the average
   rainfall is 178 mm (7 in) per annum.

History

   As a tiny fishing town until 1958, Nouakchott has little history to
   mention. One event of note is the possibility that the Berber Muslim
   Almoravids are originally from the area.

   Mauritania was part of the larger French colony of French West Africa,
   and as such had no capital during the colonial period: Saint-Louis, in
   Senegal held that position. In 1957, however, this small port town --
   when it was selected, an ambitious building program was begun to
   increase its population to 15,000 -- was chosen to be the capital of
   the new country. In 1958 Mauritania was formed as an autonomous
   republic in the French Community, and when that organization became
   moribund after 1962, Nouakchott became the capital of an independent
   country.

   The city has had explosive growth driven by the north African drought
   since the beginning of the 1970s: many have moved to the city in quest
   of a better life.

Government

   The town was first divided into districts (moughataa) in 1973. First it
   was divided into four. From 1986, the city has been split into nine
   districts.
     * Arafat
     * Dar Naim
     * El Mina
     * Ksar
     * Riad
     * Sebkha
     * Tevragh-Zeina
     * Teyarett
     * Toujounine

Demographics

   For comparison, its population was only 20,000 in 1969 and 150,000 in
   1980. Part of the difficulty in estimating the city's population is
   that part of it is literally nomadic: setting up tents in suitable
   locations, then packing up when the need strikes.

Infrastructure

   Nouakchott has a deep-sea port, opened in 1986, primarily used for
   imports. Annually, imports account for around 96.4 % of traffic at the
   port. A 1,100 km road connects the city with Néma via Boutilimit and
   Kiffa . The city also features an international airport.

   Although the rocks beneath the city contained a vast reservoir of fresh
   water, known as the Trarza Lake, fresh water is running out due to the
   large growth of the city.

Education

   The city is home to the Université de Nouakchott, which is the only
   university in Mauritania and was opened in 1981. Other higher education
   facilities include the National School of Administration, and the
   National Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies. There are many primary
   and secondary schools, and an American International School of
   Nouakchott.

Culture

   Attractions in Nouakchott include Nouakchott Museum, several markets
   including Nouakchott Silver Market, and the beaches, one of which is a
   base for fishing boats. The city also hosts the National Library and
   National Archives.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nouakchott"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
