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Flag of Mauritania

Mauritania

Capital: Nouakchott

  • About 90% of Mauritania's land lies in the Sahara, and its capital sits on the Atlantic coast at the edge of the desert.
  • Banc d'Arguin National Park, a UNESCO site since 1989, hosts up to about 96,000 wintering greater flamingos and has dolphins and monk seals.
  • Chinguetti has five important manuscript libraries holding scientific and religious texts, many from the later Middle Ages.
  • Arabic is the official language, and Pulaar, Soninke and Wolof are recognised national languages.

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