Overview: A majority of the population still depend on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent drought in 1983. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore that account for almost 50% of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production in recent years. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, though overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986.

GDP: $843 million, per capita $440; real growth rate 2.7% (1988)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.8% (1987 est.)

Unemployment rate: 50% (1988 est.)

Budget: revenues $265 million; expenditures $273 million, including capital expenditures of $73 million (1986)

Exports: $428 million (f.o.b., 1986); @m5commodities--iron ore, processed fish, small amounts of gum arabic and gypsum, unrecorded but numerically significant cattle exports to Senegal; @m5partners--EC 57%, Japan 39%, Ivory Coast 2%

Imports: $329 million (c.i.f., 1986); @m5commodities--foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, capital goods; @m5partners--EC 79%, Africa 5%, US 4%, Japan 2%

External debt: $2.2 billion (December 1988)

Industrial production: growth rate 5%, excluding construction and public works (1986 est.)

Electricity: 189,000 kW capacity; 136 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1988)

Industries: fishing, fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum

Agriculture: livestock, cereals, vegetables, dates; cash crop--gum arabic

Aid: NA

Currency: ouguiya (plural--ouguiya); 1 ouguiya (UM) = 5 khoums

Exchange rates: ouguiya (UM) per US$1--75.020 (January 1989), 75.261 (1988), 73.878 (1987), 74.375 (1986), 77.085 (1985)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Mauritania on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Mauritania Economy 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Mauritania Economy 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.