NouakchottCapital
Mauritania · Country profile
Nouakchott is the sprawling, sand-blown capital of Mauritania, the enormous desert city of the Atlantic edge that spreads across the empty plain between the great sand dunes and the sea, one of the cities of the world built almost entirely on the sand of the Sahara. The capital of the country since the mid twentieth century, it has swelled into a vast, low metropolis of millions, its sandy districts, its markets and its mosques spreading without walls across the desert, with the astonishing dunes of the south rising against the suburbs and the northern coast offering the lonely beaches and the fishing ports of the shore. It is a frontier capital of the trans-Saharan trade, home to the great camel and livestock markets of the desert edge, the fish markets of the coast and the intensive daily life of the world where the city meets the absolute wilderness. Harsh, fascinating and endlessly expanding, Nouakchott is the great desert capital of the Atlantic Sahara.
About Nouakchott
Nouakchott is the capital of Mauritania. The city's documented population is around 1,350,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Ouguiya (MRU) and Arabic is spoken; the dialling code is +222.
The Fish Market of the Port and the Catch of the Dawn
Nouakchott is a city of the enormous markets, the floating desert and the sea, with the great fish market of the port, the camel market of the sand and the central market of the town running the essential commerce of the capital. The port of the city, the African harbour of the coast ringed by the dunes, delivers the enormous daily catch of the fishing fleet, and the mosques and the boulevards of the new city spread across the desert plain. The outstanding day trips of the capital reach the great dunes of the southwest and the coastal lagoons with their flocks of the flamingos, and the banks of the old port and the craft streets of the town complete the vivid, sandy world of the city of the sands.
The Camel Market and the Dunes of the Southwest
The climate of the capital is fiercely dry, with the year-round heat moderated only by the Atlantic breezes of the coast, the cool, dusty months of the winter, and the explosive rains of the short wet season far to the south. The ouguiya is the currency and the Hassaniya and the French the languages of the town, with the Arabic as the official tongue of the country. The fish market, the camel market and the central market make the core circuit, and the dunes and the coast lie within a short drive. Light clothes, a hat, and careful attention to the sun and the dust complete the practical essentials of the desert city.
The Central Bazaar and the Craft Tents of the Nomads
The fish market of the port, the teeming morning auction of the capital where the boats of the coast unload their glistening catch onto the sand of the quayside, is the great spectacle of Nouakchott, surrounded by the chaouia canoes of the fishermen and the birds of the shore. The camel market of the northern district, where the herds of the desert are bought and sold under the sun, is the largest livestock market of the entire Sahara, and the enormous dunes of the Camels hills that crowd the south-western suburbs of the city give the surreal sight of the sea of the sand lapping the streets of the capital. The central market of the town, with its silver, its leather and its bright fabrics of the desert traders, and the craft district with its tents of the nomadic tradition, complete the extraordinary bazaar of the great desert capital.
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- Country
- Mauritania
- Population
- 1,350,000
- Capital
- Nouakchott
- Region
- Africa
- Currency
- Ouguiya (MRU)
- Languages
- Arabic
- Calling code
- +222
- Country code
- MR
Frequently asked questions
Is Nouakchott the capital of Mauritania?
Yes — Nouakchott is the capital of Mauritania.
What currency do I need in Nouakchott?
The local currency is the Ouguiya (MRU). Languages spoken in Mauritania include Arabic.
What is the dialling code for Mauritania?
The international dialling code for Mauritania is +222.
Flying out of Nouakchott? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.