Animal Info - Mauritania

Threatened Species, Environmental and Social Data (Mammals, Biodiversity/Ecosystems, Population, Area/Land Use, Protected Lands, Economy, Education), References and Links

Threatened Species

Threatened Species: The following list includes all mammals which occur in Mauritania and are rated as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU) in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals.

Critically Endangered:
- Addax (Addax nasomaculatus).
- Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus).
- Mauritanian Gerbil (Gerbillus mauritaniae). (Endemic to Mauritania.)
Endangered:
- Dama Gazelle (Gazella dama).
Vulnerable:
- Barbary Sheep (Ammotragus lervia).
- Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).
- Dorcas Gazelle (Gazella dorcas).
- Felou Gundi (Felovia vae).
- Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena).
- Lion (Panthera leo).
- Red-fronted Gazelle (Gazella rufifrons).
- West African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis).

Environmental and Social Data

Mammals

Total number of species: 61 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of endemic species: 1 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of threatened species: 1996 and 2000: 14 (23 % of total species) (IUCN 1996, IUCN 2000)

Biodiversity/Ecosystems

Mauritania contains portions of the Sahelian Flooded Savannas and the Western Guinea Current Marine Ecosystems Global 200 Ecoregions (Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999)

Population

Population in 1995: 2,274,000 (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population density in 1995: 2.2 people/sq km (5.7 people/sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population in 1998: 2,511,473 (World Almanac 1999)
Average population growth rate, 1980 - 1990: 2.4 % (World Bank 1992)

Area/Land Use

Area: 1,030,699 sq km (397,955 sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Percentages of primary world ecosystem types:

Desert and Semi-desert: 69 %
Grass and Shrub: 16 %
Crop and Settlements: 2 %
Interrupted Woods: 13 %

(Groombridge 1992)

Percent of land area classified as the following degree of human disturbance: Low: 92 %, Medium: 8 %, High: 0 % (WRI 1994)

Protected Lands

Area: 17,460 sq km (6,740 sq mi) (Groombridge 1992)
Percent of land protected: 1.45 % totally protected, 0.24 % partially protected, 1.69 % totally or partially protected (Groombridge 1992)

Economy

Per capita GNP ($ U.S.) (1991): $500 (WRI 1994)
Per capita GDP ($ U.S.) (1996): $1,200 (World Almanac 1999)

Education

Percent of females in secondary education (1989): 10 % (World Bank 1992)
Percent adult literacy: Female: 21 % (1990); Male:, 47 % (1990) (WRI 1994)

References and Links

References: Groombridge 1992, Groombridge & Jenkins 1994, IUCN 1994, IUCN 1996, IUCN 2000, IUCN 2004, Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995, Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999, World Almanac 1999, World Bank 1992, WRI 1994

General Links (After you get to one of these sites, click on the link for Mauritania): CIA World Factbook, Foreign Embassies of Washington, D.C., Library of Congress - Country Studies, University of Texas - Country Maps, Washington Post - Countries, World Resources Institute - Country Profiles

Top of Page | Search This Site

Last modified: August 2, 2006;