Nouakchott travel guide — Nouakchott tourism and travel information

Nouakchott travel guide

about Nouakchott

Nouakchott (1999 population estimate: 881,000) is the capital and by far the largest city of Mauritania.

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.

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.

Located on the Atlantic coast of the Sahara Desert, Nouakchott is the 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. This has come about due to explosive growth driven by north African drought since the beginning of the 1970s: many have moved to the city in quest of a better life.

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. 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.

Nouakchott is built around a large tree-lined street, Avenue Abd-el-Nasser, which runs northeast through the city center 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.

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.

Near cities to Nouakchott

• Nouadhibou travel guide 330 km
• Atar travel guide 410 km
• Dakar travel guide 410 km
• Banjul travel guide 520 km
• Ziguinchor travel guide 610 km
• Dakhla travel guide 620 km
• Kayes travel guide 630 km
• Bissau travel guide 700 km
• Praia travel guide 880 km
• Mindelo travel guide 970 km

Near webcams to Nouakchott

• Bamako webcam 1 000 km
• Maspalomas webcam 1 100 km
• Playa del Ingles webcam 1 100 km
• El Medano webcam 1 100 km
• El Medano 2 webcam 1 100 km
• El Medano Beach webcam 1 100 km
• Los Christianos webcam 1 100 km
• Los Cristianos webcam 1 100 km
• Tenerife webcam 1 100 km
• La Orotava webcam 1 100 km

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