Report by Mauritania

The Islamic Republic of Mauritania is a vast country, measuring 1,031,000 km2, at the crossroads of North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. Its territory is 80% desert and sparsely populated at around three inhabitants per square kilometre, with a total population numbering around 4 million (2013). The census-tocensus growth rate is 2.77% (1988-2013); the annual rate of demographic growth is approximately 3%; life expectancy is 56.6 years; and the literacy rate among adults (those over 15 years old) is 55.8%.