Nouakchott
Sign in to saveNouakchott ( ) is the capital and largest city of Mauritania. Located in the southwestern part of the country, it is one of the largest cities in the Sahara. The city also serves as the administrative and economic center of Mauritania.
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Nouakchott is the capital and largest city of Mauritania, located in the southwestern part of the country and serving as its administrative and economic center. As one of the largest cities in the Sahara Desert, it plays a central role in the nation's governance and commerce.
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Place details
- Locality
- Nouakchott نواكشوط
- Region
- Nouakchott Ouest نواكشوط الغربية
- Country
- Mauritanie موريتانيا
- Population
- 1,184,530
Article
20 sectionsContents
- History
- Geography
- Climate
- Climate change
- Sustainability
- Government
- Demographics
- Slum resettlement
- Economy
- Transport
- Education
- Culture
- Places of worship
- Sport
- Twin towns – Sister cities
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Nouakchott ( ) is the capital and largest city of Mauritania. Located in the southwestern part of the country, it is one of the largest cities in the Sahara. The city also serves as the administrative and economic center of Mauritania.
Once a mid-sized coastal village, Nouakchott was selected as the capital for the nascent nation of Mauritania, with construction beginning in 1958. It was originally designed to accommodate a population of 15,000, but experienced significant population growth in the 1970s when many Mauritanians fled their home villages due to drought and increasing desertification. Many of the newcomers settled in slum areas of the city that were poorly maintained and extremely overcrowded. By the mid-1980s, Nouakchott's population was estimated to be between 400,000 and 500,000.