Trivia in Mauritania

National symbols

Flag: Green field with golden crescent and star, red stripes above and below. Red stripes were added in 2017 to symbolize the victims of the independence struggle.

Emblem: Green and gold circular shield featuring date palms, sorghum, crescent and star, with country name inscribed in Arabic and French.

Trivia & facts

• One of the world's least densely populated countries, with about three-quarters of the land being desert.
• The capital Nouakchott was artificially constructed from a desert village in 1958 as a planned city.
• The "Iron Ore Train," one of the world's longest freight trains, reaches up to 3km in length.
• About 30% of Japan's imported octopus comes from Mauritania.
• The Richat Structure is called the "Eye of the Sahara" by astronauts and is visible from space.
• The red stripes on the flag symbolize the blood of the independence struggle and were added through a 2017 referendum.
• Official documents typically use bilingual notation in Arabic and French.
• "Attaya," sweet boiled Chinese green tea, is consumed daily more than black tea.
• The Banc d'Arguin coast is a Ramsar-registered wintering site for 5 million migratory birds.
• Camel milk is widely consumed as nutritious food and often fermented into yogurt-like form.