Short facts about the government of Mauritania
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: Islamic Republic of
Mauritania
conventional short form: Mauritania
local
long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah
local short
form: Muritaniyah |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| Administrative divisions: |
12 regions (regions, singular - region)
and 1 capital district*; Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol,
Guidimaka, Hodh Ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott*, Tagant, Tiris
Zemmour, Trarza |
| Independence: |
28 November 1960 (from
France) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 28 November
(1960) |
| Constitution: |
12 July
1991 |
| Legal
system: |
a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law)
and French civil law |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December
1984)
head of government: Prime Minister Cheik El Avia Ould
Mohamed KHOUNA (since 17 November 1998)
cabinet: Council of
Ministers
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
six-year term; election last held 12 December 1997 (next to be held NA December
2003); prime minister appointed by the president
election
results: President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected with 90.9% of
the vote |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral legislature consists of the
Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; 17 up for election every two years;
members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms) and the National
Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (79 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 17 April 1998
(next to be held NA 2001); National Assembly - last held 11 and 18 October 1996
(next to be held NA 2001)
election results: Senate - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - PRDS 71, AC 1, independents and other
7 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of
Appeals; lower courts |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Action for Change or AC [Messoud Ould
BOULKHEIR]; Assembly for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA];
Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS (ruling party) [President Col.
Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA]; Mauritanian Party for Renewal and Concorde or PMRC
[Molaye El Hassen Ould JIYID]; National Union for Democracy and Development or
UNDD [Tidjane KOITA]; Party for Liberty, Equality and Justice or PLEJ [Daouda
M'BAGNIGA]; Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE]; Popular Progress
Alliance or APP [Mohamed El Hafed Ould ISMAEL]; Popular Social and Democratic
Union or UPSD [Mohamed Mahmoud Ould MAH]; Progress Force Union or UFP [Mohamed
Ould MOLOUD]; Union for Progress and Democracy or UNDD [Naha Mint
MOUKNASS]
note: parties legalized by constitution ratified 12
July 1991; however, politics continue to be tribally
based |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Arab nationalists; Ba'athists; General
Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary
general]; Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory Ould
BEYE]; Islamists; Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM,
secretary general] |
| International organization participation: |
ABEDA, ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB,
AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ahmed Ben Khalifa BEN JIDOU
chancery:
2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202)
232-5700
FAX: [1] (202)
319-2623 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador John W. LIMBERT
embassy: Rue Abdallaye,
Nouakchott
mailing address: B. P. 222,
Nouakchott
telephone: [222] 25-26-60,
25-26-63
FAX: [222]
25-15-92 |
| Flag
description: |
green with a yellow five-pointed star
above a yellow, horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down;
the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam | Source: World Factbook |
