PEOPLE
Eighty percent of the population
are Moors - of Arab-Berber descent and speaking dialects of Hassaniya
Arabic. Much social status is determined by derivations from either
the region's Arab-Berber conquerors or the caucasoid-negroid peoples
they enslaved. An aristocratic-servile status continues to define
Maure (Moor) society as "white" and "black." White Moor aristocrats
(bidan) tend to be more purely Arab; commoner whites tend to be
more distinctly Berber in appearance and speech. Traditionally,
the enslaved indigenous class came to be called black Moors. Even
though slavery is officially proscribed, a servile status lingers
among the lower rungs in the black social structure. Non-Moor,
non-Arab or Berber-speaking black Africans, including the Toucouleur,
Fulbe, Wolof, Bembara people comprise the remaining 20% of the
population and tend to live in the south. Most of these groups
also have hierarchical social structures, with a servile class
at the bottom. Although taken together, black Moors and black
Africans outnumber white Moors, black Moors identify in many ways
with white Moors. All Mauritanians are Muslims.
As a result of recent endemic
drought, large numbers of former nomads and oasis dwellers have
migrated to urban areas (Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, Kaedi, Rosso),
swelling the population of the cities and surrounding shanty towns.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Mauritanian(s).
Population (2005): 2,906,000.
Annual growth rate: 2.7%.
Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber (White Moor), Arab-Berber-Negroid (Black Moor), Haalpulaar, Soninke, Wolof (Black African Mauritanians).
Religion: Islam.
Languages: Arabic (official), Hassaniya (Arabic dialect), French, Pulaar, Wolof, and Soninke.
Education: Years compulsory--six. Attendance (student population enrolled in primary school)--82%. Adult literacy (% of population age 15+)--59%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--77/1,000. Life expectancy--51 yrs.
Work force: Agriculture and fisheries--50%. Services and commerce--20%. Government--20%. Industry and transportation--10%.
