!!!Mauritania: Geography ||Location|Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara ||Geographic Coordinates|20 00 N, 12 00 W[{GoogleMap location='20.0,-12.0' zoom='4'}] ||Area |''total: ''1,030,700 sq km\\''land: ''1,030,700 sq km\\''water: ''0 sq km\\[[__''Verified in 8 databases''__] ||Land boundaries|''total: ''5,074 km\\''border countries: ''Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km ||Coastline|754 km ||Elevation Extremes|''lowest point: ''Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m\\''highest point: ''Kediet Ijill 915 m ||Highest Mountains| ||Terrain|mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills ||Natural Hazards|hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts ||Natural Resource|iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish ||Land Use|''arable land: ''0.44%\\''permanent crops: ''0.01%\\''other: ''99.55% (2011) ||Climate|desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty ||Irrigated Land|450.1 sq km (2004) ||Renewable Water Resources|11.4 cu km (2011) ||Environment_CurrentIssues|overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial river; locust infestation ||Environment - international agreements|''party to: ''Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling\\''signed, but not ratified: ''none of the selected agreements ||Large Cities|__Due to difference in city rankings taken from two data sources we are listing here both lists :__\\According to [Wolfram|http://www.wolframalpha.com]: Nouakchott; Nouadhibou; Kifah; Rusu; Kayhaydi\\According to [Geonames|http://www.geonames.org]: Nouakchott; Nouâdhibou; Néma; Kaédi; Rosso\\\\\__Attempted Explanation:__ Please help us to try to explain the discrepancies by sending us helpful information to [office@global-geography.org|mailto:office@global-geography.org] \\[Important Cities|Geography/Africa/Mauritania/Geography/Important_Cities] ||Geography-note|most of the population is concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country