Mauritania vs. Senegal
Geography
| Mauritania | Senegal | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania |
| Geographic coordinates | 20 00 N, 12 00 W | 14 00 N, 14 00 W |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 1,030,700 sq km land: 1,030,700 sq km water: 0 sq km | total: 196,722 sq km land: 192,530 sq km water: 4,192 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico; about six times the size of Florida | slightly smaller than South Dakota; slightly larger than twice the size of Indiana |
| Land boundaries | total: 5,002 km border countries (4): Algeria 460 km, Mali 2236 km, Morocco 1564 km, Senegal 742 km | total: 2,684 km border countries (5): The Gambia 749 km, Guinea 363 km, Guinea-Bissau 341 km, Mali 489 km, Mauritania 742 km |
| Coastline | 754 km | 531 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Climate | desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty | tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind |
| Terrain | mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills | generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m mean elevation: 276 m | highest point: unnamed elevation 2.8 km southeast of Nepen Diaka 648 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 69 m |
| Natural resources | iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish | fish, phosphates, iron ore |
| Land use | agricultural land: 38.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 38.1% (2018 est.) forest: 0.2% (2018 est.) other: 61.3% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 46.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 17.4% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 29.1% (2018 est.) forest: 43.8% (2018 est.) other: 9.4% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 450 sq km (2012) | 1,200 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind primarily in March and April; periodic droughts | lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts |
| Environment - current issues | 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 | deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; periodic droughts; seasonal flooding; overfishing; weak environmental protective laws; wildlife populations threatened by poaching |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | Mauritania is considered both a part of North Africa's Maghreb region and West Africa's Sahel region; 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 | westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal |
| Total renewable water resources | 11.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 38.97 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | with most of the country being a desert, vast areas of the country, particularly in the central, northern, and eastern areas, are without sizeable population clusters; half the population lives in or around the coastal capital of Nouakchott; smaller clusters are found near the southern border with Mali and Senegal as shown in this population distribution map | the population is concentrated in the west, with Dakar anchoring a well-defined core area; approximately 70% of the population is rural as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
