While glancing at the map of West Africa, one word "Nouakchott" struck me since it seems out of this world because even the pronunciation is hard to decipher. After pushing a few buttons on the computer, the Internet finally gave me a clear and concise information on the subject.
Nouakchott is actually the capital city of Mauritania, how it got its name is however not clear. One thing is sure though, Mauritania was once part of the French West African empire until its independence in 1960. And like most African countries in the region, Mauritania opted to follow the Pan-African color scheme of Ethiopia in the design of its flag. But the influence of the French is not evident on the
National Flag of Mauritania as the emblem has a green background with a yellow five-pointed star above an also yellow horizontal crescent (the closed side of the crescent is down).
The crescent, the star, and the color green are traditional symbols associated with Islam, the religion of the majority of the residents of Mauritania.
At present, half of the population of Mauritania still depends on agriculture and livestock for its livelihood, although many of the nomads subsistence farmers from birth were forced to migrate to the cities to evade the recurring drought that has devastated the countryside during the 70's and 80's.
Although 50% of Mauritania is desert, it has extensive iron ore deposits which would account for over 40% of the total export revenues. Likewise the nation's coastal waters is among the most abundant fishing areas in the world that adds up to the country's revenues, but overfishing particularly by foreigners has threatened this valuable resource.
by:
The Flagman
