Mauritania

[ mawr-i-tey-nee-uh ]

noun
  1. Official name Is·lam·ic Re·pub·lic of Mau·ri·ta·ni·a . a republic in western Africa, largely in the Sahara Desert: formerly a French colony; a member of the French Community 1958–66; independent 1960. 418,120 sq. mi. (1,082,931 sq. km). Capital: Nouakchott.

Other words from Mauritania

  • Mau·ri·ta·ni·an, adjective, noun

Words Nearby Mauritania

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Mauritania in a sentence

  • His Senegalese father married his mother, who is from Mauritania, and then emigrated to France.

  • The Romans, in the time of Nero, had tables made of citron-wood brought from Mauritania; they were varnished with purple and gold.

  • Tingis (Tangiers), in Mauritania, which boasted of a very ancient origin, carried on a great trade with Btica.

    History of Julius Caesar Vol. 1 of 2 | Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, 1808-1873.
  • His whole gaze, even further, his whole heart hung on a paragraph stating that Eugene Gresham had just sailed on the Mauritania.

    The Beauty | Mrs. Wilson Woodrow
  • Ethiopia is divided into two principal parts, the east and the south, the latter part being called Mauritania.

  • Iphicrates, according to Bryant, “related that in Mauritania there were dragons of such extent that grass grew upon their backs.”

    Mythical Monsters | Charles Gould

British Dictionary definitions for Mauritania

Mauritania

/ (ˌmɒrɪˈteɪnɪə) /


noun
  1. a republic in NW Africa, on the Atlantic: established as a French protectorate in 1903 and a colony in 1920; gained independence in 1960; lies in the Sahara; contains rich resources of iron ore. Official language: Arabic; Fulani, Soninke, Wolof, and French are also spoken. Official religion: Muslim. Currency: ouguiya. Capital: Nouakchott. Pop: 3 437 610 (2013 est). Area: 1 030 700 sq km (398 000 sq miles): Official name: Islamic Republic of Mauritania

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