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Nouakchott

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Nouakchott

Nwakcoṭ (Berber)
نواكشوط (Arabic)
The Grand Mosque in Nouakchott
The Grand Mosque in Nouakchott
Nouakchott is located in Mauritania
Nouakchott
Nouakchott
Map of Mauritania showing Nouakchott
Nouakchott is located in Africa
Nouakchott
Nouakchott
Nouakchott
(Africa)
Coordinates: 18°6′N 15°57′W / 18.100°N 15.950°W / 18.100; -15.950Coordinates: 18°6′N 15°57′W / 18.100°N 15.950°W / 18.100; -15.950
Country Mauritania
Capital districtNouakchott
Government
 • MayorMaty Mint Hamady (2014 -)
Area
 • Total1,000 km2 (400 sq mi)
Elevation
7 m (23 ft)
Population
(2013 census)
 • Total958,399
 • Density960/km2 (2,400/sq mi)

Nouakchott (/nwɑːkˈʃɒt/; Arabic: نواكشوط‎; Berber: Nwakcoṭ, originally derived from Berber Nawākšūṭ, "place of the winds")[1] is the capital and largest city of Mauritania. It is one of the largest cities in the Sahara.[2] The city also serves as the administrative and economic center of Mauritania.

Nouakchott was a village of little importance until 1958, when it was chosen as the capital of the nascent nation of Mauritania. It was designed and built to accommodate 15,000 people, but drought and increasing desertification since the 1970s have displaced a vast number of Mauritanians who resettled in Nouakchott. This caused massive urban growth and overcrowding, with the city having an official population of just under a million as of 2013. The resettled population inhabited slum areas under poor conditions, but the living conditions of a portion of these inhabitants have since been ameliorated.

The city is the hub of the Mauritanian economy and is home to a deepwater port and Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport, one of the country's two international airports. It hosts the University of Nouakchott and several other more specialized institutes of higher learning.

History[edit]

See also: Timeline of Nouakchott

Nouakchott was a tiny, fortified fishing village (ksar) in pre-colonial times and under French rule. As Mauritania prepared for independence, it lacked a capital city and the area of present-day Nouakchott was chosen by Moktar Ould Daddah and his advisors. Ould Daddah desired for the new capital to be a symbol of modernity and national unity which ruled out existing cities or towns in the interior. The village was selected as the capital city for its central location between Saint-Louis, Senegal, the city from which the colony of Mauritania was governed, and Nouadhibou. Its location also meant that it avoided the sensitive issue of whether the capital was built in an area dominated by the Arab-descended Moors or Black Africans.[3]:369

Construction began in March 1958 to enlarge the village to house a population of 15,000 and the basics were completed by the time that the French granted independence on 28 November 1960. Nouakchott was planned with the expectation that commerce and other economic activities would not take place in the city. Nouakchott's central business district was planned with broad streets and a grid-like structure; the new Cinquième Quartier (Fifth District) was located close to this area and became the location of a large open-air market and residential area within a few years. During the 1960s, the city obtained its own local government. By the 1970s, these new areas had grown so much that they replaced the old ksar in terms of importance, as they also hosted the governmental buildings and state enterprises.[3]:369

The city was attacked twice in 1976 by the Polisario Front during the Western Sahara conflict,[4] but little damage was caused by the guerrillas. The city has had massive and unconstrained growth, driven by the North African drought, since the beginning of the 1970s; hundreds of thousands moved there in search of a better life. The official censuses showed 134,000 residents in 1977 and 393,325 in 1988, although both figures were probably smaller than reality.[3]:370 The population is now estimated to consist of at least one third of the country's population of 3.2 million[5] and the 2013 census showed a population of 958,399.[6]

Geography[edit]

Nouakchott seen from the Spot Satellite

Located on the Atlantic coast of the Sahara Desert, it lies on the west coast of Africa. With the exception of Friendship Port and a small fishing port, the coastal strip is mostly left empty and allowed to flood. The coastline includes shifting sandbanks and sandy beaches. There are areas of quicksand close to the harbour.[7] Nouakchott is largely flat and only a few meters above sea level.[4] It is threatened by the sand dunes advancing from its eastern side which pose a daily problem.[8] There have been efforts to save particular areas, including work by Jean Meunier.[9]:168 Owing to the rapid build-up, the city is quite spread out, with few tall buildings. Most buildings are one-story.[4]

Nouakchott is built around a large tree-lined street, Avenue Gamal Abdel Nasser, which runs northeast through the city centre from the airport. It divides the city into two, with the residential areas in the north and the medina quarter, along with the kebbe, a shanty town formed due to the displacement of people from other areas by the desert.[10]:50–57 Other major streets are named (in French) for notable Mauritanian or international figures of the 1960s: Avenue Abdel Nasser, Avenue Charles de Gaulle, Avenue Kennedy, and Avenue Lumumba, for example.[11]

The kebbe consists of cement buildings that are built overnight and made to look permanent to avoid destruction by the authorities. In 1999, it was estimated that more than half of the city's inhabitants lived in tents and shacks, which were used for residential as well as business purposes.[12] The city is broken into nine arrondissements, sub-divided into alphabetised Îlots. These are Teyarett, Ksar, Tevragh Zeïna, Toujournine, Sebkha, El Mina, Dar Naïm, Arafat and Riad. The Sebkha (Cinquième) Arrondissement is home to a large shopping area.[11]:116−17

Climate[edit]

Nouakchott features a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh) with hot temperatures throughout the year, but cold winter night temperatures. Nouakchott possesses a relatively warm temperature range compared to other cities with this climate. While average high temperatures are relatively constant at around 33 °C (91 °F), average low temperatures can range from 25 °C (77 °F) during the summer months to 13 °C (55 °F) during the winter months. Minimum temperatures can be as low as 10 °C (50 °F) during winter nights in Nouakchott. Average rainfall in the city is 95 mm (3.7 in) a year.[13]

Climate data for Nouakchott (1981–2010, extremes 1934–2012)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 39.9
(103.8) 		41.7
(107.1) 		44.0
(111.2) 		47.5
(117.5) 		47.0
(116.6) 		47.2
(117.0) 		47.5
(117.5) 		45.1
(113.2) 		45.5
(113.9) 		44.5
(112.1) 		42.3
(108.1) 		39.6
(103.3) 		47.5
(117.5)
Average high °C (°F) 29.1
(84.4) 		30.8
(87.4) 		33.5
(92.3) 		34.8
(94.6) 		34.3
(93.7) 		34.7
(94.5) 		32.4
(90.3) 		33.0
(91.4) 		36.1
(97.0) 		36.7
(98.1) 		34.0
(93.2) 		31.0
(87.8) 		33.4
(92.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 21.5
(70.7) 		23.0
(73.4) 		24.2
(75.6) 		24.3
(75.7) 		25.8
(78.4) 		26.7
(80.1) 		27.3
(81.1) 		28.4
(83.1) 		29.6
(85.3) 		28.8
(83.8) 		25.8
(78.4) 		22.8
(73.0) 		25.7
(78.3)
Average low °C (°F) 14.5
(58.1) 		16.4
(61.5) 		18.2
(64.8) 		19.1
(66.4) 		20.7
(69.3) 		22.8
(73.0) 		24.3
(75.7) 		25.4
(77.7) 		25.8
(78.4) 		23.8
(74.8) 		19.7
(67.5) 		16.9
(62.4) 		20.6
(69.1)
Record low °C (°F) 3.9
(39.0) 		7.0
(44.6) 		5.0
(41.0) 		10.0
(50.0) 		13.0
(55.4) 		15.7
(60.3) 		15.0
(59.0) 		16.1
(61.0) 		17.0
(62.6) 		13.0
(55.4) 		9.3
(48.7) 		5.0
(41.0) 		3.9
(39.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 0.7
(0.03) 		1.5
(0.06) 		0.2
(0.01) 		0.1
(0.00) 		0.3
(0.01) 		1.9
(0.07) 		6.3
(0.25) 		36.8
(1.45) 		36.3
(1.43) 		6.3
(0.25) 		2.0
(0.08) 		2.8
(0.11) 		95.2
(3.75)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.8 2.6 3.0 0.7 0.2 0.3 8.3
Average relative humidity (%) 36 39 43 49 54 60 70 72 69 55 44 35 52
Mean monthly sunshine hours 232.5 220.4 260.4 270.0 282.1 240.0 238.7 254.2 228.0 260.4 243.0 217.0 2,946.7
Mean daily sunshine hours 7.5 7.8 8.4 9.0 9.1 8.0 7.7 8.2 7.6 8.4 8.1 7.0 8.1
Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst[13]

Government[edit]

A partial view of the city

Nouakchott is divided into three regions (wilayat), each of which contains three departments (moughataa):

The town was initially divided into four departments in 1973. In 1986 the current nine departments were created.[14]

Formerly a district, in 1990 Nouakchott became a region of Mauritania.[15] On 25 November 2014, it was split into the three current regions[16] and its governor Mahi Ould Hamed became the first governor of Nouakchott-Nord.[17]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
19615,807—    
196515,000+158.3%
197025,000+66.7%
1977134,704+438.8%
1981232,000+72.2%
1988393,325+69.5%
2000558,195+41.9%
2013958,399+71.7%
20181,155,500+20.6%

For comparison, its population was only 20,000 in 1969. Part of the difficulty in estimating the city's population is that part of it is nomadic, setting up tents in suitable locations, then packing up when the need strikes. Some estimates put the 2008 population at over 2 million, estimated to be close to one-third of the country's population.[5] The 2013 census gave the city's population as 958,399.[6]

Slum resettlement[edit]

In 2009, the government of Mauritania announced that it would begin a process of clearing the slum on the outskirts of Nouakchott. 24,000 families would eventually be relocated to planned housing in the city. The process was scheduled to begin with the relocation of 9,000 families from the outskirts into the poor Arafat department neighbourhood of "Kosovo", popularly named for its high crime rate and poor services. The government planned to begin moving families in June 2009 despite concerns from aid agencies that needed infrastructure could not be put in place in the receiving neighbourhood.[18] In 2013, it was reported that "slums have been replaced by social dwellings for the poorest",[19] with the World Bank reporting that the plan met with substantial success, resulting in access to improved services for 181,035 people in the slum areas.[20]

Economy and administration[edit]

Scene at the beach in Nouakchott

Nouakchott is the center of the Mauritanian economy, with three-quarters of service sector enterprises located in the city as of 1999 with 90% of the city's economic activity consisting of informal transactions. Some inhabitants have multiple addresses and maintain strong ties with their regions of origin, at times returning for labor.[12]

Nouakchott has a Chinese-built deepwater port that opened in 1986. It was designed for a capacity of 500,000 tons deadweight (DWT) of cargo a year, but has been handling 1,500,000 tons (DWT) by 2009.[7] China agreed in 2009 to invest US$282 million in the port, aiming to extend the main quay by over 900 m (3,000 ft).[21] As of 2011, the World Bank was investigating funding a new shipping container facility at the port.[22] Air service is provided by Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport, which replaced the previous Nouakchott International Airport in June 2016.[23]

The Cairo–Dakar Highway leg from Nouakchott to Noudhibou was paved in 2004, although the Nouakchott-Rosso leg was paved before independence.[24] A 1,100-kilometre (680 mi) road (Route d'Espoir (Road of Hope)) connects the city with Néma via Boutilimit and Kiffa.[25]:235 In the city, there is a public transport and commuter system, with vehicles serving major boulevards.[12]

Fresh water[edit]

Although the rocks beneath the city contained a vast reservoir of fresh water, known as the Trarza Lake, it is running out, owing to the large growth of the city. Engineers have warned it could run out by 2054, since it is not rain-fed, and is therefore non-renewable. The problem is particularly bad in the sandy shanty towns where the majority of the population lives. Many people already have to buy water, which is expensive compared with the average wage.[26]

Education[edit]

The city is home to the University of Nouakchott, which is the only university in Mauritania and was opened in 1981. As of 1995, it had 70 professors and 2800 students. Other higher education facilities include the National School of Administration and the Higher Scientific Institute.[25]:105

There are many primary and secondary schools, among the most prominent are the American International School of Nouakchott[27] and the Lycée Français Théodore Monod.[28]

Culture and religion[edit]

Attractions in Nouakchott include the National Museum of Mauritania, the National Library and the National Archives.[29] The city hosts several markets including the Nouakchott Silver Market, and the beaches. One beach is devoted to fishing boats where fish can be bought fresh. Nouakchott is a principal selling place of native Saharan meteorites.[30]

There is a mosque donated by Saudi Arabia in the city centre and a Moroccan mosque further south.[5] Although Islam is the state religion in Mauritania, Nouakchott includes the Catholic Cathedral of St. Joseph. It is home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nouakchott, founded in 1965.[31]

Sport[edit]

Nouakchott hosts nine of the thirteen teams of the Mauritanian Premier League.[32]

Twin towns – Sister cities[edit]

Nouakchott is twinned with:

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Lorenz, Ralph D.; Zimbelman, James R. (2014). Dune Worlds: How Windblown Sand Shapes Planetary Landscapes. Heidelberg: Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-3-540-89725-5. page 273.
  2. ^ "The Sahara: Facts, Climate and Animals of the Desert". Live Science. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Pazzanita, Anthony G. (2008). Historical Dictionary of Mauritania. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6265-4.
  4. ^ a b c "Nouakchott". LookLex Encyclopaedia. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  5. ^ a b c "Nouakchott Travel Guide". www.world66.com. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Mauritania: Regions, Cities & Urban Localites - Population Statistics in Maps and Charts". citypopulation.de. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Harbor in Nouakchott Marks China-Mauritania Friendship". news.xinhuanet.com. 28 July 2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  8. ^ "Nouakchott, Mauritania : Image of the Day". earthobservatory.nasa.gov. 9 January 2001. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  9. ^ Welland, Michael (2009). Sand: The Never-ending Story (1. ed.). Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 9780520254374.
  10. ^ de Valicourt, Benedict (2000). Mauritanie. Paris: Editions Marcus. ISBN 9782713101533.
  11. ^ a b Hudgens, Jim; Trillo, Richard (2003). Rough Guide to West Africa (4th ed.). London: Rough Guides. ISBN 1843531186.
  12. ^ a b c Lawrence, William. "Symptom of Crisis or Engine of Development? The Mauritanian Informal Economic Sector" (PDF). The Fletcher Journal of Development Studies. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  13. ^ a b "Klimatafel von Nouakchott / Mauretanien" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  14. ^ "Actualité du dimanche 01juillet 2001". Ami.mr. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  15. ^ Law, Gwillim. "Regions of Mauritania". Statoids. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  16. ^ "Mauritanie: la capitale Nouakchott, sera découpée en trois wilayas". Alakhbar. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  17. ^ "Les trois wali de Nouakchott connus". le calame. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  18. ^ "City versus slum". IRIN. 31 March 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  19. ^ "The City of Nouakchott – Perspectives and Challenges". EcoMENA. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  20. ^ "Implementation Completion Report (ICR) Review - Urban Development Program". World Bank. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  21. ^ "China to Invest US$282 Million in Nouakchott Port Expansion - Dredging News Online". www.sandandgravel.com. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  22. ^ "Mauritania - Port of Nouakchott Development Project" (PDF). The World Bank: Documents and Reports. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  23. ^ "Mauritanie : inauguration du nouvel aéroport international de Nouakchott" [Inauguration of new Nouakchott international airport]. Jeune Afrique (in French). 27 June 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  24. ^ Steck, Benjamin. "West Africa Facing the Lack of Traffic Lanes: A Study Case: The Nouakchott-Nouadhibou Road (Mauritania)". Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  25. ^ a b Pazzanita, Anthony G. (1996). Historical dictionary of Mauritania (2. ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow. ISBN 0-8108-3095-7.
  26. ^ "Desert capital struggles with water crisis". IRIN. 15 April 2004. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  27. ^ "American International School of Nouakchott". Aisnmauritania.com. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  28. ^ "Lycée Français Théodore Monod de Nouakchott, Mauritanie". Lftm-mr.net. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  29. ^ Ham, Anthony (2006). West Africa (6th ed.). Footscray, Vic.: Lonely Planet. ISBN 1740597710.
  30. ^ "Nouakchott, Mauritania – "The Place of the Winds"". What's the Capital of...?. 11 September 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  31. ^ Cheney, David M. "Nouakchott (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  32. ^ "Mauritanie Football - Classement D1". www.mauritaniefootball.com (in French). Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  33. ^ "Twinnings and Agreements With Cities". ¡Madrid!. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  34. ^ "List of Gansu's Sister Cities by 2012". gansu.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  35. ^ "Amman's Relations with Other Cities". Municipality of Greater Annam. Archived from the original on 2 January 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2016.

Further reading[edit]

See also: Bibliography of the history of Nouakchott
  • Armelle Choplin et Riccardo Ciavolella, 2008. " Marges de la ville en marge du politique ? Logiques d’exclusion, de dépendance et d’autonomie à Nouakchott (Mauritanie) », Autrepart, n°45. (in French)
  • Choplin A., 2006. Fabriquer des villes-capitales entre monde arabe et Afrique noire: Nouakchott (Mauritanie) et Khartoum (Soudan), étude comparée. Université Paris 1, 535 p. (in French)
  • Choplin A., 2006. Le foncier urbain en Afrique: entre informel et rationnel, l’exemple de Nouakchott, Mauritanie, Les annales de géographie, n°647, pp. 69–91. (in French)
  • Anne-Marie Frérot, Nouakchott, du puits nomade à la ville des pétroliers. Risques et représentations, Maghreb-Machrek, n°190, c. December 2006 – 2007. (in French)
  • Philippe Tanguy, « L'urbanisation irrégulière à Nouakchott: 1960-2000 », Insaniyat, n°22, October - December 2003, (vol. VII, 4). (in French)
  • Diagana I., 1993. Croissance urbaine et dynamique spatiale à Nouakchott, Thèse doct.: géographie: Lyon II, 314 p. (in French)
  • Pitte J.-R., 1977. Nouakchott, capitale de la Mauritanie. Paris : Univ. de Paris-Sorbonne, p. 200. (in French)
  • Mohamed Salem Ideidbi, Mauritanie : la Richesse d'une nation, Nouakchott, al-Manar, 2011.

External links[edit]

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