Mauritania was originally inhabited by the Bafour tribe. During a period from 200-600 AD Berber tribes entered the land and became the dominant peoples. The southern portion of Mauritania still had the Ghana Empire until the 11th century when Islamic warrior monks defeated the Ghana empire. For the next 500 years the Arabs conquered the Berbers and took full control of the land.
At the beginning of the 30th century the French colonized the area. This brought the end of slaver and wars between clans. In 1960 Mauritania became an independent country. The capital city Nouakchott was founded at the time. At this time 90 percent of the population was still nomadic tribes. The first president was Moktar Ould Daddah.
The Geography of Mauritania
Total Size: 1,030,700 square km
Size Comparison: slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico
