Mauritania  
   

12 May 1903 - 1 Apr 1959                    Adopted 1 Apr 1959   Map of the Mauritania Hear National Anthem Text of National Anthem  Adopted 1960 Constitution (12 Jul 1991) Capital: Nouakchott (Saint Louis, Senegal to 1960) Currency: Ouguiya (MRO) National Holiday: 28 Nov (1960) Independence Day Population: 3,270,065 (2007) GDP: $8.39 billion (2006) Exports: $784 million (2004) Imports: $1.12 billion (2004) Ethnic groups: Moor 70% (about 40% black Moor [Haratin or African Sudanic] and about 30% white Moor  [Bidan, or Arab Berber]), other black African 30% (mostly Wolof, Tukulor, Soninke and Fulani) (1993) Total Armed Forces: 15,750 (2003) Merchant marine: None (2005)  Religions: Sunni Muslim 99.1%, traditional beliefs 0.5%, Christian 0.3%, other 0.1% (2000) International Organizations/Treaties: ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, APM, AU, CAEU, CTBT, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISESCO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, KP, MIGA, NAM, NPT, NTBT, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Mauritania Index Chronology 12 May 1903                French protectorate of Mauritania. 18 Oct 1904                French civil territory of Mauritania                             (part of French West Africa; see Senegal). 12 Jan 1920                French colony 16 Jun 1940 - Nov 1942     Administration loyal to Vichy France (from                               Nov 1942, Free French). 27 Oct 1946                Mauritania overseas territory of France. 28 Nov 1958                Autonomy (Islamic Republic of Mauritania). 28 Nov 1960                Independence from France. 26 Feb 1976 - 11 Aug 1979  Annexes southwestern Western Sahara. Traditional states Historical maps of Mauritania

Commandant
12 May 1903 - Nov 1904     Xavier Coppolani                   (b. 1866 - d. 1905)
Commissioners
Nov 1904 - 12 May 1905     Xavier Coppolani                   (s.a.)
12 May 1905 - 27 May 1905  Louis Frèrejean (acting)           (b. 1862 - d. 19..)
27 May 1905 - Nov 1907     Bernard Laurent Montané-Capdebosq  (b. 1862 - d. 19..)
Nov 1907 - 1909            Henri Joseph Eugène Gouraud        (b. 1867 - d. 1946)
1909                       Claudel (acting)
1909                       Aubert (acting)
 1 Jan 1910 -  1 Mar 1912  Henri Hippolyte Patey
 1 Mar 1912 - 25 May 1914  Charles Paul Isidore Mouret        (b. 1871 - d. 1914)
May 1914 - 20 Nov 1916     Louis Jules Albert Obissier        (b. 1868 - d. 19..)
20 Nov 1916 - 11 Dec 1920  Nicolas Jules Henri Gaden          (b. 1867 - d. 1939)
Lieutenant governors
11 Dec 1920 -  9 Nov 1926  Nicolas Jules Henri Gaden          (s.a.)
 9 Nov 1926 - 13 Jan 1928  Albéric Auguste Fournier
13 Jan 1928 - 21 Nov 1929  Alphonse Paul Albert Choteau       (d. 1936)
21 Nov 1929 - 19 Jun 1931  René Héctor Émile Chazal
19 Jun 1931 - 22 Jun 1933  Gabriel Omer Descemet (1st time)   (b. 1879 - d. 1961)
                             (acting)
22 Jun 1933 -  7 Apr 1934  Louis François Antonin (acting)
 7 Apr 1934 -  5 Jul 1934  Gabriel Omer Descemet (2nd time)   (s.a.)
 5 Jul 1934 - Aug 1934     Adolphe Deitte                     (b. 1879 - d. 1949)
Aug 1934 -  1 Nov 1934     Jean-Baptiste Victor Chazelas 
                             (1st time) (acting)
 1 Nov 1934 - 15 Apr 1935  Richard Edmond Maurice Édouard     (b. 1883 - d. 1958)
                             Brunot
15 Apr 1935 - 10 Nov 1935  Jean-Baptiste Victor Chazelas
                             (2nd time) (acting)
10 Nov 1935 -  1 Sep 1936  Jules Marcel de Coppet             (b. 1881 - d. 1968)
 1 Sep 1936 - 24 Oct 1936  Jean Louis Beyries 
                             (1st time) (acting)
24 Oct 1936 -  7 Aug 1938  Oswald Durand                      (b. 1888 - d. 1982)
 7 Aug 1938 - Nov 1938     Charles André Dumas (acting)
Nov 1938 -  4 May 1944     Jean Louis Beyries (2nd time) 
                             (acting to 28 Aug 1941)
Apr 1942 - May 1944        Jean Chalvet                       (b. 1893 - d. 1975)
                             (acting for Beyries)
 4 May 1944 - 31 Jul 1945  Christian Robert Roger Laigret     (b. 1903 - d. 1977)
31 Jul 1945 - 30 Apr 1946  René Babin (acting)
30 Apr 1946 - 19 Jul 1947  Georges Poirier (acting)
19 Jul 1947 - 31 Dec 1947  Lucien Eugène Geay (acting)        (b. 1900)
31 Dec 1947 -  7 Aug 1949  Henry Jean Marie de Mauduit        (b. 1897 - d. 1975)
 7 Aug 1949 - 27 Sep 1950  Édouard Louis Terrac (acting)
27 Sep 1950 - 25 Apr 1952  Jacques Camille Marie Rogué        (b. 1898 - d. 1980)
25 Apr 1952 -  6 Apr 1954  Pierre Messmer                     (b. 1916 - d. 2007) 
                             (acting to 23 Feb 1953)
 6 Apr 1954 - 23 Jun 1955  Albert Jean Mouragues (1st time)   (b. 1908 - d. 1978)
23 Jun 1955 - 14 May 1956  Jean Paul Parisot
14 May 1956 -  5 Oct 1958  Albert Jean Mouragues (2nd time)   (s.a.)
High commissioners
 5 Oct 1958 - Feb 1959     Henri Joseph Marie Bernard         (b. 1920 - d. 2000)
Feb 1959 - 28 Nov 1960     Amédée Joseph Émile Jean Pierre    (b. 1913 - d. 1996)
                             Anthonioz 
President
28 Nov 1960 - 10 Jul 1978  Moktar Ould Daddah                 (b. 1924 - d. 2003) PRM;1961 PPM
                             (acting Head of state to 20 Aug 1961)
Chairmen of the Military Committee for National Recovery (from 6 Apr 1979, Military
Committee for National Salvation) (from 20 Mar 1979 also styled Heads of State)
10 Jul 1978 -  3 Jun 1979  Mustafa Ould Salek                 (b. 1936)            Mil
 3 Jun 1979 -  4 Jan 1980  Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Louly         (b. 1943)            Mil
 4 Jan 1980 - 12 Dec 1984  Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla       (b. 1940)            Mil
12 Dec 1984 - 18 Apr 1992  Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya        (b. 1941)            Mil
President
18 Apr 1992 -  3 Aug 2005  Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya        (s.a.)               PRDS
Chairman of the Military Council for Justice and Democracy
 3 Aug 2005 - 19 Apr 2007  Ely Ould Mohamed Vall              (b. 1953)            Mil
President  
19 Apr 2007 -              Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi (b. 1938)            Non-party

Vice President of the Government Council
21 May 1957 - 16 Jul 1958  Moktar Ould Daddah                 (s.a.)               UPM
President of the Council of Government
16 Jul 1958 - 28 Nov 1958  Moktar Ould Daddah                 (s.a.)               UPM
Prime ministers
28 Nov 1958 - 20 Aug 1961  Moktar Ould Daddah                 (s.a.)              PRM;1961 PPM
                             (president of the provisional government to 26 Jun 1959)
 6 Apr 1979 - 27 May 1979  Ahmed Ould Bouceif                 (b. 1934 - d. 1979)  Mil
28 May 1979 - 31 May 1979  Ahmed Salim Ould Sidi (acting)     (d. 1981)
31 May 1979 - 12 Dec 1980  Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla       (s.a.)               Mil
                             (1st time)
12 Dec 1980 - 25 Apr 1981  Sid Ahmed Ould Bneijara            (b. 1947)            Non-party 
25 Apr 1981 -  8 Mar 1984  Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya        (s.a.)               Mil
                             (1st time)
 8 Mar 1984 - 12 Dec 1984  Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla       (s.a.)               Mil
                             (2nd time)
12 Dec 1984 - 18 Apr 1992  Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya        (s.a.)               Mil
                             (2nd time)
18 Apr 1992 -  2 Jan 1996  Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar         (b. 1957)            PRDS
                             (1st time)
 2 Jan 1996 - 18 Dec 1997  Cheikh El Avia Ould Mohamed Khouna (b. 1956)            PRDS
                             (1st time)
18 Dec 1997 - 16 Nov 1998  Mohamed Lemine Ould Guig                                PRDS
16 Nov 1998 -  6 Jul 2003  Cheikh El Avia Ould Mohamed Khouna (s.a.)               PRDS 
                             (2nd time)
 6 Jul 2003 -  7 Aug 2005  Sghair Ould M'Bareck               (b. 1954)            PRDS
 7 Aug 2005 - 20 Apr 2006  Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar         (s.a.)               PRDS
                             (2nd time)
20 Apr 2007 -  6 May 2008  Zeine Ould Zeidane                 (b. 1966)            Non-party
 6 May 2008 -              Yahya Ould Ahmed El Waghf          (b. 1960)            PNDD

Territorial Dispute: Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara have been dormant in recent years. 

Party abbreviations: PPM = Partie des Personnes de Mauritanian (Mauritanian People's Party, authoritarian, 1964-78 only legal party, to 1961 PRM); PNDD = Pacte National pour la Démocratie et le Développement (National Pact for Democracy and Development, ADIL); PRDS = Parti Républicain Démocratique et Social (Social and Democratic Republican Party, authoritarian, est.1992, government party 1992-2005); Mil = Military;
- Former parties: PRM = Parti Rassemblement Mauritian (Mauritanian Gathering Party, 1958-61 PPM); UPM = Union Progressive Mauritanian Mauritian (Mauritanian Progressive Union, from 1958 PRM)

Captains
1445 - 1461                ....
1461 - 14.                 Soeiro Mendes
1492 - 1495                Afonso de Moura
1499 - 1501                Fernão Soares
1505 - 1508                Gonçalo de Fonseca
1508 - 1511                Francisco de Almada
1514                       Pero Vaz de Almeida
1515                       Estevão da Gama
1518                       Antonio Porto Carreiro
15.. - 1522                Gonçalo da Fonseca
1543                       João Gomes o Souro
154.                       Gil Sardinha 
1549                       Cristovão de Rosales                                            1569                       Lionis da Gama 
1575                       João Leite Pereira
15.. - 15..                Rodrigo Freire 
1592 - 1632                João Gonçalves de Ataide,
                             conde de Atouguia
                            (capitão-donatorio)
1623 - 1624                Amador Louzado
1624 - 16..                Francisco Cordovil
1632 - 1633                Luis de Ataide, conde de
                             Atouguia (capitão-donatorio)
Governors
 5 Feb 1633 - Sep 1678     ....
Sep 1678 -  5 Oct 1685     abandoned
 7 Oct 1685 - 1691         Cornelis Reers
1691 - 1694                Lambrecht de Hond
1694 - 1712                Jan Reers
1712 - 1717                Jan de Both (1st time)  
1717 -  7 Mar 1721         Jan Wynen Bastiaens
 7 Mar 1721 - Aug 1721     Julien du Bellay Duval             (d. 1721)
Aug 1721 - 1721            Claude Bonneaventure le Riche
1721 - 11 Jan 1722         Jan de Both (2nd time)(acting)
Jan 1722 - 20 Feb 1724     Jan Reers
Feb 1723 -  4 Jun 1723     Marion -French governor
                              (in opposition)
20 Feb 1724 - Oct 1726     Louis Barthélemy de la Motte       (d. 1727)