Mauritania  
   

12 May 1903 - 1 Apr 1959   1 Apr 1959 - 28 Nov 2017   Adopted 28 Nov 2017 Map of the Mauritania Hear National Anthem "Nashid Watani Muritani" (National Anthem of Mauritania) Adopted 28 Nov 2017 Former National Anthem "Nashid Watani Muritani" (National Anthem of Mauritania) 1960 - 28 Nov 2017 Constitution (12 Jul 1991/15 Aug 2017) Capital: Nouakchott (Saint Louis, Senegal 1903-1960) Currency: Ouguiya (MRU);  1958-1973 Communauté Financière Africaine Franc (XOF) National Holiday: 28 Nov (1960) Independence Day Population: 3,840,429 (2018) GDP: $17.28 billion (2017) Exports: $1.72 billion (2017) Imports: $2.10 billion (2017) Ethnic groups: Moor 70% (about 40% black Moor [Haratin or African Sudanic] and about 30% white Moor  [Bidan, or Arab Berber]), other black African (mostly Wolof, Tukulor, Soninke and Fulani) 30% (2003) Total Active Armed Forces: 15,870 (2010) Merchant marine: 7 ships (2018)  Religions: Sunni Muslim (official) 99.1%, traditional beliefs 0.5%, Christian 0.3%, other 0.1% (2000) International Organizations/Treaties: ABEDA, ACP, AfCFTA, AfDB, AFESD, AIIB (applicant), AL, AMF, AMU, AOAD, APM, Arabsat, AU, BTWC, CCM, CAEU (candidate), CEN-SAD, CCM (signatory), CTBT, CWC, ESCR, ECOWAS (associate), EITI, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, ICSID, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, IRENA, ISA, ISA, ISESCO, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, NATO (mediterranean dialogue), NPT, NTBT, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PAM, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNFCC-KP, UNFCC-PA, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Mauritania Index Chronology 12 May 1903                French protectorate of Mauritania (Protectorat de                              Mauritanie). 18 Oct 1904                French civil territory of Mauritania (Territoire                              civil de la Mauritanie)(part of French West                              Africa; see Senegal). 12 Jan 1920                French colony (Colonie de la Mauritanie). 16 Jun 1940 - 23 Nov 1942  Administration loyal to Vichy France (from 23 Nov                               1942 [under Darlan to 24 Dec 1942], Free French). 27 Oct 1946                Mauritania overseas territory of France. 28 Nov 1958                Autonomy (Islamic Republic of Mauritania [al-                              Jumhuriyya al-Islamiyya al-Muritaniyya/République                              Islamique de Mauritanie]). 28 Nov 1958 - 28 Nov 1960  Member of the Communauté (French Community). 28 Nov 1960                Independence from France. 20 Dec 1975 - 11 Aug 1979  Annexes southwestern Western Sahara (as wilaya                              of Tiris al-Gharbiyya).  4 Mar 1968                Arabic and French are designated official languages                              in accordance with a constitutional law. Dec 1980                   Arabic is designated official language (Poular,                              Soninke, and Wolof also designated national                              languages since 1991). Traditional states Arguin (1445-1728) Historical maps of Mauritania

Commandant and Delegate
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. 1917)
27 May 1905 - Nov 1907     Bernard Laurent Montané-Capdebosq  (b. 1862 - d. 1921)
Nov 1907 - 1909            Henri Joseph Eugène Gouraud        (b. 1867 - d. 1946)
1909                       Henri Édouard Claudel (acting)     (b. 1871 - d. 1956)
1909 - Dec 1909            Marie Jacques Charles Aubert       (b. 1849 - d. 1915)
                             (acting)
 1 Jan 1910 -  1 Mar 1912  Henri Hippolyte Patey              (b. 1867 - d. 1957)
 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. 1916)
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           (b. 1878 - d. 19..)
13 Jan 1928 - 21 Nov 1929  Alphonse Paul Albert Choteau       (b. 1883 - 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 Jean François Antonin        (b. 1878 - d. 19..)
                             (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      (b. 1885 - d. 1953) 
                             (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      (s.a.)
                             (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)      (b. 1887 - d. 1974) 
                             (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)      (s.a.) 
                             (acting to 28 Aug 1941)
Apr 1942 - May 1944        Jean Victor Louis Joseph 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  Marie Joseph René Babin (acting)   (b. 1896 - d. 1970)
30 Apr 1946 - 19 Jul 1947  Georges Poirier (acting)           (b. 1894 - d. 19..)
19 Jul 1947 - 31 Dec 1947  Lucien Eugène Geay (acting)        (b. 1900 - d. 1976)
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)      (b. 1900 - d. 1956)
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                  (b. 1901 - d. 1958)
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
                             (prime Minister acting to 25 Sep 1961)
President of the Military Committee of National Restoration
10 Jul 1978 -  6 Apr 1979  Mustafa Ould Salek                 (b. 1936 - d. 2012)  Mil
Presidents of the Military Committee for National Salvation, Heads of State
 6 Apr 1979 -  3 Jun 1979  Mustafa Ould Salek                 (s.a.)               Mil
 3 Jun 1979 -  4 Jan 1980  Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Louly         (b. 1943 - d. 2019)  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
President of the Military Council for Justice and Democracy
 3 Aug 2005 - 19 Apr 2007  Ely Ould Mohamed Vall              (b. 1953 - d. 2017)  Mil
President  
19 Apr 2007 -  6 Aug 2008  Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi (b. 1938 - d. 2020)  Non-party
President of the High Council of State, Head of State
 6 Aug 2008 - 15 Apr 2009  Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz           (b. 1956)            Mil
Presidents
15 Apr 2009 -  5 Aug 2009  Ba Mamadou dit M'Baré (interim)    (b. 1946 - d. 2013)  Non-party
 5 Aug 2009 -  1 Aug 2019  Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz            (s.a.)               UPR
14 Oct 2012 - 24 Nov 2012  Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf       (b. 1957)            Non-party
                             (acting for Abdel Aziz)
 1 Aug 2019 -              Mohamed Ould Cheikh Mohamed Ahmed  (b. 1956)            UPR:2022 PE
                             Ould Ghazouani

Vice President of the Government Council
21 May 1957 - 31 Jul 1958  Moktar Ould Daddah                 (s.a.)              UPM;1958 PRM
President of the Council of Government
31 Jul 1958 - 23 Jun 1959  Moktar Ould Daddah                 (s.a.)               PRM
Prime ministers
23 Jun 1959 - 25 Sep 1961  Moktar Ould Daddah                 (s.a.)              PRM;1960 PPM
25 Sep 1961 -  6 Apr 1979  Post abolished
 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)     (b. 1939 - d. 1981)  Mil
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 - d. 2017)  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           (b. 1958)            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 -  6 Aug 2008  Yahya Ould Ahmed El Waghef         (b. 1960)            PNDD
 6 Aug 2008 - 14 Aug 2008  Vacant
14 Aug 2008 - 20 Aug 2014  Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf       (s.a.)               Non-party
20 Aug 2014 - 29 Oct 2018  Yahya Ould Hademine                (b. 1953)            Non-party
29 Oct 2018 -  5 Aug 2019  Mohamed Salem Ould Béchir          (b. 1962)            UPR
 5 Aug 2019 -  6 Aug 2020  Ismaïl Ould Bedda Ould Cheikh      (b. 1961)            UPR
                             Sidiya 
 6 Aug 2020 -  5 Aug 2024  Mohamed Ould Bilal                 (b. 1963)           UPR;2022 PE
 5 Aug 2024 -              Moktar Ould Diay                   (b. 1973)            PE

Territorial Dispute: Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant. 

Party abbreviations: PE = Parti de l'Équité/Hizb al-Insaf (Equity Party, populist, liberal conservative, center-right, former UPR, est.3 Jul 2022); Mil = Military;
- Former parties: PNDD = Pacte National pour la Démocratie et le Développement (National Pact for Democracy and Development, ADIL, pro-presidential, 2007-27 Dec 2019, merged into UPR); PPM = Parti du Peuple Mauritanien (Mauritanian People's Party, authoritarian, centralist, islamic socialist, Oct 1961-Jul 1978 only legal party, former PRM, 1960-1978); PRDS = Parti Républicain Démocratique et Social (Democratic and Social Republican Party, authoritarian, social democratic, 1991-2005 government party, 1991-2005, renamed PRDR - Parti Républicain pour la Démocratie et le Renouveau [Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal]); PRM = Parti de Regroupement Mauritanien (Mauritanian Gathering Party, nationalist, 1958-1961, merged into PPM); UPM = Union Progressiste Mauritanienne (Mauritanian Progressive Union, traditionalist, 1948-1958, merged into PRM); UPR = Union pour la République (Union for the Republic, centrist, populist, 5 May 2009-3 Jul 2022, renamed PE)

Captains (alcaide-mor)
1445 - 14..                João Fernandes
c.1455 - 146.              Soeiro Mendes de Évora
1481/82                    João Afonso
11 Jul 1492 - 10 Aug 1495  Afonso de Moura
1495/99 - 1501             Fernão Soares
1505 - 1508                Gonçalo da Fonseca
1508 - 1511                Francisco de Almada
1511 - 1514                Fernão Pinto
1514 – Nov 1514            Pero Vaz de Almeida
Nov 1514 - 1517            Estêvão da Gama
1517 - 1521                António Portocarreiro
1521 – 1522                Gonçalo da Fonseca
1522 – 1525                Rui Cotrim
1525 – 1528                Lourenço de Paiva
1528 - 1532                Brás Gomes de Carvalhosa
Jan 1532 - 15..            Brás Correia Pantoja
1541                       Francisco de Hevão ?
1543                       João Gomes o Souro (Osouro)
1545 - 1547                Cristovão Falcão de Sousa          (b. 1515/18 - 1553/37)
1547 - 1549                Gil Sardinha 
1549/1550                  Cristovão de Rosales
1551                       Pedro Valdez Rosales  
1569                       Lionis da Gama 
1575                       João Leite Pereira
1576                       Bráz Guedes de Carvalho ?  
c.1577                     Antonio de Carvalho
15.. - 15..                Antonio Pinto
c.1591                     Belchior de Landim
1592 - 1628                João Gonçalves de Ataide,          (b. 1560 - d. 1628)
                             conde de Atouguia
                            (captain-donatary)
16.. - 16..                Rodrigo Freire 
.... - ....                Aires Tavares and
.... - ....                Fernando de Sande
1623 - 1624                Amador Louzado
1624 - 16..                Francisco Cordovil
162. - 1633                  Abrão de Tovar
1628 - 1633                Luis de Ataide, conde de           (d. 1639)
                             Atouguia (captain-donatary)
Governors
Feb 1633 - 1634            Abraham van (de) Pere
1634 - 16..                Daniel van (de) Pere
c.1634                     Fouck (or Joas Koeck)
16.. - 29 Aug 1678         ....
29 Aug 1678 - Sep 1678     .... -French commander  
Sep 1678 -  5 Oct 1685     abandoned
 7 Oct 1685 - 1691         Cornelis Reers
1691 - 1694                Lambrecht de Hond
1694 - 1712                Jan Reers (1st time)
1700 - 1702                Christian Düring
                             (acting for Reers)
 6 Jul 1712 - 1717         Jan de Both Nicolaes (1st time)  
1717 -  7 Mar 1721         Jan Wynen Bastiaens
 7 Mar 1721 - 16 Oct 1721  Julien du Bellay Duval             (d. 1721)
1721                       Claude Bonneaventure le Riche
1721 - 11 Jan 1722         Jan de Both Nicolaes (2nd time)
                             (acting)
Jan 1722 - 20 Feb 1724     Jan Reers (2nd time)
Feb 1723 -  4 Jun 1723     Marion -French governor
                             (in opposition)
20 Feb 1724 -  7 Jan 1727  Louis Barthélemy de la Motte       (d. 1727)
1727 -  5 May 1728         Claude Garcin