Visit the Country!

Geography and Climate

Mauritania is hot. Hot and dry, generally speaking, although some regions of the country (near the Senegal River and the ocean) are somewhat more humid. The northern five-sixths of the country are desert -- for the most part uninhabited. The majority of Mauritania's interior population lives in the narrow strip of sahel and savannah that sits between the Senegal River and the Sahara Desert. This area of the country generally gets more rain and is a bit cooler, if more humid. In any case, your body will adjust to the local climate within a few months of your arrival.

Geographically, Mauritania can be divided into three areas (as mentioned previously). A narrow strip of savannah near the Senegal River that is used for the majority of Mauritania's agricultural initiatives quickly gives way to more sparsely vegetated sahel. Farther north is the Sahara Desert, which stretches to Mauritania's northern and eastern borders.

Mauritania has three main seasons, the hot season from April to July, the rainy season from August to November, and the cold season from December to March. Please keep in mind that hot, cold, and rainy are relative terms and that seasons probably won't vary as much as the ones you are used to in the U.S.

A Desert Sand Storm

Social Activities

Social activities will vary depending on where you are located and may include taking part in local ceremonies like weddings or baptisms, story telling, and/or local parties and dances.

Some Volunteers visit nearby Volunteers during the weekends or make an occasional trip to the capital, although we encourage Volunteers to remain at their sites in order to accomplish the second Peace Corps goal of cultural exchange. Nouakchott does offer a host of different leisure activities, including a beach, several bars and clubs, movies for rent, and occasional special movie showings. See Entertainment section.

-- Disclaimer: The content of this web site is a project of the volunteers in Mauritania and does not reflect any official position of Peace Corps or the U.S. government. --