We (Cor and Grietje from NoFear Reizen) travel through Africa with our Toyota Hilux 4×4 camper. The African continent is the mecca for 'overlanding' with many challenging routes and beautiful destinations. The first...
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country on the Atlantic coast of Africa. Mauritania forms a geographical and cultural bridge between the North African Maghreb (a region that also includes Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) and the westernmost part of sub-Saharan Africa.
Culturally, it forms a transition zone between the Arab-Amazigh (Berber) people of North Africa and the African peoples of the region south of the Tropic of Cancer known as Sudan. Much of Mauritania includes part of the Sahara Desert, and until the drought that hit most of that zone of Africa in the XNUMXs, much of the population was nomadic. The country's mineral wealth includes large deposits of iron ore, copper and gypsum, all of which are now exploited, as well as some oil wells.
The ancient cities of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Oualata, Tichitt, Ksar el Barka, Aoudaghost and Koumbi Saleh are all remnants of a rich past during the height of trans-Saharan trade from Black Africa. Many of these cities developed into religious and cultural learning centers.
Tourism in Mauritania has yet to gain a foothold due to the negative stigma of it being an unsafe destination. This is due to the past problems with murders and kidnappings decades ago and the fact that most embassies still discourage travelers from traveling to the country. However, adventurous tourists continue to visit this destination and witness its safety firsthand, the world is slowly hearing about Mauritania as a safe and up-and-coming tourist gem.
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