Located in northwest Africa, more than three quarters of Mauritania are desert or semi-desert. Only 0.5% of the country’s land is considered useful for agriculture which equals 502,000 ha. Nonetheless, the rural sector is an important pillar of the Mauritanian economy contributing 17% to the GDP and employing 21% of the working population. 62% of the population depend on agriculture, livestock, and fishing for their livelihoods. The country gained independence from France in 1960. Its colonial past is reflected in its legislation that draws on the French Code.
Dr.AnneHennings
Anne Hennings is a post-doc research fellow at the University of Koblenz-Landau in Germany, and Land Portal's Country Research & Engagement Consultant for West Africa & Southeast Asia. Her work focuses on contested land deals in post-war societies, and the respective repercussions on conflict transformation and reconciliation. She has conducted extensive ethnographic fieldwork in Sierra Leone and Cambodia, with special emphasis on (non-)violent mobilisation, agrarian transformation, and gender dynamics. She is founder and co-speaker of the working group “Nature, Resources, Conflicts”.