People & Culture

Who lives in Mauritania, and the story that shaped it.

A short history

Mauritania emerged from the Sahara itself, a nation of Berber and Arab nomads whose empires and kingdoms ruled the desert trade routes. The Mauritanian dynasties controlled gold and salt commerce that enriched kingdoms as far as Mali and Morocco. Islamic scholarship flourished in desert cities like Chinguetti, where ancient libraries housed manuscripts on theology, mathematics, and astronomy. French colonization arrived in the 19th century, imposing borders on nomadic peoples who crossed them freely for centuries. Independence in 1960 came with hopes for nation-building, but Mauritania's true challenge has been integrating sedentary peoples, nomads, and slave-holding hierarchies into a single state. Despite slavery being officially abolished multiple times, its social echoes persist, and the country remains fractured by ethnic tensions and economic struggle.

Culture & Tribes

Arab-Berber (Hassani)

Central and northern Mauritania

Saharan pastoralism, Islamic scholarship, camel herding, poetry. Arab-Berber identity is tied to the desert and Islamic culture.

Visitor etiquette: Respect Islam deeply; dress modestly. Avoid eating or drinking in public during Ramadan. Greet with the right hand. If invited to a gathering, remove shoes when entering a tent.

Toucouleur (Tukulor)

Southeastern Mauritania (Senegal River valley)

Farming along the Senegal River, Islamic practice, weaving. Toucouleur culture bridges West African and Saharan traditions.

Visitor etiquette: Respect Islamic customs. Greet formally using proper titles. Be aware that Toucouleur have complex relationships with Arab groups; avoid discussing historical grievances.

Wolof

Western Mauritania (Senegal border)

Fishing, Islamic practice, Senegal River trading. Wolof culture is present but minority in Mauritania.

Visitor etiquette: Wolof are welcoming and cosmopolitan. Standard respectful behavior applies. Fishing communities appreciate respectful inquiries about their craft.

Soninke

Eastern Mauritania

Farming, Islamic practice, regional trading networks. Soninke have diaspora communities across West Africa.

Visitor etiquette: Respect family hierarchies. Greet elders formally. In villages, ask permission before entering compounds.

Written by people from here

The short history above is a summary assembled from published sources. What follows was written by people with a direct connection to Mauritania, in their own words, and reviewed before publication.

Nobody has written about Mauritania here yet. If your family is from here, or you carry a history that the summaries keep flattening, this is the space for it.

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