Nouakchott << nwahk SHOT >> (pop. 958,399) is the capital and largest city of Mauritania. It lies in western Mauritania, along the Atlantic Ocean.
Government buildings and foreign embassies dominate the center of the city. Nouakchott is overcrowded. Severe droughts during the 1970’s and 1980’s forced large numbers of rural people to move to the city to obtain food and work. Many of them live in shacks and tents. Nouakchott has some modern housing. Its products include hand-woven woolen carpets and other handicrafts, soft drinks, and chemical products.
Nouakchott was founded in 1957, when France ruled Mauritania. It was established to replace Saint-Louis, Senegal, as the seat of Mauritania’s colonial administration. It became the capital when Mauritania gained independence from France in 1960.
