Named by the French after a province of the Roman Empire, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania is located in northwestern Africa. Sand dunes cover about half of the land. The climate is hot and dry, but there is a large variation in temperature.
Vegetation increases from north to south, but overall it is sparse and scrubby.
Antelope, lion, elephant, gazelle, ostrich, panther, and lynx are mostly found in the south. Floodplains of the Senegal River and its tributaries support Mauritania's most densely settled farming population. More than four fifths of the people are Moors, or of mixed Arab and Berber descent. The remainder are of mixed Arabic or black African descent. There are also small communities of Europeans.