Flag of Mauritania

🎨 What the flag means

Mauritania's flag is green with a gold crescent moon and star in the centre, and a red stripe along the top and bottom. The green, the crescent and the star are symbols of Islam. The red stripes were added in 2017 to honour the people who fought for the country's independence.

📊 Quick facts

👥 Population

4.9 million (2026)

🏙️ Capital

Nouakchott1.4 million people (2023)

🗣️ Main language

Arabic

✨ 3 fun facts

1. Most of Mauritania lies inside the Sahara, a huge desert of sand dunes, rocky plateaus and mountains.
2. The Richat Structure in Mauritania, nicknamed the "Eye of the Sahara", is a giant pattern of rock rings in the desert.
3. The old libraries of the desert town of Chinguetti hold thousands of handwritten books from the Middle Ages.