Mauritania. What Do We Know?

     By now you know that I start with the basics, in hopes of developing a deeper understanding of the world beyond my condominium in Minnesota. 
     Mauritania.  What do we know?
     I looked to two sources--the U.S. Department of State, and to the African Union.   I did not find satisfactory information from other sources that provided the building blocks to understand more about Mauritania.  The sources may exist.  I did not find them.  I started with two sources I trust.
     The U.S. Department of State.  Mauritania is located on the Atlantic Ocean in Africa.  Mauritanians speak Arabic, and French.  Mauritania is populated by 3.2 million people.  Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, has a population of 661,400 individuals.
     In 1999, the African Union was founded.  Mauritania is among the member nations committed to advancing the African nations from their days as colonies of other countries.
     Mauritania is one of  the 151 nations that comprise the United Nations.  It joined the U.N. on October 27, 1961--one year after Mauritania gained its independence from France.
     My understanding of Mauritania--what I can learn now--is limited by a humbling fact.  I do not speak Arabic, or Wolof--the two official languages in Mauritania.  Nor do I speak French, Pulaar, Soninke, or the Arabic dialect of Hassaniya, all of which are spoken in Mauritania.  I have not heard coverage regarding Mauritania, so I make no judgment in this case regarding such coverage.  However, when I have listened to news coverage of recent uprisings, I give lesser credibility to the coverage given by reporters who convey that they do not speak the language native to the country they are covering.  In recent days, translations from Japanese to English have resulted in dangerous miscommunication of facts--the level of radiation in the air.
    Although the stakes may not seem as high in other cases, it is important that journalists educate themselves in the foreign languages relevant to their work.  Understanding cultural nuances, and subtleties are essential to developing and nurturing world partnerships.
     Today I have learned that 100% of Mauritanians are Muslims.  I do not claim any personal barometer as to what that fact says regarding Mauritania.  I was raised as a Universalist, a tradition which is based on the principle that there is good--there is beauty--to be found in all world religions.  I am a practicing Catholic.  When I learn that a country is Catholic, I have a sense of what that might mean.  I have no personal experience with Muslims to have any frame of reference to assess the fact that Mauritania is 100% Islamic.  Rightly or wrongly, I don't impose the expectation on journalists regarding an understanding of the religious faith of a country, in the same way that I have regarding the knowledge of native languages.
     So, I don't know where that leaves me--my overall assessment of Mauritania.  Is there any unrest brewing regarding the government?  Geography tells me that I would find an arid climate, yet, if I were to visit Mauritania, what cultural climate would greet me?  I sense nothing amiss from my cursory view of Mauritania, I am a curious citizen of this world.