Mauritania

Languages:

Mauritania, a West African nation, has Arabic as its official language, which is spoken by the majority of the population. The Mauritanian Arabic dialect, known as Hassaniya, is the most commonly spoken variant, while Modern Standard Arabic is used in administration, education, and formal communication. The country is also linguistically diverse, with minority languages such as Pulaar, Soninke, and Wolof has spoken by various ethnic communities. French is widely spoken as a second language, particularly in business, education, and diplomacy.

Religion:

Religion in Mauritania is predominantly Muslim, with approximately 99.2% of the population adhering to Islam, the majority of whom follow the Sunni tradition. The constitution declares Mauritania as the Islamic Republic and stipulates that Islamic jurisprudence is the main source of legislation. The state guarantees freedom of religion, but non-Muslim religious practices are limited, and conversion from Islam to other religions is prohibited.

Ethnic Groups:

Black Moors (Haratines - Arab-speaking slaves, former slaves, and their descendants of African origin, enslaved by white Moors) 40%, White Moors (of Arab-Berber descent, known as Beydane) 30%, Sub-Saharan Mauritanians (non-Arabic speaking, largely resident in or originating from the Senegal River Valley, including Halpulaar, Fulani, Soninke, Wolof, and Bambara ethnic groups) 30%