Nouakchott
| Nouakchott نواكشوط |
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|---|---|
  Nouakchott
|
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| Coordinates: 18°6′N 15°57′W / 18.1°N 15.95°W | |
| Country | Template:Kintra data Mauritanie |
| Caipital destrict | Nouakchott |
| Govrenment | |
| - Mayor | Ahmed Hamza (2007-) |
| Aurie | |
| - Tot | 1,000 km2 (400 sq mi) |
| Indwallers (1999) | |
| - Tot | 881,000 |
| - Densitie | 881/km2 (Expression error: Unrecognised word "roond"./sq mi) |
Nouakchott (Arabic: نواكشوط or انواكشوط (believed translation frae Berber "The place o the winds", Nawākšūṭ)) is the caipital an bi far the lairgest ceety o Mauritanie. It is ane o the lairgest ceeties in the Sahara. The ceety is the administrative an economic centre o Mauritanie.
Table o contents |
[edit] History
A tiny fishin toun till 1958, Nouakchott wis mentioned little durin pre-colonial an colonial history. It is possible that the Berber Muslim Almoravids wur oreeginally frae the aurie. Despite its name, based on a Berber expression meanin "place o the winds",[1] the ceety wis selectit as the caipital ceety for its moderate climate an central location athin the kintra.[2] It did, however, sit on one of the most valuable trade routes to West Africa.[1]
Mauritania wis pairt o the lairger French colony o French Wast Africae, an as such haed nae caipital durin the colonial period: Saint-Louis, in Senegal, held that position. In 1957, this small port toun wis chosen tae be the caipital o the new kintra, an an ambitious biggin program wis begun tae increase its population tae 15,000, stairtin a year later.[3] In 1958, Mauritania wis formed as an autonomous republic in the French Community, an in 1960 it became an independent kintra, wi Nouakchott as its caipital.
[edit] Since independence
The ceety wis attacked in 1976 bi the Polisario Front, as pairt o the Wastren Sahara unthirldom movement.[4] Atween 1988 an 1989, racial tensions atween Arabs an blacks escalatit. There wis discrimination an retaliation bi Arabs an blacks.[5] The wur an aa three days o "bread riots" stairtin Januar 21, 1995.[5]
The ceety haes haed rapid growth, driven bi the north African drought since the beginnin o the 1970s: mony hae moved tae the ceety in search o a better life.[1] The population is estimatit tae hae been juist unner 1,000,000 in 2000, an tae hae grown tae abuin 2,000,000 as o 2008.[6]
There is currently a lairge amount o Cheenese investment in Mauritanie, focused on the ceety.[1]
[edit] Internaitional relations
[edit] Twin touns - Sister ceeties
Nouakchott is twinned wi:
[edit] References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Mauritania. OTAL. Retrieved on 8 Julie 2009. .
- ↑ Cities of the World, Vol. 1, p331; Brian Rajewski, ed., for Eastword Publications Development Inc., Cleveland, Ohio; Gale Research, Detroit, 1999. ISBN 0-8103-7692-X.
- ↑ Nouakchott. Questia. Accessed 25 August 2009.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namednouak - ↑ 5.0 5.1 Mauritania:History. LookLex. Accessed 25 August 2009.
- ↑ Nouakchott Travel Guide. World66. Accessed 25 August 2009.
- ↑ Madrid city council webpage Mapa Mundi de las ciudades hermanadas. Ayuntamiento de Madrid.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedgansu - ↑ Amman’s Relations with Other Cities. Municipality of Greater Annam. Accessed 25 August 2009.
