What is the capital of Mauritania?
Nouakchott lies in south-western Mauritania and is one of the largest cities in the Sahara.
Nouakchott is the capital and seat of government of Mauritania, a role it has held since 1958. Mauritania itself has an estimated population of 5,315,065 (2025).
Nouakchott is also the largest city in Mauritania, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Nouakchott at a glance
| City population | 1,446,761 (2023 census) |
|---|---|
| Country | 🇲🇷 Mauritania |
| Capital since | 1958 |
| Largest city in Mauritania | Nouakchott |
| Time zone | UTC+00:00 (GMT) |
| Currency | Mauritanian ouguiya (MRU) |
About Nouakchott
Nouakchott has been the capital of Mauritania since 1958, when the mid-sized coastal village was selected as the capital for the nascent nation and construction of the new city began.
Nouakchott was originally designed for 15,000 people, but grew explosively from the 1970s as drought and desertification drove Mauritanians from their villages; by the mid-1980s it already held 400,000 to 500,000.
The city is home to a deepwater port and to Nouakchott-Oumtounsy International Airport, one of the country's two international airports.
It hosts the University of Nouakchott and serves as the hub of the Mauritanian economy.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Nouakchott.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Mauritania?
Is Nouakchott the largest city in Mauritania?
What is the population of Nouakchott?
Where is Nouakchott located?
When did Nouakchott become the capital of Mauritania?
What time zone is Nouakchott in?
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Mauritania on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.