mauritania

mauritania — noun

1. A nation in Northwest Africa that lies along the Atlantic Ocean, with much of it

1.nounB1
Definition

A nation in Northwest Africa that lies along the Atlantic Ocean, with much of its area covered by the Sahara Desert.

Example

Aarav spent two weeks traveling through Mauritania, visiting the ancient desert trading towns.

preposition: through Mauritania

Archaeologists in Mauritania discovered ancient stone tools along the edge of the Sahara.

common pattern: in Mauritania (location)

Common collocations
  • in Mauritania
  • to Mauritania
  • the capital of Mauritania
  • the people of Mauritania

Usage Note

A person from Mauritania is called a Mauritanian. The capital city is Nouakchott.

Word family

  • Mauritanian
    adjectiveB1
  • Mauritanian
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • the Islamic Republic of Mauritania

Prepositions

Etymology

BerberGreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The name comes from the ancient Berber kingdom of Mauretania, which the Greeks and Romans used to refer to the land of the Mauri people in Northwest Africa. The modern country took the name when it gained independence from France in 1960.