The Islamic Republic of Mauritania is a thinly populated nation of the Sahara Desert located on the northwestern coast of Africa between Morocco and Sénégal. The country's coastline is 750 km (465 mi) long but has only two ports, Nouakchott and Nouâdhibou. France colonized the country in the first years of the 20th century and maintained control until Mauritania became independent in 1960. The French colony was administered from Saint-Louis in neighboring Sénégal, and it was only at the time of independence that the previously-tiny fishing village of Nouakchott was identified and developed as the capital of the country. The port and railway terminal of Nouâdhibou (formerly called Port-Étienne) was developed to ship iron ore from mines at Zouîrât. Arabic and French are official languages in Mauritania. The Arabic word for a lighthouse is mnarh or manara (منارة). Ra's is the word for a cape or headland. The French word for a lighthouse is phare, although a smaller light or harbor light is called a feu (literally "fire," but here meaning "light") or a balise (beacon). In French île is an island, cap is a cape, and pointe is a promontory or point of land. Aids to navigation in Mauritania are maintained by the port authorities of Nouakchott and Nouâdhibou, respectively. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume D of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.
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![]() Nouakchott Light photo (no longer online) by CCCC First Harbor Consultants Co. |
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![]() Pointe de Cansado Light, Nouâdhibou, April 2009 ex-Panoramio photo copyright leonarti; used by permission |
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Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: North: Southwestern Morocco | South: Sénégal
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Posted August 25, 2005. Checked and revised May 11, 2024. Lighthouses: 8; lightships: 1. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.