Mauritania is a Western African country that was a former French colony until the 1960s. Before then, it had long adopted the religion of Islam and its attendant holy language, Arabic. Studying abroad in Mauritania is difficult, but affords the student an important opportunity to learn Arabic through immersion in another culture.
History
Arab armies from Morocco and Algeria reached present-day Mauritania in the middle of the 8th century and conquered the Berber and native people of the region. Arabic was established as the official language at that point and remained so until the mid 19th century when French armies colonized Mauritania. Mauritania was a French colony until the 1960 revolt which overthrew the reigning government. Currently, the government of Mauritania conducts official business in both Arabic and French. Though Mauritania considers itself an Arab country, it only has an observer status in the Arab League meetings and is generally not considered an Arab country by the majority of the Middle East or by the State Department. The ethnic composition of Mauritania is mostly western Africans of various tribes, some of which have converted to Islam and others which have not, and African-Berber tribesmen.
Geography
Geographically, Mauritania is bounded by the Western Sahara on the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the east and south, Senegal to the southwest and the Atlantic ocean on the west. The majority of Mauritania's population live in the capital, Nouakchott. Located in the center of Mauritania's Atlantic coast, Nouakchott is also Mauritania's largest city and the center of its learning and culture. The Mauritanian official, state-sponsored university, Universite de Nouakchott is located here.
Features
There are many universities and madrassas (Islamic schools similar to religious schools in Western countries) that offer to teach Arabic to their students. Of these, only one university stands out as the best in Mauritania for foreigners; Universite de Nouakchott. Located in the nation's capital, Universite de Nouakchott is a French-speaking university which offers classes to natives as well as foreigners. A student wishing to study in Mauritania should be familiar with French and only apply to the Universite de Nouakchott if they wish to learn Arabic in Mauritania.
Identification
While studying in Mauritania, the student should reside in the dormitories of Universite de Nouakchott. First, the services such as security, Internet access and telephone lines are much more reliable than in a private residence in Mouakchott. It is also recommended that the prospective student utilize an American bank to hold their funds, scholarships, and grants while studying in Mauritania. The availability of ATMs makes this a convenient method of banking as money exchanges incur only moderate fees when exchanging from dollars to Mauritanian ouguiyas and the banks are much more stable and reliable than Mauritanian banks.
Warning
Don't apply or study at a different university or institution other than Universite de Nouakchott. First, some institutions of higher learning, such as the Institute for Arab and Islamic Sciences, have been investigated by the U.S. Department of State for alleged ties to Islamic radicals and international terrorism. Though the investigation was inconclusive, the institution (and all who attend it) tend to be monitored by the State Department. Also, while traveling in Mauritania, it is recommended that a student remain with a group of fellow students or with a security detail; ethnic rivalries have flared up from time to time with all non-Blacks or non-Muslims coming under some kind of threat. Finally, the government of Mauritania is historically unstable; travel to Mauritania is to be considered highly risky by the U.S. State Department. (see Resources below)
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