mauritania

IPA/ˌmɒrɪˈteɪniə/
KK[mˌɔrɪtˈeniə]IPA/ˌmɔːrɪˈteɪniə/

mauritania — noun

1. the name used for the nation on the Atlantic side of northwest Africa when you m

1.nounB1
Definition

the name used for the nation on the Atlantic side of northwest Africa when you mean its people, government, or everyday life there

Example

Kabir accepted a teaching job in Mauritania for one year.

move to [country] for work

The government of Mauritania announced new fishing rules this week.

government of [country] in news

Common collocations
  • the government of Mauritania
  • the people of Mauritania
  • in Mauritania
  • from Mauritania
  • travel to Mauritania
  • Mauritania's fishing industry
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

used as the name of a country

in Mauritania

from Mauritania

Usage Note

Use Mauritania without the article the, and treat it as singular: Mauritania is, not Mauritania are. This sense is common when the subject is the country's government, people, trade, or daily life.

Common Mistakes

I hope to visit the Mauritania next spring.
I hope to visit Mauritania next spring.
Country names like Mauritania do not usually take the article the.
Mauritania are changing their fishing laws.
Mauritania is changing its fishing laws.
The country name is treated as singular in English.

mauritania — geographical name

Word family

  • Mauritanian
    adjectiveB2
  • Mauritanian
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Mauritania is the normal everyday name in news, travel writing, and conversation. The Republic of Mauritania is more formal and sounds at home in diplomacy, law, or official documents. The Mauritanian state is narrower still: it points to the government system and public institutions, not to the land itself or to ordinary life in the country. A travel article might say Mauritania has a long Atlantic coast, a treaty might name the Republic of Mauritania, and a politics report might discuss how the Mauritanian state controls fishing rules or border policy.

Mauritania ↗the Republic of Mauritaniathe Mauritanian state

Common collocations

Nouns

  • government of Mauritania
  • people of Mauritania
  • capital of Mauritania
  • map of Mauritania
  • Atlantic coast of Mauritania

Phrases

  • travel to Mauritania
  • northwest Mauritania
  • Mauritania's fishing industry
  • Mauritania's capital city

Prepositions

  • in Mauritania
  • from Mauritania
  • across Mauritania

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

English Mauritania comes through French from the older Latin name Mauretania, which was used for a North African region in Roman times. Modern English kept a similar form for the present-day country, and Mauritanian was later built from the same base for people or things connected with it.