Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb region of western North Africa. It is an Islamic country and operates the Islamic law of sharia. The country is bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean and Western Sahara, and Mali to the east. The country depends much on aid from developed nations. There are quite a lot of funny facts about Mauritania but here we will take a look at 10 weird facts about the country you would love to know.
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Population: 3.89 Million (2013)
Capital: Nouakchott
Currency: Mauritanian ouguiya
President: Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz
Prime Minister: Yahya Ould Hademine
Continent: Africa
System of Government: Unitary Semi Presidential Republic
Official Languages: Arabic
Weird Facts About Mauritania
1. WOMEN FORCE-FEEDING
It is a popular belief around the globe that being fat is seems to be a desirable quality for African women. Well, this seems to have evidence in what happens before a woman gets married off in Mauritania. There, women are force-fed to become fat before marriage. Many a time, this leads to life-long illness.
2. ONLY HONOR FOR WOMEN
Marrying up to four wives (as long as one can love and provide for them equally) is an Islamic belief. Well, this could put a toll on a polygamous man on ceremonial occasions. This is because men are expected to slaughter an animal according to the number of wives they have…one for each wife.
3. EAT IT OR BIN IT
A certain religious ceremony seems to indirectly encourage wastage. At the end of Ramadan and at the end of the feast ending the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, a married man is expected to offer a lamb. It is to be eaten within three days…or what is left must be thrown away.
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4. ANIMAL SLAUGHTER RULE
Circumcision might not be legally or religiously compulsory. But being circumcised has its benefits. In the same vein, being uncircumcised has its demerits. A particular privilege is open only to circumcised persons. For any occasion, only circumcised men are allowed to slaughter animals.
5. WHO IS LOW CLASS?
Strangely, the Australian society regards people of certain professions as of low class. This is strange because people of such professions are viewed by other societies as of high class. The professions are: historians, musicians, and court advisers. They are viewed as higher only than freed slaves!
6. STYLISHLY RACIST
Racism is condemned by every government of the world. Certainly, the Mauritanian government lent its voice to the global condemnation of apartheid. However, despite all that, Afro-Arab racism is still rife in this country. And the government is doing little or nothing to about it.
7. SLAVERY IS LEGAL
Formal slave trade and slavery may have long been abolished by the world at large. This is not true of Mauritania, especially slavery. Slavery is still ongoing in this country…especially in the north. And the term is used literally, not symbolically.
8. TWO EQUALS ONE
In Mauritania, to say women do not have the same status as men is pure euphemism. Literally speaking, women are generally viewed as being of lower class than men. This is evidenced by how the legal codes view women witnesses. In their Islamic courts, two women count only as one witness.
9. MARRIAGE A MUST
On the number nine facts about Mauritania, marriage as a result of love is very rare. Most marriages are either forced or arranged. Of course, men are hardly ever forced; women are usually the victims of such forced marriages. And it is a must for men to marry and have many children.
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10. FEMALE CIRCUMCISION
Around Africa, female circumcision is an ongoing issue. It is an issue that many local and international NGOs are fighting to stop. Mauritania is one country where the practice is rampant. Records available indicate that only the Wolof ethnic group does not practice it.
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