thumb|Street in Nouadhibou

Nouadhibou (; , ), formerly named Port-Étienne, is the second largest city in Mauritania and serves as a major commercial center. The city has about 173,000 inhabitants. It is situated on a 65-kilometre peninsula or headland called Ras Nouadhibou, ', or ', of which the western side has the city of La Güera. Nouadhibou is consequently located merely a couple of kilometers from the border between Mauritania and Western Sahara. Its current mayor is Elghassem Ould Bellali, who was installed on 15 October 2018.

Nouadhibou is a major hotspot for migrant smuggling, serving as a key departure point for those attempting to reach Europe.

In 1907 by decree of the governor-general of French West Africa Ernest Roume, it was renamed after the former French Minister of the Colonies Eugène Étienne. After Mauritania became independent in 1960, the town was renamed Nouadhibou.

On 30 June 1973, at the time of the second-longest solar eclipse in the 20th century, an Aerobee rocket was launched at Nouadhibou for solar research.

Since February 2006, Nouadhibou has emerged as a major departure point for African migrants aiming to reach the Canary Islands. This extremely dangerous route to reach the European Union gained popularity due to heightened emigration controls along Morocco's coast and near the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in late 2005. As of 2024, the city remains a significant departure hub for irregular migrants to Europe, with over 80% of arrivals in the Canary Islands originating from Mauritania, many of whom are from Mali.

The city is reputedly also a center of trading of meteorites found in the Sahara.

Population history

Transportation

Paved roads

Nouadhibou is linked with the Coastal Motorway RN2 to the capital Nouakchott (a distance of ) and by highway to the Western Saharan border in the north (a distance of ).

Railway

Nouadhibou also is connected by railway to the iron mines in Zouérat, 670 km to the east. The freight trains can be as long as 3 km, reputedly the longest train in the world. The railway also carries passengers and calls at Choum.

Aviation

The city is served by the Nouadhibou Airport.

Economy

Plans were drawn up at the beginning of 1963 to build a port called Port Wharf in the fishing harbour, which included the construction of industrial and trade buildings. This became operational in 1966. This wharf was designed to accommodate traffic of up to 50,000 tonnes.

In 1977, the wharf was lengthened to provide 3 extra berths for ships of average tonnage raising its capacity to 320,000 tonnes.

Health

The Nouadhibou Regional Hospital was opened in 2017 after a build time of five years and is the largest hospital in the region.

Sports

Two football clubs based in Nouadhibou participate in the Mauritanian Premier League as of the 2018–19 season: FC Nouadhibou and ASC Snim.

References

  • Adventures of Mauritania
  • Shipwrecks on the coast of Mauritania