Per Hademine, for whatever reason, they have been adding water to the wagons in recent weekssomething else to keep in mind! With an area of 1,030,000 square kilometers (400,000 square miles), Mauritania is the 28th largest country in the world, and the 11th largest in Africa. 25 Interesting Facts about Trains - Fact Republic. For once *I* was the happenstance and serendipity with impeccable timing. {{posts[0].commentsNum}} {{messages_comments}}, {{posts[1].commentsNum}} {{messages_comments}}, {{posts[2].commentsNum}} {{messages_comments}}, {{posts[3].commentsNum}} {{messages_comments}}, Hotel Belvdre: The Iconic Swiss Hotel on The Edge of The Rhone Glacier, Claude Ambroise Seurat: The Living Skeleton, Francis Greenway: The Only Forger to Be Featured on a Banknote, The Mystery of Puma Punkus Precise Stonework, Why Soviet Cosmonauts Carried a Gun to Space, Bummer And Lazarus: San Franciscos Beloved Dogs, 3 Most Impressive Water Bridges Around the World. Mauritania Gains Independence . Read More, last country in the world to abolish slavery. Nouakchott is the capital and largest city of Mauritania. [Note: There are two camps. Locals use it as means of transport while for foreign travellers iron ore ride is the the adventure of a lifetime. Not even until 12 hours later the next day and kismet: The main group were all arranging sim cards in the town of Atar where at that very moment I debated whether to stick around, or split off from the group with the non-sim contigent and walk with them around the town for an hour. So heres to fear, and the courage that follows. In the late 1960s, the government sought to make Arab culture dominant. To the south along the Senegal River is a fertile belt, which is watered by the river's regular floods. No tickets, no bookings, no cash, no reservations youre supposed to just hitchhike and hop on top when it arrives! Mauritania became the last country in the world to abolish slavery when the practice was finally banned in 1981. For a more complete treatment of the country in its regional context, see western Africa, history of. BTW Yaya says hi!. Malnutrition is widespread with 9.8% of young children suffering from acute malnutrition. Source: United Nations World Food Programme, 15. If you are traveling with someone else, and do not mind sharing, one better quality blanket for two people is enough (the blankets are huge). Atheists are given the death penalty. With Hademines help, we hunted down the chief of the train station, and paid him a visit at his home. I can assure you that public transportation is limited in Choum ; ). Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). After gaining self-governance in 1958, Mauritania gained full independence in 1960. After spending the day waiting, we were gutted when the iron ore train just passed us by and did not stop. Mauritania's economic freedom score is 55.3, making its economy the 119th freest in the 2022 Index. Although he could not make any guarantees, he agreed to make some calls. First, a few facts: Operating since 1963, the iron ore train covers 437 miles (704 kilometers) on its journey across the Sahara Desert from Nouadhibou, on the coast, to Zourat, an iron mine in the center of Mauritania. Mauritania passed a law to abolish slavery only in 1981. So either pack ahead or buy some disposable secondhand clothing beforehand! Browse 87 mauritania railway stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. In 2012, it was estimated that 10% to 20% of the population still lived in slavery. In The Mauritania Railway: Backbone of the Sahara documentary we rode atop a hopper car and journeyed through vast Saharan landscapes with the people who rely on the train for their income and survival. It only became punishable by law in 2007. Easy drive. Read More, The most interesting facts about Brunei, from the world's biggest palace to the monument built Its Atlantic Ocean coastline, to the west, extends for 435 miles (700 km) from the delta of the Sngal River northward to Cape Noudhibou (Cape Blanco) Peninsula. Carries 23 Million Passengers Daily Mauritania country facts (area, population, GDP, currency, location, capital, population density). Shortly after, we learned that no trains were expected to stop in Choum that evening. Starting off is a painfully slow affair, with carriages slamming into one another and jolting everyone in or on them. Thelo DB Consortium And The Government Of The Republic Of Ghana Signed A 25 Year Rail Management Agreement To Develop And Operationalise The 299 Km Western Railway Line 02 September 2022 West Africa, Ghana Shortly after, we learned that no trains were expected to stop in Choum that evening. Nope. Pack some food and lots of waterpack more water than you think you might need. Mauretania existed as a tribal kingdom from around the 6th century BC. At the moment the train was still, we quickly inspected a few wagons to make sure they had good wheels, picked one to call home, climbed its ladders, half hanging on while being passed all our bags. Come prepared! However, if you find an error or have any questions, please contact us. 3. Death from falls is common. Normally, the journey from Choum to Nouadhibou is overnight (but, since we did not leave Choum until 04:45, we spent almost the entire ride under the sun). [citation needed]. how do I clean up? Read onwards! One of the stops on the tourist route is an iron mine. Mauritania is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 40% of its population below poverty line. In Mauritania, you will be able to see plenty of things such as rock paintings, Ben Amera, endangered . There are two types of blankets for sale (they are identical from town to town)one cheaper in quality, and the other better in quality. I also suggest bringing contractor-type trash bags (one for your bag(s), and one for you to fit into or sit on top of), as well as smaller bags for your phone/camera. It is also the world's second-largest railway network operated under single management. Roads often have to make detours hundreds of kilometers long just to avoid the drifting sands. In 2009 the rally was relocated to South America after its organizers cancelled the event due to safety concerns in Mauritania in 2008 which led to its cancellation that year. Source: BBC Sport,Britannica, 12. It measures almost three kilometers long. An architectural relic that survived the hands of time. There are some train rides that youll never forget. There are two types of blankets for sale (they are identical from town to town)one cheaper in quality, and the other better in quality. We arrived in Choum just before noon and spent the day hanging out by the tracks. Understand Terminus. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mauritania_Railway&oldid=1110690691, This page was last edited on 16 September 2022, at 22:55. Some passengers dig small holes in the iron ore pile and build stoves, burning charcoal to make tea. Hademine mentioned this has been happening a lot in recent weeks/monthssomething to keep in mind! Good things always happen when you do. Humidity: 47% | Wind Speed: 13km/hr | Cloud Cover: clear, MAURITANIA JANUARY 2020 SOMETHING TO NOTE ABOUT RIDING THE IRON ORE TRAIN, Four other EPSers and I used Hademine from Time For Mauritania (, Day 1: Nouakchott to Terjit (approximately 5 hours) with a night in Terjit a. lovely desert oasis (much better than spending the night in Atar). And when it does, you only have minutes to pick out a good wagon and hop onwe were advised to inspect the wheels and levels of iron ore. Also, we were advised to pick a wagon towards the very back of the train (to avoid having to walk 1+ km after arriving in Nouadhibou). In 2019, one of the worlds largest discoveries of natural gas was also found in Mauritanian offshore waters with a potential of 50 trillion cubic feet of gas equivalent to around 8.9 billion barrels of oil. Source: Reuters, 23. The wagons were filled with watersomething none of us were expecting. The total traffic averages 16.6 million tons per year. They consist of 3 or 4 diesel-electric EMD locomotives, 200 to 210 cars each carrying up to 84 tons of iron ore, and 2-3 service cars. Operating since 1963, the Iron Ore Train - Train du Desert in Mauritania - is a train that connects the iron ore mines in the town of Zourat, located deep into the Sahara, with the port of Nouadhibou, located on the Atlantic coast. It is one of the longest and heaviest trains in the world and with its 3km length, the train took at least 10 minutes to whiz by us before stopping. Read More, The most interesting facts about Palau, from millions of harmless jellyfish to stone monoliths known Boarding the train, we were hit with another curveball. Travel Facts Locator Map View Details Introduction Background The Berber and Bafour people were among the first to settle in what is now Mauritania. Blankets are a must. Join Macmillan Dictionary on Twitter and Facebook for daily word facts, quizzes and language news. 70% of the country is in the desert. Winner will be selected at random on 12/01/2022. [1][2] It consists of a single, 704-kilometre (437mi) railway line linking the iron mining centre of Zourat with the port of Nouadhibou, via Fderik and Choum. Mauritanian music is a tradition carried down by the Moors when musicians formed the lowest rung of society and performed for anyone who paid them. Capital: Nouakchott. At about 460 km (286 mi) from Nouadhibou, the Mauritania Railway originally passed through the 2 km (1 mi) long and steeply graded Choum Tunnel, to avoid passing through part of the Ro de Oro territory in Western Sahara, which was then occupied by Spain. Mauritania formed part of the Dakar Rally, first held in 197879 and covering nearly 15,000km between Southern Europe and Senegal. Q802901. The longest stretch of completely straight track in the world is in Australia. To date, this remains the case, although slavery is not as severe as it used to be in ancient times. The rest is covered by the sands of the Sahara. Mauritania's citizens saw many shifts in 2017: the flag and the currency were altered and the Senate was removed from their government. [Note: There is an actual train station in Choum. At 3-kilometers in length, trains on this line are among the longest and heaviest in the world. Nouadhibou railway station. The Mauritania Railway: Backbone of the Sahara is earning early praise, including the top prize for cinematography at the XVI International Film Festival of Almeria, and the jury prize for stylistic achievement and best cinematography at the Social Impact Media Awards 2018. Mattresses, building supplies, satellite dishesanything the remote towns need. 2. But at least the passengers have a working toilet. ATTM). If you look at Mauritania from. And by 12:35am we quickly disembarked, leaving with an experience well have a hard time forgetting for the rest of our lives. The railway link between Kaedi and Mauritania is an example of the creative financing of Chinese infrastructure investments in Mauritania. Walking around along the train is allowed in the sense that no-one is checking, but it can be dangerous as there are no barriers, emergency brakes, or, in fact, safety measures of any kind. During the 1850s and 1860s, France gained control of southern Mauritania. We were told that it does not usually arrive before 19:00, but that it can really come whenever. 700 km. A 3 feet, 6 inch (1067mm) gauge railway between Port Hedland and Marble Bar was officially opened in 1911, although regular services did not commence until July 1912. The wagons were filled with watersomething none of us were expecting. After spending the day waiting, we were gutted when the iron ore train just passed us by and did not stop.