Mauritania was first inhabited by black Africans and Berbers. In the 11th century Mauritania was a center for the Berber Almoravid movement, which explores to spread Islam through western Africa. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to explore Mauritania in the 15th century, but the French had got control by the 19th century. In 1904, the land were organized as a territory for France, and in 1920 it became one of the French colonize in West Africa. Mauritania was named as a French overseas territory, in 1946.
Mauritania Independence. In November, 28, 1960 Mauritania became an independent country, and 1961 Mauritania was admitted to the United Nations. The government explored to make Arab culture prevalent, in the late 1960s. The ethnic tension between Arabs, Berbers, Moors, and the black Africans was widespread.
Spanish Sahara (later called Western Sahara) territory was divided between Morocco and Mauritania after the Spanish left in 1975, and Mauritania controlled the southern third at this time. An indigenous Saharawi rebels called the Polisario Front, fought for the territory of Western Sahara against both Morocco and Mauritania. The Increase on the military expense and the rising of the damages in the region helped to bring down the civilian government of Ould Daddah in 1978. There was a succession of military rulers followed after that. Mauritania withdrew of Western Sahara, in 1979.
Mauritania Independence. In November, 28, 1960 Mauritania became an independent country, and 1961 Mauritania was admitted to the United Nations. The government explored to make Arab culture prevalent, in the late 1960s. The ethnic tension between Arabs, Berbers, Moors, and the black Africans was widespread.
Spanish Sahara (later called Western Sahara) territory was divided between Morocco and Mauritania after the Spanish left in 1975, and Mauritania controlled the southern third at this time. An indigenous Saharawi rebels called the Polisario Front, fought for the territory of Western Sahara against both Morocco and Mauritania. The Increase on the military expense and the rising of the damages in the region helped to bring down the civilian government of Ould Daddah in 1978. There was a succession of military rulers followed after that. Mauritania withdrew of Western Sahara, in 1979.
In 1984, the Mauritanian government was controlled by Col. Maaouye Ould Sidi Ahmed Taya. He relaxed Islamic law, fought corruption, instituted economic reforms urged by the International money, and command the country's 1st multiparty parliamentary elections in 1986. Although, the 1991 constitution created a multiparty democracy, but politics stayed ethnically and racially primarily based. The first conflict was between the black Africans, who dominated the southern regions, and the Moorish-Arabic who controlled the northern regions, and they also had the political power. Racial tensions reached a peak in 1989, when Mauritania fought a war with Senegal in a very dispute over their shared border. As every country repatriated voters of the opposite, critics defendant Mauritania of taking the chance to expel thousands of black Africans. In 1992, Taya won the nation's 1st multiparty presidential election. In July 2009, a year after taking control of Mauritania in a military coup, Muhammad Ould Abdelaziz won the presidential election, with 52% of the vote.