Mauritania

/ˌmɔrɪˈteɪniə/ noun

Definition

a country in Northwest Africa, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania

Etymology

from Latin Mauretania, from Mauri 'Moors' + -tania (place suffix), meaning 'land of the Moors'

Kelly Says

Mauritania literally means 'land of the Moors' - it's one of the last countries to officially abolish slavery, doing so only in 1981! The name connects it to ancient Berber peoples who gave their name to Morocco too.

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