The Streets of Nouadhibou, Cape Blanc, Mauretania

Filmed from the car leaving the centre of Nouadhibou due North. Nouadhibou (Arabic: نواذيبو‎; formerly Port-Étienne; pop. ca. 90,000) is the second largest city in Mauritania and serves as the country's commercial center.

It is situated on a 40-mile peninsula or headland called Ras Nouadhibou, Cap Blanc, or Cabo Blanco, of which the western side, with the city of Lagouira, is part of Western Sahara. Nouadhibou is less than a mile from the border.

The city is divided into four major areas: the city centre, including the airport, Numerowatt to the north, the main residential area, Cansado to the south, a dormitory town for Port Minéralier, in the far south, from which iron ore mined in Zouerat is exported.

Attractions in Nouadibou include the Table Remarquable, several markets, a ships' graveyard and Mediterranean monk seals.

The major economic activity is fishing; however, the largest industry is processing iron ore transported by train from the interior mining towns of Zouérat and Fdérik. These freight trains can be as much as 3 km long, reputedly the longest in the world. The railway also carries passengers and calls at Choum.

On June 30th, 1973 an aerobee rocket was launched there for solar research at the second-longest solar eclipse in 20th century

From February 2006 onwards Nouadhibou has become the departure point for African migrants trying to reach the Canary Islands. This extremely dangerous route to reach the European Union has become popular as a result of stepped up emigration controls along the Moroccan coast and around the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in the second half of 2005.

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

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Nouadhibou
• mauretania
• cape
• blanc

[hlavicka1971]

I do not remember. It was nothing serious!

[dean19701986]

@hlavicka1971 do you remember if there was a check point at the border with morocco where they check your passport and stamp it , or no?

[hlavicka1971]

@dean19701986 Of course there is!

[Nikolaevv]

mercedes so popular there

[davidstighansen]

@3nvisi0nIT I hate honkers from living in Taiwan, and traveling by bus through Cambodia and Thailand

[hlavicka1971]

@3nvisi0nIT Hi I m glad you like my video!

[3nvisi0nIT]

@davidstighansen this is somewhat late, but in Mauritania honking is a common practice when passing a group of people, to let them know there is a vehicle approaching. It is also common to honk when making a turn, when passing another car. Many vehicles on the road are missing all their mirrors so this helps alert other drivers to their presence. I'm sure I missed something else they honk at, but basically they honk at everything.

[labovski]

@dean19701986 when you get to the border to Western Sahara you will meet with Moroccan customs. The administrative procedures at the check point might well take a while depending on traffic.

[davidstighansen]

Who keeps honking?  Why?