Colonial Mauritania

Colony of Mauritania
*Colonie de la Mauritanie*
مستعمرة موريتانيا
*Mustaemara al-muritania*
Colony of Mauritania Colonie de la Mauritanie; مستعمرة موريتانيا; Mustaemara al-muritania
1903–1960
	Flag
	Anthem: La Marseillaise
	Map of the seven colonies of French West Africa in 1936. Note that the eighth colony, French Upper Volta, was in this period parceled between its neighbors. French Sudan also contains a large portion of what is today the eastern half of Mauritania.
Status	Constituent of French West Africa
Capital	Saint-Louis (exterritorial); (1903–1957); Nouakchott; (1957–1960)
Common languages	French; Arabic
Government	Protectorate; (1903–1904); Civil territory; (1904–1920); Colony; (1920–1946); Overseas territory; (1946–1958); Autonomous republic; (1958–1960)
Commissioner
• 1903–1905	Xavier Coppolani
• 1916–1920	Nicolas Jules Henri Gaden
Lieutenant Governor
• 1920–1926	Nicolas Jules Henri Gaden
• 1956–1958	Albert Jean Mouragues
High Commissioner
• 1958–1959	Henri Joseph Marie Bernard
• 1959–1960	Amédée Joseph Émile Jean Pierre Anthonioz
History
• Protectorate established	May 12, 1903
• Civil territory	October 18, 1904
• Colony established	January 12, 1920
• Status changed to overseas territory	October 27, 1946
• Autonomy	November 28, 1958
• Independence	November 28, 1960
Area
1936	833,977 km2 (322,000 sq mi)
1948	942,995 km2 (364,092 sq mi)
Population
• 1936	383,000
• 1948	518,000
Currency	French West African franc; (1903–1945); CFA franc; (1945–1960)
ISO 3166 code	MR
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Emirate of Trarza
	Imamate of Futa Toro
Mauritania

The period from the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries is the colonial period in Mauritania.