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MAURITANIA 2025. Dromedary camels

MAURITANIA 2025. Dromedary camels at Nouakchott camel market

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MAURITANIA 2025. Dromedary camels

Nouakchott, Mauritania – February 2025. A view shows the Nouakchott camel market, located 10 km from the city center, Nouakchott, Mauritania, 02 February 2025.

In the arid landscapes of Mauritania, where the desert stretches endlessly and water is scarce, one animal has stood the test of time—the camel. Ten kilometers from the city center of Nouakchott, buildings recede to reveal the world’s second largest camel market, where hundreds of dromedary camels can be seen, divided neatly into herds by the herders eager to make a living off their livestock.
“In Mauritania, the dromedary is an emblematic animal and a central part of the daily lives of Mauritanians,” explains Alexandre Huynh, Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The animals play both a symbolic role in the country’s culture and traditions and a vital economic one as a source of milk, meat, fibre and leather, while fostering an industry crucial for producing these critical resources for the local population. Mauritania is one of 90 countries whose populations depend heavily on camelids, which include alpacas, Bactrian camels, dromedaries, guanacos, llamas, and vicuñas. Dromedaries, the most common camel species in Mauritania, are the "key to the livelihoods of millions of households in hostile environments," according to FAO.

02/02/2025

File size 4.60 MB

Unique ID UF19D99

Editorial use only. Photo credit must be given. For further information contact: Photo-Library@fao.org