Beyond the endless dunes of the Western Sahara lies Mauritania — a country the size of France and Germany combined, yet home to a population of only 4 million. Poverty, scarce infrastructure, and a history of tourist kidnappings have made Mauritania one of the least explored countries in the region. Back in the late 19th century, during the European colonial era, French influence took hold of Mauritania, eventually incorporating it into French West Africa. The nation declared independence on November 28, 1960, evolving into the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Despite this, post-independence brought political instability, coups, and ethnic tensions, with the enduring impact of French colonialism shaping the socio-political landscape and influencing ongoing developmental challenges.
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#1 Mauritanian Iron Ore Train Arrives In The Town Of Choum, Around Halfway Between Nouadhibou And The Mines Of Zouerat
Some people wait to board the train, while a young man carries bread on his head, hoping to sell it to the train passengers.
Iron ore dominates Mauritania’s export output, constituting about 50% of total exports, alongside significant contributions from the fish, gold, and copper sectors. Abundant iron ore deposits fuel the country’s economy, with mining and export operations centered around the Zouérat mines. The Mauritanian railway, stretching along the Western Sahara border, links these mines to the port of Nouadhibou. From there, iron ore embarks on journeys to Italy, China, and other destinations. The iron ore railway infrastructure is Mauritania’s economic lifeline and a relic of its colonial past. The 700-km length railway was constructed by the French in the 60’s but was taken over by SNIM (National Mining and Industrial Company) in 1974. Operating tirelessly for almost half a century, this railway transports over 17 million tons of iron ore annually. In the absence of road connections between the mines of Zouérat and the rest of the country, it also serves as a vital transport link for the inhabitants of this vast desert nation. The Mauritanian Iron Ore Train has earned the distinction of being one of the longest trains in the world, boasting a length that can extend up to 2.5 kilometers.
#2 One Of The Workers Traveling On The Mauritanian Iron Ore Train
#3 Boy Carries A Bag With Some Bread That He Is Hoping To Sell For The Train Passengers When The Train Arrives
My first impression of the country was shaped by the sight of armed soldiers with dogs thoroughly searching my backpack at the border. I wait impatiently as a rude customs officer sitting in a stifling room full of flies takes forever to stamp my Mauritanian visa. There are a thousand miles of empty desert behind me and one million square kilometers of desert in front of me. Mauritania is breathtaking and haunting at the same time. You feel like you are on a set of a Mad Max movie – old cars drive around without hoods or doors, endless piles of scrap metal and skeletons of abandoned vehicles litter the landscape, men roam around in disguise, their faces wrapped in headscarves even at night, goats feed on cardboard, and the rough desert climate only adds to the frightening image of this West African country I have now stepped into.
#4 The Iron Ore Train Rides Towards Nouadhibou Loaded With Livestock That The Shepherd Is Observing
#5 A Young Mauritanian Man Hangs On The Side Of The Train While It Rides Through The Desert At Night
I reached the tiny Nouadhibou train station 10 km outside the city in an old Mercedes packed with six other passengers. All the shades around the station building are occupied by people. I am immediately invited to the police checkpoint to explain my travel plans and give them a copy of my passport - a regular procedure in Mauritania. Three trains ply between Nouadhibou and Zouerat. Only one of them picks up passengers. Of this, only the last car is a proper passenger carriage, and it stops right in front of the station. The other 220 wagons are iron ore carts, empty on the way to Zouerat; hence, people and their goods travel in them free of charge. There are two groups of passengers awaiting the train. Women, families, the elderly, and anybody who can afford the 5-euro ticket ride in an old but presumably more comfortable passenger carriage wait around the station building. The traders, shepherds, and the poor are lined up along the train track a few hundred meters ahead with sacks of rice, dates, cases of fruit and vegetables, gas balloons, and crates of soft drinks ready to be loaded on the train when it arrives. I head straight towards the latter, hoping to make friends with someone and travel in the same carriage so I can shoot their journey as well.
#6 As The Train Makes A Short Stop, Some Sheep Jump Off The Train And Try To Escape. The Shepherd Chases The Sheep And Finally Catches It
#7 Mauritanian Man Fixes His Headscarf While Riding The Iron Ore Train Along The Moroccan Border
Headscarves are worn in order to protect the face from intense sun and dust.
It doesn't take long until a group of young Mauritanians invite me to ride along with them. Some of them speak English and I couldn't have asked for better co-passengers. The train was due to arrive an hour ago, and the air is thick with anticipation.
The ground beneath my feet vibrates as three 190-ton locomotives pulling a serpentine chain of 220 wagons chug past the station. The passengers are ready, and it feels like ages before the train finally grinds to a halt. My travel companions, playful and relaxed just a moment ago, are now frantically loading the cargo into one of the empty cars. I come to their aid as they race against time to load a van full of vegetable cases and crates of fizzy drinks on the train.
#8 Mauritanian Youngsters With A Cooler Bag Try To Sell Some Cold Drinks To The Passengers Of The Iron Ore Train. This Is The Last Carriage Of The Train And The Only One Dedicated To Passengers
#9 Iron Ore Train Departs The Mines Of Zouerat For A 20-Hour Journey Back To The Port Of Nouadhibou. It Is Loaded With Iron Ore And Goats
I'm sharing a car with a group of kids barely in their twenties. Said, who looks like he's walked out of a Hollywood poster, is the boss. "We travel whenever Said gets us an order. We're going back to Nouadhibou on Thursday and then back again to Zouerat on Saturday," says another guy wrapped in a blue scarf. "We are freelancers, just like you," - says another, pointing toward my camera. They understand that I'm here for pictures, and they don't mind. I am invited for yet another cup of strong Mauritanian tea.
Riding the train back and forth, I started meeting the same people. For many of these men, carrying cargo is their full-time job. They endure extreme temperatures and sandstorms daily, yet none of them ever complain about how tough it is. During a month's stay in Mauritania, I rode the train 8 times, covering a total distance of around 4300 km, and there wasn't a single time when I wasn't greeted with extreme hospitality and positivity by the Mauritanian traders. Eventually, I was being recognized by the shepherds loading their goats at Zouerat, the kids selling water to the train passengers at Choum station, and the policemen at the Nouadhibou station checkpoint. I was traveling in a territory of hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, but it felt like everybody knew me everywhere.
#10 A Runaway Goat Is Being Dragged By The Shepherds Back On Top Of The Train
#11 Mauritanian Shepherds Ride The Iron Ore Train Back To Nouadhibou
Mauritania's culture is deeply rooted in its traditional Moorish music. I remember walking through smaller towns like Atar, Choum, or Chinguetti in the evenings and hearing meditative, mysterious music and chanting echoing from nearly every other house. People would sit around in a circle on the carpet in their homes; somebody would be playing Tbal – a traditional Mauritanian drum, and the others would just clap to the rhythm and chant.
Another defining aspect of Mauritanian culture is its tea tradition—an experience one cannot fail to mention when speaking about the country. Strong green tea, infused with fresh mint and a generous amount of sugar, is served in small glasses with a thick foam that forms as the tea is poured from a teapot held high above the cup. Every time I was invited into someone's home, tea was the first thing offered to me.
#12 Mauritanian Man Rides Inside A Cargo Carriage Of The Iron Ore Train Between Nouadhibou And Zouerat
#13 Portrait Of A Mauritanian Worker Inside The Cargo Carriage Of The Iron Ore Train
When traveling back from the mines of Zouérat to Nouadhibou, a group of shepherds is just beginning to load their goats—this time onto cargo cars already packed with iron ore. Hundreds of goats are grabbed by their back legs, dragged to the train, and tossed onto the piles of ore like sacks of potatoes.
I quickly befriend one of the shepherds, Muhammad, who invites me to travel with him and his crew. They’ve been transporting goats from the farms near Zouérat to Nouadhibou for years. Dressed in a mix of old suits, leather jackets, and long raincoats, with scarves wrapped around their heads, the shepherds look like rock stars from a sci-fi film.
#14 Mauritanian Traders Load Boxes With Juice, Bananas, And Couscous Onto The Cargo Carriage Of The Iron Ore Train
#15 Men Pray At Dusk, Facing Towards Mecca As The Iron Ore Train Rides Through The Desert
The train starts moving more gently this time, burdened with over 80 tons of iron ore in each wagon. The shepherds swiftly set up their base for the next 16 hours atop a mound of stones, flattening the ground, covering it with blankets, and assembling a small stove to boil water for tea. In every other carriage, a man keeps watch over the animals to ensure they don’t fall off.
"One live goat in Nouadhibou sells for 100 euros," Muhammad tells me. Every time a goat edges too close to the side, someone throws a stone to nudge it back. Despite their best efforts, some still fall—especially early in the journey when they’re more agitated.
#16 Shepherds Load Their Livestock Atop The Iron Ore Train
#17 The Goats Are Being Thrown Off The Train At The Final Stop In The Port Of Nouadhibou
"We lose at least five or six goats every time we ride," says Osman, a tall, powerfully built shepherd originally from Senegal. "Sometimes nomads pick them up, sometimes they die, and sometimes we’re lucky enough to catch them on our way back."
Half an hour later, the train stops near the town of Fderik. Another chain of ore-laden wagons is being attached. Muhammad and Osman jump down to retrieve a goat that has just fallen. Tying a long black scarf to another goat, they use it as bait to lure the runaway back. Soon, the lost goat is caught and tossed back into the carriage.
#18 Workers Run To Greet The Arriving Train And Help Their Colleagues Unload The Goods And Livestock From The Train
#19 Sahara Desert As Seen From The Carriage Of The Mauritanian Iron Ore Train
Somewhere on the horizon is Western Sahara – a disputed territory administered by Morocco. The border between Western Sahara and Mauritania is heavily mined.
Standing atop a cargo car in the middle of the desert, I watch as a few dozen people load goods into the empty carriages. Suddenly, a sound of a distant thunder rolls toward me. My travel companions signal for me to hold on tight. The locomotive, so far ahead that it’s out of sight, tugs the first car, setting off a chain reaction. Standing in one of the last carriages, I have only a few seconds to brace myself as the deafening roar of colliding carriage joints surges toward me, like an airliner hurtling straight in my direction. A moment later, the train shudders, and we jolt forward, beginning our journey into the depths of the Sahara.
#20 Street View Of Atar – A City Of 35,000 Residents Situated In The Middle Of The Route Between Nouadhibou And Zouérat
To reach Atar from the railway, however, you’ll need to hop into a 4×4 Toyota and travel across the pathless desert for about two hours.
#21 The Town Of Fderik As Seen From The Train. You Know You’re Approaching The Iron Ore Mines When The Soil Starts Turning Red
#22 Mauritanian Traders Arrive At Zouerat Train Station And Are Met By Their Colleagues With A Pick-Up Truck Who Come To Collect The Goods
#23 People Wait For The Iron Ore Train To Arrive Just Outside The Town Of Choum. The Train Does Not Have A Proper Schedule And Sometimes Can Be Late For Hours
#24 Most People Travel In Groups And Are Well Equipped With Pots And Pans And Always Make Tea And Cook Food While Traveling
#25 Mauritanian Youngsters Climb Between The Carriages Of The Iron Ore Train As It Approaches The Mines Of Zouerat
