Zouerate

Useful Information

Location:	50 km north of Zouerate.
Open:	All year daily.
Fee:	Only complete trips which include mine.
Classification:	Iron Mine
Light:	electric/provided.
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As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1952	iron ores discovered near Kedia d'Idjil.
1958	concessions on iron extraction are given to Miferma, Société des mines de fer de Mauritanie, which is almost entirely owned by European interests.
1960	extraction of iron starts.
1974	Miferma is nationalized by the Mauritanian state.
1981	more iron ore discovered at Guelb, 35 km north of Zouerate.
1990	more iron ore discovered at Mhadaouat, 65 km from Zouerate.

Geology

Description

Zouerate is a mining town in the Sahara desert. In two nearby mines, Guelbs/Kedia, 30 km from Zouerate, and MHaoudat, 55 km northeast of Zouerate, iron ore is mined in enormous amounts. The mines are open cast mines, the ores are hematite with about 60% iron and megnetite with about 40% iron. 15 million tons of iron ore per year are mined and transported by the longest mine trains of the world 700 km through the desert to the coast.

Mauritania is a country which is not very well developed for tourism. The mines are operating mines, and the visit of the mines is a sort of public relations enterprise. The trips to the mine and the mine visits are organized by local tour organizers. It seems there is no possibility to visit them individually.