قرية الملحس
The place
قرية الملحس ("Al-Malahs Village") in the Guidimakha region, Sélibaby/Baédiam area (south-eastern Mauritania, on the Malian/Senegalese border, Mauritania), at 202 m altitude, Sudanian plateau. New Mauritania cluster appearing in batch 346. Traditional Moor-Soninke village (Al-Malahs = "the salt makers", a tribal Saharan name tied to the traditional Idjil salt trade), an area of Sahelo-Sudanian savanna with Acacia raddiana/Acacia nilotica and post-drought resettlement 1968-1985 (the great Sahel drought that drove millions of impoverished herders into the slums of Nouakchott, 1M inhabitants in 1975 → 1 M in 2015, 30% of Mauritania's population), heritage of the Bidan (Arab-Berber Moors, 40% of Mauritania's population, political and commercial elite, versus the Haratin, freed former slaves, 30%, plus Black African Soninke/Fulani/Wolof in the south, 30%, a racial and political divide).
The setting
Guidimakha Sélibaby/Baédiam SE Mauritania Malian/Senegalese border 202 m Sudanian plateau, new cluster batch 346, Moor-Soninke village Al-Malahs salt makers Idjil, Sahelo-Sudanian savanna Acacia raddiana/nilotica, post-drought resettlement 1968-1985 Nouakchott 1 M inhabitants 1975→30% of Mauritania's population in slums, Bidan Arab-Berbers 40% elite vs Haratin freed former slaves 30% + Soninke/Fulani/Wolof 30% racial political divide.
