Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign nation located in the corner of Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and by the nations of Western Sahara, Algeria, Mali, and Senegal. The country's vast geography is dominated by the Sahara Desert, which covers the majority of its territory. While the population is concentrated in the temperate southern regions, the capital, Nouakchott, serves as the primary urban and economic hub on the Atlantic coast.