Historical periods 1. Pre-History 2. The Sanhaja 3. The Almoravids 4. French influence 5. Independence and dictatorship 6. Uneasy recovery under Ould Taya 7. Military coups The Guelb er-Richat, of the gigantic meteor. The Passe d'Amogjar, on the route to Atar. Oasis of Rashid.

The Sanhaja
3rd century CE: Berbers of the Sanhaja confederation moves into Mauritania. Over the following centuries, the Berbers became the leaders of trade in Mauritania, controlling trade routes between Koumbi Saleh, Aoudaghoust and Timbuctu (today's Mali). The most important goods were slaves, gold, ivory, copper and salt.
Before 8th century: The kingdom of Ghana is established in modern Senegal, Mali and southeastern Mauritania. The capital was in Koumbi Saleh in today's Mauritania.
990: Ghana attacks and takes control over Aoudaghost.

The Almoravids
1039: Ahdallah Abdallah bni Yasin, the founder of the Almoravids, declares holy war against the Sanhaja berbers, who he considered as "heathen".
1054: The Almoravids have succeeded in taking full control over the Sanhaja. Their weak Sanhaja confederation had been replaced by a theocratic empire.
1076: Together with the Almoravids, the Sanhaja berbers razes Koumbi Saleh. Still Ghana survives for some 150 years more.
Middle of 13th century: Nomads of Arab origin, especially the Beni Hassan tribe, move into Mauritania. This brought on a number of conflicts between the immigrants and original population. This conflict lasted for about 400 years, with numerous wars and clashes.
1445: Portuguese traders set up a trading base on Arguin Island in northern Mauritania. This is the regions first contact with Europeans. The main trading product is acacia tree gum.
15th century: Northern Mauritania is conquered by the Beni Hassan Arabs. With this a process of Arabization starts, and Berber language and identity is eventually replaced.
1677: The final battle between the Arabs and the Berbers, makes the Arabs victors. From this time on, the social status inside the Mauritanian society has been established, with Arabs on top, Berbers in the middle (divided into 2 groups: religious scholars called zawiyas and farmers and herders called znaga, and the blacks on the bottom (also divided into 2 groups: former slaves called haratani and slaves, abid.

French influence
17th century: French, English and Dutch traders install themselves in Mauritania. They all fight for control over the gum trade, while the Portuguese were losing their influence. For France, soon the slave trade also became very important. For the Mauritanians the slave trade soon developed into a very important source of income, as they sold black slaves to the French in exchange for firearms, cloth and sugar.
1727: The Dutch traders pull out of Mauritania.
18th century: Mauritania gets divided into several emirates, Trarza, Brakna, Adrar and Tagant, which all were isolated from each other.
19th century: Civil war breaks out between the emirates, with France playing an important part in strengthening tensions.
1814: With the Treaty of Paris, France gets territorial rights over Mauritania this was an agreement with other European states, nobody asked the Mauritanians.
1820: Official end of commercial slavery.
1857: In an agreement between France and Britain, British traders pull out, and install themselves in Gambia. This leaves Mauritania in the hands of the French.
1860's: The French governor Louis Faidherbe creates the first comprehensive map of northern Mauritania.
1899: A process of pacification over Mauritania starts, and is administered by Xavier Coppolani. He cooperates with Berber groups to split Arab leaders. The importance of Mauritania, and the need for pacification, was only indirect as a link between French interests in Morocco (north) and Senegal (south).
1902: Coppolani has succeeded in taking control over large parts of southern Mauritania.
1903: The areas subdued under the leadership of Coppolani is turned into a French protectorate.
1905: Coppolani is killed, and he is followed by Colonel Henri Gouraud, who continues his work further north and east.
1908: Adrar in the north is occupied by France.
1911: Hodh in southeast is also occupied by France.
1912: France forges an agreement with Spain over zones of influence, leaving Mauritania fully in the hands of France.
1920: Mauritania's status is changed into a more subordinate colony, and becomes part of French West Africa. Mauritania is governed from Saint-Louis of Senegal. The southern parts saw more of direct rule from the French, while the north was governed indirectly through cooperation with local chiefs. But even now, not all of Mauritania is under French control some nomad lords waged guerilla war against the French. For one northern group, resistance was to last until as late as 1955.
1946: Mauritania becomes an overseas territory of the French Union.
Horma Ould Babana of Berber origin becomes Mauritanian deputy to the French National Assembly. In many ways this represents the start of modern political organizations in Mauritania. Until this time, there had been no political parties.
1947: The Union progressiste mauritanienne is formed, the first political group of the country.
1951: Elections for a National Assembly in Mauritania. Groups and individuals cooperating with the French colonial powers become the victors. Sidi l-Mokhtar becomes deputy of Mauritania, after defeating Babana who had become unpopular for his socialist ideas.
1955: Tribal chiefs of the Rigaibat region gives in to the French authorities.
1956: New elections, this time with more nationalist representation in the National Assembly. Sidi l-Mokhtar stays on as deputy.
Moroccan independence gives power to similar movements in Mauritania, even if many here are in favour of joining Morocco, which they believed to be the homeland of the Moors.
1957: Elections for a Territorial Assembly, gives the conservative Union Progressiste Mauritanienne 33 of the 34 seats. Mokhtar Ould Daddah is elected vice-president of the governing council. He first sets out on a campaign for a larger Mauritania, where he wants the people of today's Western Sahara to become part of larger Mauritania.
1958 November 28: The Republique Islamique de Mauritanie is proclaimed and becomes an autonomous part of the French community.
1959: National elections made Ould Daddah prime minister. His party, the Parti du Regroupement Mauritanie had won every seat in the National Assembly.

Moktar Ould Daddah, president 1961-1978.

Ould Taya, president 1984-2005.

Ely Ould Mohamed Vall, military leader and president 2005-2007.