Rosso
Encyclopedia
Rosso is the major city of south-western Mauritania
and capital of Trarza
region. It is situated on the Senegal River
at the head of year-round navigation. The town is 204 km south of the capital Nouakchott
. The Arabic name is Al-Quwarib.
, a Precolonial Sahrawi dominated state.
Under French colonial rule Senegal
and Mauritania were administered as a single entity. When independence came, the new frontier was drawn along the Senegal River, thus splitting the small town of Rosso in two. This article refers to Mauritanian Rosso, on the northern bank of the river.
Originally a staging-post for the gum arabic
trade, Rosso has grown rapidly since independence. From a population of a mere 2 300 in 1960 it has now overtaken Kaédi
to become the 3rd largest city in the country with 48 922 inhabitants (2000 census).
-speaking area but many members of Mauritania's other ethnic groups have moved to the town to escape the severe problems of desertification
further north.
. Economically the town has benefited but its fortunes are very dependent on the state of relations between the two countries. From 1990-92 the border crossing was closed and there have been repeated movements of refugees in both directions through the town.
, allowing an expansion in the production of cash crop
s such as mint
. In 2004 however up to 80% of crops were lost as a result of the infestation of locust
s which affected the whole of the western Sahel
. This was followed by a severe drought. It was a bitter irony then that in August 2005 some 10,000 people were displaced by flooding.
. Rosso is also known for the internationally renowned Satara Zone Housing project. A small library, set up by the local Catholic priest, has been functioning since 2005.
A technology institute - ISET - was opened in 2009, offering courses in agriculture.
In 2009, together with Jean Jacques Fournier, Mayor of Moissy-Cramayel
, he inaugurated Rosso's first Internet café.
Rosso has been twinned with Moissy-Cramayel since 1986.
From August 2007 through May 2009, Michael Auerbach - Regional Coordinator for the United States Peace Corps - resided in Rosso as he evaluated the efficacy of existing gender equality movements in the region.
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
and capital of Trarza
Trarza
Trarza is a region in southwest Mauritania. Its capital is Rosso. Other major cities and towns include Mederdra and Boutilimit. The region borders the Mauritanian regions of Inchiri and Adrar to the north, Brakna to the east and Senegal to the south...
region. It is situated on the Senegal River
Sénégal River
The Sénégal River is a long river in West Africa that forms the border between Senegal and Mauritania.The Sénégal's headwaters are the Semefé and Bafing rivers which both originate in Guinea; they form a small part of the Guinean-Malian border before coming together at Bafoulabé in Mali...
at the head of year-round navigation. The town is 204 km south of the capital Nouakchott
Nouakchott
-Government:The town was first divided into districts in 1973. First it was divided into four. From 1986, the city has been split into nine districts.* Arafat* Dar Naim* El Mina* Ksar* Riad* Sebkha* Tevragh-Zeina* Teyarett* Toujounine...
. The Arabic name is Al-Quwarib.
History
Rosso was once the capital of the Emirate of TrarzaEmirate of Trarza
The Emirate of Trarza was a precolonial state in what is today southwest Mauritania, which has survived as a traditional confederation of semi-nomadic peoples to the present day. Its name is shared with the modern Region of Trarza. The population, a mixture of Berber tribes, were later conquered...
, a Precolonial Sahrawi dominated state.
Under French colonial rule Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
and Mauritania were administered as a single entity. When independence came, the new frontier was drawn along the Senegal River, thus splitting the small town of Rosso in two. This article refers to Mauritanian Rosso, on the northern bank of the river.
Originally a staging-post for the gum arabic
Gum arabic
220px|thumb|right|Acacia gumGum arabic, also known as acacia gum, chaar gund, char goond, or meska, is a natural gum made of hardened sap taken from two species of the acacia tree; Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal...
trade, Rosso has grown rapidly since independence. From a population of a mere 2 300 in 1960 it has now overtaken Kaédi
Kaédi
Kaédi is a city of over 60,000 people and is the largest city and administrative center of the Gorgol region of Southern Mauritania. The city is located 16.150 degrees latitude and -13.500 degrees longitude, and is approximately 435 km from Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott.- Overview :The...
to become the 3rd largest city in the country with 48 922 inhabitants (2000 census).
Languages
South-western Mauritania is predominantly a WolofWolof language
Wolof is a language spoken in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania, and is the native language of the Wolof people. Like the neighbouring languages Serer and Fula, it belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger–Congo language family...
-speaking area but many members of Mauritania's other ethnic groups have moved to the town to escape the severe problems of desertification
Desertification
Desertification is the degradation of land in drylands. Caused by a variety of factors, such as climate change and human activities, desertification is one of the most significant global environmental problems.-Definitions:...
further north.
Economy
Rosso occupies a strategic position at the international ferry-crossing on the main road between Nouakchott and the Senegalese capital of DakarDakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
. Economically the town has benefited but its fortunes are very dependent on the state of relations between the two countries. From 1990-92 the border crossing was closed and there have been repeated movements of refugees in both directions through the town.
Weather
Rosso has the highest annual rainfall in the country at 300mm/yr and is one of the market towns which serve the narrow strip of agricultural land stretching along the southern frontier of Mauritania. But even here the Sahara is encroaching. Major irrigation projects have been carried out on the northern bank of the Senegal River, financed by the United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, allowing an expansion in the production of cash crop
Cash crop
In agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is grown for profit.The term is used to differentiate from subsistence crops, which are those fed to the producer's own livestock or grown as food for the producer's family...
s such as mint
Mentha
Mentha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae . The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18. Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally...
. In 2004 however up to 80% of crops were lost as a result of the infestation of locust
Locust
Locusts are the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae. These are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory...
s which affected the whole of the western Sahel
Sahel
The Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south.It stretches across the North African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea....
. This was followed by a severe drought. It was a bitter irony then that in August 2005 some 10,000 people were displaced by flooding.
Recreation
The city is near the Diawling National ParkDiawling National Park
The Diawling National Park lies in south west Mauritania around the Senegal River delta. During the rainy season, much of the park consists of large lakes...
. Rosso is also known for the internationally renowned Satara Zone Housing project. A small library, set up by the local Catholic priest, has been functioning since 2005.
A technology institute - ISET - was opened in 2009, offering courses in agriculture.
Politics
The current Mayor, Professor Yerim Fassa, a doctor, was elected in 2007.In 2009, together with Jean Jacques Fournier, Mayor of Moissy-Cramayel
Moissy-Cramayel
Moissy-Cramayel is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the metropolitan area of Paris southeast from the center in the "new town" of Sénart, created in the 1970s....
, he inaugurated Rosso's first Internet café.
Rosso has been twinned with Moissy-Cramayel since 1986.
From August 2007 through May 2009, Michael Auerbach - Regional Coordinator for the United States Peace Corps - resided in Rosso as he evaluated the efficacy of existing gender equality movements in the region.