Algeria–Mauritania border
A single straight line of about 288 miles across the empty western Sahara, drawn between two parts of the French empire. It has no known boundary pillars.
Written from cited sourcesLast checked 29 September 2026Suggest a correction
See it on the globe:Algeria →Mauritania →
Between two French colonies
France annexed the Algerian Sahara, the Southern Territories, by a law of 24 December 1902, and made Mauritania a civil territory of French West Africa in 1904. A 1905 agreement between local commanders drew a line between Algeria and French West Africa, and the Niamey conventions of 1909, approved in 1911, completed it.[1]
The 1909 text sets the line by watersheds and wells and then runs it towards Cap Noun, giving each side its own pasture lands. Between the Mali tripoint and the Spanish Sahara meridian of 8°40′ W, fixed by a Franco-Spanish convention of 1904, that makes one long straight line.[1]
“The pasture lands of the Oued Ngouden and its tributaries will belong to Algeria; the pasture lands of the Oued Iukeouen and its tributaries will belong to West Africa.”[1]
Independence
Mauritania became independent on 19 October 1960 and Algeria on 5 July 1962. The eastern tripoint was fixed by the Mali–Mauritania treaty signed at Kayes on 16 February 1963. In 1970 the US Geographer reported no known demarcation pillars along the arid, sparsely populated line.[1]
Timeline
190224 December 1902
Southern Territories
France annexes the Algerian Sahara.[1]
19057 June 1905
Commanders’ agreement
A line between Algeria and French West Africa is drawn.[1]
190920 June 1909
Niamey convention
The boundary is completed.[1]
196019 October 1960
Mauritania independent
Mauritania becomes independent.[1]
19625 July 1962
Algeria independent
Algeria becomes independent.[1]
More borders
Sources
- [1]International Boundary Study No. 88 (Revised): Algeria – Mauritania Boundary · US Department of State, Office of the Geographer · 15 July 1970
Map geometry from Natural Earth via world-atlas. See credits.