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A small strip of tarmac separates newly rich from the newly poor in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. Before independence in 1960 this small oasis supported fifteen families in mud houses, and now over 700,000 people have flocked here to seek wealth and refuge from desertification of their traditional grazing lands. Perhaps one third of them live in the "bidonville" or shantytown without running water or sewage facilities.

Filename
STNMTZ_19970401_11.tif
Copyright
©1997 George Steinmetz
Image Size
11905x8807 / 300.0MB
www.georgesteinmetz.com
Contained in galleries
African Portfolio
A small strip of tarmac separates newly rich from the newly poor in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. Before independence in 1960 this small oasis supported fifteen families in mud houses, and now over 700,000 people have flocked here to seek wealth and refuge from desertification of their traditional grazing lands. Perhaps one third of them live in the "bidonville" or shantytown without running water or sewage facilities.

All images ©George Steinmetz. Please contact us for usage.