| Large mining machinery became crucial to Mauritania soon after the country achieved independence from France in 1960 and began to capitalize on extensive iron ore deposits in the northwest. Benefits from the deposits were immediate and spurred the gross domestic product (GDP). Although today iron ore is the country's principal export, revenues have been subjected to price slumps, forcing Mauritania into debt and prompting much-needed efforts to diversify the economy. Fishing is important, but the industry has encountered problems as the country's waters have become overharvested. Agriculture continues to occupy a majority of Mauritanians, despite reductions in agricultural income since 1960 and widening desertification in the country. |
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