Journey through Mauritania

Journey through Mauritania

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A passenger waits after his train arrived in Nouadhibou, Mauritania’s second largest city and the main export port for the country’s iron ore industry.

The mining company’s employees proudly call their firm the lung of their nation's economy and the train that ferries the ore to the coast stretches some two kilometres, making it one of the world's longest.

. ZOUERATE, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

SNIM mines black iron ore in the northern town of Zouerate, a remote desert location which nevertheless attracts people from all over the country looking for work.

The industry forms a key part of the county’s economy, providing the government with some twenty percent of their annual budget.

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Slideshow

A SNIM freight train moves to collect iron ore at the Guelb mine in Zouerate.
. ZOUERATE, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

A SNIM freight train moves to collect iron ore at the Guelb mine in Zouerate.

A SNIM worker oversees the transfer of iron ore to train cars.
. ZOUERATE, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

A SNIM worker oversees the transfer of iron ore to train cars.

A truck drives along a road at the TO-14 iron ore mine.
. ZOUERATE, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

A truck drives along a road at the TO-14 iron ore mine.

A man climbs down from a rooftop in the mining town of Zouerate.
. ZOUERATE, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

A man climbs down from a rooftop in the mining town of Zouerate.

People wait to board a SNIM train carrying iron ore and mine workers to Nouadhibou on the Atlantic coast.
. ZOUERATE, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

People wait to board a SNIM train carrying iron ore and mine workers to Nouadhibou on the Atlantic coast.

Passengers take a break while travelling on a train across the desert.
. NOUADHIBOU, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

Passengers take a break while travelling on a train across the desert.

Passengers pray while the train stops.
. NOUADHIBOU, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

Passengers pray while the train stops.

A man and a woman sit next to a herd of goats outside Nouadhibou.
. NOUADHIBOU, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

A man and a woman sit next to a herd of goats outside Nouadhibou.

Passengers disembark as they arrive in Nouadhibou.
. NOUADHIBOU, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

Passengers disembark as they arrive in Nouadhibou.

A SNIM train travels across the horizon.
. NOUADHIBOU, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

A SNIM train travels across the horizon.

A donkey walks down a street in Nouadhibou.
. NOUADHIBOU, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

A donkey walks down a street in Nouadhibou.

A house stands on the beach in Nouadhibou.
. NOUADHIBOU, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

A house stands on the beach in Nouadhibou.

An abandoned colonial military base stands next to the port in Nouadhibou.
. NOUADHIBOU, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

An abandoned colonial military base stands next to the port in Nouadhibou.

A decaying boat is anchored off the port.
. NOUADHIBOU, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

A decaying boat is anchored off the port.

The SNIM port is seen in Nouadhibou.
. NOUADHIBOU, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

The SNIM port is seen in Nouadhibou.

A conveyor belt used to transport iron ore to a ship is seen at SNIM headquarters.
. NOUADHIBOU, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

A conveyor belt used to transport iron ore to a ship is seen at SNIM headquarters.

A security officers speaks to a worker on board a commercial ship carrying iron ore.
. NOUADHIBOU, MAURITANIA. JOE PENNEY/Joe Penney

A security officers speaks to a worker on board a commercial ship carrying iron ore.