Mauritania (Arabic: موريتانيا, Mūrītānyā ) (French: Mauritanie) is a land of desert and ocean. It is of course no wonder that the main attractions for most tourists are the desert in Adrar and Tagant areas (around Atar), and the ocean in Banc d’Arguin (a natural reserve with dunes ending in the sea, full of millions of birds and protected by UNESCO).