1. Earthshots
  2. Nouakchott, Mauritania
  3. New Airport
Description

Nouakchott’s airport is visible as the straight diagonal line near the city’s center in the images in the other subsections. Over the time series of images, the airport became surrounded by the urban growth.

A new larger airport, Nouakchott-Oumtounsy (NKC), opened in June 2016. In the 2013 image, the airport is still under construction, and in 2011, there is no sign of it. Located about 20 km north of the old airport, and about 17 km north of the northern extent of the city, this new airport will accommodate even more growth.

View Related Imagery & Stories

Location

Oct. 12, 2011, Landsat 5 (path/row 205/47) — Nouakchott-Oumtounsy Airport, Mauritania

Oct. 12, 2011, Landsat 5 (path/row 205/47) — Nouakchott-Oumtounsy Airport, Mauritania

Sep. 30, 2013, Landsat 8 (path/row 205/47) — Nouakchott-Oumtounsy Airport, Mauritania

Sep. 30, 2013, Landsat 8 (path/row 205/47) — Nouakchott-Oumtounsy Airport, Mauritania

Aug. 6, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 205/47) — Nouakchott-Oumtounsy Airport, Mauritania

Aug. 6, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 205/47) — Nouakchott-Oumtounsy Airport, Mauritania

July 30, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 205/47) — Nouakchott-Oumtounsy Airport, Mauritania

July 30, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 205/47) — Nouakchott-Oumtounsy Airport, Mauritania

Oct. 12, 2011, Landsat 5 (path/row 205/47) — Nouakchott-Oumtounsy Airport, Mauritania
Sep. 30, 2013, Landsat 8 (path/row 205/47) — Nouakchott-Oumtounsy Airport, Mauritania
Aug. 6, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 205/47) — Nouakchott-Oumtounsy Airport, Mauritania
July 30, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 205/47) — Nouakchott-Oumtounsy Airport, Mauritania

Nouakchott, Mauritania Additional Imagery & Stories

City Growth
City Growth

Nouakchott was a small fishing village for hundreds of years. As recently as 1950, it had only about 200 residents. Drought throughout the 1970s broug...

Re-greening
Re-greening

Nouakchott is surrounded by a succession of sand dune belts, some of which are highly mobile and can reach 20 m high. North and east of the city, a gr...