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Gorgol lies in the Senegal River valley of southern Mauritania, shaped by the river itself and by the Gorgol tributary that gives the region its name. Fertile floodplain fields, dyke-irrigated rice schemes and riverside villages make it one of the more agricultural regions in the country, with a population largely Pulaar, Soninke and Moor. Kaedi, the regional capital, is a river town and important market centre close to the Senegalese border. Travellers passing through see a different Mauritania here: green riverbanks, pirogue crossings, cattle markets and mud-brick villages rather than dunes. Kaedi's large weekly market draws traders from both sides of the river, and the region's proximity to Senegal gives it a distinct cross-border, riverine culture with its own music and craft traditions.
- Kaedi river town and its weekly market
- Senegal River pirogue crossings
- Rice-growing floodplain villages
- Cross-border Pulaar and Soninke culture