At 915 m (3,002 ft) tall, Kediet ej Jill includes the highest peak in Mauritania. The mountain and its surrounding area are rich in iron deposits, thought to have been mined here since the 11th century and commercially exploited since 1952. The mines are connected to Nouadhibou on the Atlantic coast by a 700 km railway.[1]
Geology
The mountain appears bluish because of the high concentration of magnetite, an iron ore and naturally magnetic.[2] Owing to its inherent magnetic properties, the mountain disrupts navigational compasses. Similar magnetic fields allowed the discovery of other deposits in the region (magnetite guelbs) in the 1960s.