Nouakchott (/nwɑːkˈʃɒt/, Arabic:نواكشوطNuwākshūṭ, originally derived from Berber Nawākšūṭ, "place of the winds") is the capital and by far the largest city of Mauritania. It is one of the largest cities in the Sahara. The city is the administrative and economic centre of Mauritania.