The postal and stamp history of Mauritania, a state in West Africa with its capital at Nouakchott, includes the period of French colonial rule of the territory as part of French West Africa, and the period of independence of Mauritania from 1960. During each of these periods in the country's postal history, postage stamps were issued on behalf of the postal administration of French West Africa or the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Mauritania has been a member of the Universal Postal Union since 1967.