The city sits within the "
Chemama" Riverine zone along the north bank of the
River Senegal where it connects with the
Gorgol River. This region is one of the few areas of settled agriculture in the country. Culturally, the city is among the most diverse in Mauritania, consisting of ethnic "White
Moors" (Arabic: البيضان) and "
Black Moors" (Arabic: السودان), as well as
Pulaar, and
Soninke communities. It is known as a
market town, a medical center, and a center for local
farmers. The market reflects the
sub-Saharan culture of neighboring
Senegal somewhat more than the Moorish-Arabic culture found further north in the country. Most of the
architecture consists of brown, flat-roofed buildings, undistinguished except that most are surrounded by "
dutch brick" enclosures. The one exception is the unusual architecture of the
Kaédi Regional Hospital, which was constructed in 1989 and features multiple
beehive-style domes. The award-winning architecture was designed by the Association for the Development of Traditional African Urbanism and Architecture (ADAUA), which aims to develop indigenous African urban architectural designs using local materials and technologies. == Transport ==