Tamanghasset
Encyclopedia
Tamanrasset is an oasis
city and capital of Tamanrasset Province
in southern Algeria
, in the Ahaggar Mountains
. It is the chief city of the Algerian Tuareg. It is located at 22°47′6"N 5°31′22"E at an altitude of 1320 meters (4333 feet) and has a population of 76,000 (estimate 2006).
Tamanrasset was originally established as a military outpost to guard the trans-Saharan trade routes. Surrounded by the barren Sahara Desert, some of the world’s highest known temperatures have been recorded here. Tamanrasset is located at an oasis
where, despite the difficult climate, citrus fruits, apricots, dates, almonds, cereals, corn, and figs are grown. The Tuareg people are the town’s main inhabitants. Their red houses and the area’s magnificent, rugged scenery make Tamanrasset a popular tourist attraction during the cooler months. Visitors are also drawn to the Museum of the Hoggar, which offers many exhibits depicting Tuareg life and culture.
When Algeria was under French rule
, the city was also called Fort Laperrine.
The city is served by Tamanrasset Airport
and the Trans-Sahara Highway
.
The oasis town is now the site of the Joint Military Staff Committee headquarters for combating Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb
. The four-country Committee (Algeria, Mali, Niger, Mauritania) intends to use Tamanrasset to coordinate their military activity in the Pan-Sahel.
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Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
city and capital of Tamanrasset Province
Tamanrasset Province
Tamanrasset or Tamanghasset is the largest province in Algeria. It was named after its province seat: Tamanrasset. The Province has two national parks, more than any other in Algeria. They are: Tassili n'Ajjer National Park and Ahaggar National Park...
in southern Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, in the Ahaggar Mountains
Ahaggar Mountains
The Ahaggar Mountains , also known as the Hoggar, are a highland region in central Sahara, or southern Algeria, along the Tropic of Cancer. They are located about 1,500 km south of the capital, Algiers and just west of Tamanghasset. The region is largely rocky desert with an average...
. It is the chief city of the Algerian Tuareg. It is located at 22°47′6"N 5°31′22"E at an altitude of 1320 meters (4333 feet) and has a population of 76,000 (estimate 2006).
Tamanrasset was originally established as a military outpost to guard the trans-Saharan trade routes. Surrounded by the barren Sahara Desert, some of the world’s highest known temperatures have been recorded here. Tamanrasset is located at an oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
where, despite the difficult climate, citrus fruits, apricots, dates, almonds, cereals, corn, and figs are grown. The Tuareg people are the town’s main inhabitants. Their red houses and the area’s magnificent, rugged scenery make Tamanrasset a popular tourist attraction during the cooler months. Visitors are also drawn to the Museum of the Hoggar, which offers many exhibits depicting Tuareg life and culture.
When Algeria was under French rule
French Algeria
French Algeria lasted from 1830 to 1962, under a variety of governmental systems. From 1848 until independence, the whole Mediterranean region of Algeria was administered as an integral part of France, much like Corsica and Réunion are to this day. The vast arid interior of Algeria, like the rest...
, the city was also called Fort Laperrine.
The city is served by Tamanrasset Airport
Tamanrasset Airport
Aguenar – Hadj Bey Akhamok Airport , also known as Aguenar Airport or Tamanrasset Airport, is an airport serving Tamanrasset, a city in the Tamanrasset Province of southern Algeria...
and the Trans-Sahara Highway
Trans-Sahara Highway
The Trans-Sahara Highway is a transnational highway project to pave, improve and ease border formalities on an existing trade route across the Sahara Desert...
.
The oasis town is now the site of the Joint Military Staff Committee headquarters for combating Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb
Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb
The Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb, previously known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat is a radical Islamist militia which aims to overthrow the Algerian government and institute an Islamic state. To that end, it is currently engaged in an insurgent campaign.The group...
. The four-country Committee (Algeria, Mali, Niger, Mauritania) intends to use Tamanrasset to coordinate their military activity in the Pan-Sahel.
Climate
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