Ahaggar Mountains
From Freepedia
The Ahaggar Mountains, also known as the Hoggar, are a highland region in central Sahara, southern Algeria. They are located about 1,500 km (932 miles) south of the capital, Algiers and just west of Tamanghasset. The region is largely a rocky desert with an average altitude of more than 900 metres (2,953 feet) above sea level. The highest peak is at 2918 meters (Tahat). A famous and very visited point is the Assekrem, where le Père de Foulcault lived in the summer of 1905.
The Ahaggar Mountains are essentially constituted of volcanic rocks. The climate is very hot in the summer and temperatures fall below 0°C in the winter. Rainfall is rare and sporadic. However, since the climate is less extreme than most other areas of the Sahara, the Ahaggar Mountains are a major location for biodiversity and host relict species. The ecology of the Ahaggar Mountains is best described in the article West Saharan montane xeric woodlands, the ecoregion to which this area belongs.
The Ahaggar massif is the land of the Imuhagh, the Tuareg people. In the oasis of Abalassa near the town of Tamanghasset is located the tomb of the famous Tin Hinan, the matriach believed to be the ancestor of the Tuareg of Ahaggar. According to legend, Tin Hinan originated from Tafilalt region in the Atlas Mountains. The main city nearby the Ahaggar is Tamanghasset, built in a desert valley or wadi.
Today, the Ahaggar region is a prime tourist destination in Algeria.
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