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Aoukar or Erg Aoukar () is a geological depression area of south eastern
''Travels and Discoveries in North and Central Africa, being a Journal of an Expedition undertaken under the Auspices of H.B.M.'s Government, in the Years 1849–1855'', Vol. 3, pp. 712 ff.
Harper & Bros. (New York), 1859. Accessed 18 Apr 2014. The Aoukar basin is a dry
From east to west, Dhar Néma, Dhar Walata, Dhar Tichitt, and Dhar Tagant form a semicircular shape around the Hodh/Aoukar Depression, which, prior to 4000 BCE, was an area with lakes of considerable size, and, after 1000 BCE, was an area that had become increasingly dried. During the emergence of the Tichitt Tradition, it was an oasis area. The Tichitt Tradition of eastern Mauritania dates from 2200 BCE to 200 BCE.
Previously administered as part of French Sudan (present-day 
Richard Trillo, ''The Rough Guide to West Africa''
/ref>
Mauritania - crossing the Aoukar basin
Landforms of Mauritania Depressions (geology) Endorheic basins of Africa Geology of Mauritania Sedimentary basins of Africa Natural regions of Africa Regions of West Africa Geography of Mali Geography of Mauritania West Africa {{-
Mauritania
Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...
. It is located between Kiffa and Néma, south of the Tagant Plateau. The region is also referred to as Hodh or (). Barth, Henry''Travels and Discoveries in North and Central Africa, being a Journal of an Expedition undertaken under the Auspices of H.B.M.'s Government, in the Years 1849–1855'', Vol. 3, pp. 712 ff.
Harper & Bros. (New York), 1859. Accessed 18 Apr 2014. The Aoukar basin is a dry
natural region
A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate.
From the ecological point of view, the naturally occurring flora and ...
of sand dunes and salt pans fringed by escarpments on its northern and eastern sides.
History
There was once vast reed-covered endorheic lake in the area, but it no longer exists. The former lake of Aoukar extended towards the area of Tichit, bordering the southern edge of the Tagant Plateau. Below the cliffs ''(dhars)'' facing the extinct lake remains of about 400 villages have been found.
From east to west, Dhar Néma, Dhar Walata, Dhar Tichitt, and Dhar Tagant form a semicircular shape around the Hodh/Aoukar Depression, which, prior to 4000 BCE, was an area with lakes of considerable size, and, after 1000 BCE, was an area that had become increasingly dried. During the emergence of the Tichitt Tradition, it was an oasis area. The Tichitt Tradition of eastern Mauritania dates from 2200 BCE to 200 BCE.
Previously administered as part of French Sudan (present-day Mali
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
), the area was transferred to French Mauritania in 1944, apparently on a whim of the colonial governor Laigret. The transfer was still resented upon Mali's independence. Formerly more fertile, it is now largely a barren waste.
Aoukar/Hodh gave its name to the modern Mauritania
Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...
n regions of Hodh Ech Chargui and Hodh El Gharbi.
Ecology
The Aoukar is one of the few natural refuges for the addax, acritically endangered
An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...
kind of antelope which lives in the region./ref>
See also
* Geography of Mauritania * List of ergsReferences
External links
Mauritania - crossing the Aoukar basin
Landforms of Mauritania Depressions (geology) Endorheic basins of Africa Geology of Mauritania Sedimentary basins of Africa Natural regions of Africa Regions of West Africa Geography of Mali Geography of Mauritania West Africa {{-