Djanet ( ar, جانت) is an

oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentDjanet District as well as of Djanet Province, southeast

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , religi ...

. It is located south of

Illizi Illizi ( ar, إيليزي) is a town and commune, coextensive with Illizi District, situated in the south-eastern part of Algeria, and capital of Illizi Province. According to the 2008 census it is the largest commune by population in the provin ...

. According to the 2008 census it has a population of 14,655, up from 9,699 in 1998, and an annual population growth rate of 4.3%. It is inhabited by the

Kel Ajjer Kel Ajjer (also Kel Azjar, Kel Azjer) is a Tuareg confederation inhabiting western Libya and eastern Algeria. Their main stronghold was Ghat, followed by Ubari. The Kel Ajjer speak Tamahaq, or Northern Tuareg. See also *Azjar **Kel Adagh **Kel Ahag ...

Tuareg people The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: ''Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern A ...

History

The region of Djanet has been inhabited since

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several part ...

times. There were periods of ten thousand years at a time that the area was not desert. The flora and fauna were luxuriant as is seen in the numerous rock paintings of

Tassili n'Ajjer Tassili n'Ajjer ( Berber: ''Tassili n Ajjer'', ar, طاسيلي ناجر; "Plateau of rivers") is a national park in the Sahara desert, located on a vast plateau in southeastern Algeria. Having one of the most important groupings of prehistoric ...

around Djanet. Populations of hunter-gatherers lived there. Djanet was founded in the Middle Ages by the

Tuareg The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: ''Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern Alg ...

. The

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, which had a nominal authority over the

Fezzan Fezzan ( , ; ber, ⴼⵣⵣⴰⵏ, Fezzan; ar, فزان, Fizzān; la, Phazania) is the southwestern region of modern Libya. It is largely desert, but broken by mountains, uplands, and dry river valleys (wadis) in the north, where oases enable ...

region, reinforced their presence in the area at the beginning of the 20th century in reaction to the colonization of Africa by the Europeans.

Geography

Djanet, and the nearby towns of Azelouaz, El Mihan, Adjahil and Eferi, lie in a valley carved by the intermittent river (''

wadi Wadi ( ar, وَادِي, wādī), alternatively ''wād'' ( ar, وَاد), North African Arabic Oued, is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some instances, it may refer to a wet ( ephemeral) riverbed that contains water on ...

'') Oued Idjeriou through the southwest edge of the

mountain range and east of the Erg Admer sand dunes. The Tadrart Rouge is located to the southeast and is a southern prolongation of the Libyan Tadrart Acacus. Due to the somewhat cooler air, higher humidity and somewhat higher rainfall in these areas, the nearby mountains support a greater amount and variety of wildlife than lower-lying areas in the Sahara, and forms part of the

West Saharan montane xeric woodlands The West Saharan montane xeric woodlands is an ecoregion that extends across several highland regions in the Sahara. Surrounded at lower elevations by the largely barren Sahara, the West Saharan montane xeric woodlands are isolated refuges of pla ...

ecosystem. Djanet itself lies at an altitude of , but the mountains to the east and north reach as high as .

Climate

Djanet has a

hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in deser ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

''BWh''), with very hot summers and mild winters. The city is extremely dry throughout the year, with an annual average rainfall of just and no month with an average of more than .

Transport

Djanet Inedbirene Airport is located about 30 kilometers south of the city center.

Education

4.1% of the population has a tertiary education, and another 19.8% has completed secondary education. The overall literacy rate is 85.6%, and is 92.1% among males and 78.0% among females, all three rates being the highest for any commune in the province.

Localities

The commune is composed of 12 localities: *Centre Ville * Azelouaz *Tin Katma * El Mihan *Aghoum * Adjahil * Eferi *In Abarbar *Medak *Arikin * Tin El Koum *Anijir

External links

References

Neighbouring towns and cities

{{Authority control Oases of Algeria Djanet District Tuareg Communes of Illizi Province Illizi Province