Hoggar mountains

Hoggar Mountains
جبال هقار Idurar Uhaggar Idurar n Ahaggar
Landscape of the Assekrem region in the Hoggar
Highest point
Peak	Mount Tahat
Elevation	2,908 m (9,541 ft)
Coordinates	23°17′20″N 05°32′01″E / 23.28889°N 5.53361°E / 23.28889; 5.53361Coordinates: 23°17′20″N 05°32′01″E / 23.28889°N 5.53361°E / 23.28889; 5.53361
Geography
Hoggar Mountains Location in southern Algeria
Country	Algeria

Hoggar National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Locator map
Location	Tamanrasset Province, Algeria
Nearest city	Tamanrasset
Coordinates	22°08′N 6°10′E / 22.133°N 6.167°E / 22.133; 6.167
Area	3,800 km2 (1,500 sq mi)
Established	1987

The Hoggar Mountains (Arabic: جبال هقار‎‎, Berber: idurar n Ahaggar, Tuareg: Idurar Uhaggar), also known as the Ahaggar Mountains, are a highland region in the central Sahara, southern Algeria, along the Tropic of Cancer. The Hoggar Mountains cover an area approximately 550,000 square km (212,000 square miles).

This mountainous region is located about 1,500 km (930 mi) south of the capital, Algiers. The area is largely rocky desert with an average elevation of more than 900 m (3,000 ft) above sea level. The highest peak, Mount Tahat, is at 2,908 m (9,541 ft). The mountains are primarily composed of metamorphic rock approximately 2 billion years old, although there are areas where more recent volcanic activity has laid down much newer rock. Several of the more dramatic peaks, such as Ilamen, are the result of erosion wearing away extinct volcano domes, leaving behind the more resistant material that plugged the volcanic cores.

Assekrem is a famous and often visited point where Charles de Foucauld built a hermitage in 1911. The main city near the Hoggar Mountains is Tamanrasset, built in a desert valley or wadi.

The Hoggar Mountain range typically experiences hot summers, with a cold winter climate. Temperatures fall below 0 °C (32 °F) in the winter. Rainfall is rare and sporadic year-round. However, since the climate is less extreme than in most other areas of the Sahara, the Hoggar Mountains are a major location for biodiversity, including number of relict species. The Hoggar Mountains are part of the West Saharan montane xeric woodlands ecoregion. It is also one of the national parks of the country.