Djanet ( ar, جانت) is an
oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.”
The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
city, and capital of
Djanet 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
, relig ...
. 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 provinc ...
. 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 A ...
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 Al ...
.
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 c ...
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 A ...
. 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
El Mihan is a village in the commune of Djanet, in Djanet District, Illizi Province, Algeria
)
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, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital ...
,
Adjahil and
Eferi
Eferi is a village in the commune of Djanet, in Djanet District, Illizi Province, Algeria. Along with the other localities near Djanet it lies at the south-western edge of the Tassili n'Ajjer
Tassili n'Ajjer (Berber: ''Tassili n Ajjer'', ar, ...
, 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
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 c ...
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
The Acacus Mountains or Tadrart Akakus ( ar, تدرارت أكاكوس / ALA-LC: ''Tadrārt Akākūs'') form a mountain range in the desert of the Ghat District in western Libya, part of the Sahara. They are situated east of the city of Ghat, Lib ...
.
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 pl ...
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 ''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
El Mihan is a village in the commune of Djanet, in Djanet District, Illizi Province, Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital ...
*Aghoum
*
Adjahil
*
Eferi
Eferi is a village in the commune of Djanet, in Djanet District, Illizi Province, Algeria. Along with the other localities near Djanet it lies at the south-western edge of the Tassili n'Ajjer
Tassili n'Ajjer (Berber: ''Tassili n Ajjer'', ar, ...
*In Abarbar
*Medak
*Arikin
*
Tin El Koum
Tin El Koum (also written Tin Alkoum; ar, تين الكوم) is a village in the commune of Djanet, in Djanet District, Illizi Province, Algeria. It is located in the same valley as Ghat in Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), offi ...
*Anijir
See also
*
Sebiba
External links
References
Neighbouring towns and cities
{{Authority control
Oases of Algeria
Djanet District
Tuareg
Communes of Illizi Province
Illizi Province