The Termit Massif (Termit Mountains or simply the Termit) is a mountainous region in southeastern

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesTenere desert and the

Erg of Bilma The Erg of Bilma is a dune sea (Arabic: ''erg'') in the Ténéré desert region of the south central Sahara Desert. The Erg of Bilma stretches southwest from Fachi and the Tibesti Mountains. On the west it is bounded by the Aïr Mountains in north ...

, the northern areas of the Termit, called the Gossololom consists of black volcanic peaks which jut from surrounding sand seas. The southern Termit is a roughly east–west range of heavily eroded black sandstone. Its foothills on the south west are the Koutous hills.

Human settlement

The small population of the Termit is mostly nomadic, with

Toubou The Toubou or Tubu (from Old Tebu, meaning "rock people") are an ethnic group native to the Tibesti Mountains that inhabit the central Sahara in northern Chad, southern Libya and northeastern Niger. They live either as herders and nomads or as ...

settlements in the north and east, and more

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 ...

and

Diffa Arabs Diffa Arabs ( ar, عرب الديفا) (also known as Mahamid Arabs) is the Nigerien name given to Arabicized nomadic tribespeople living in eastern Niger, mostly in the Diffa Region. In 2006, approximately 150,000 and accounting for less than 1.5% ...

to the west. Covering much of the north of the

Zinder Zinder (locally, ''Damagaram''), formerly also spelled Sinder, is the third largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 (2001 census);

and

Diffa Region Diffa is one of the seven Regions of Niger, located in the southeast of the country. The capital of the region is Diffa. Geography Diffa Region is situated in the extreme southeast of Niger between 10° 30’ and 15° 35’ longitude East and 1 ...

s, there are few permanent settlements or all weather roads in the area. Communities within the region include Termit Kaoboul in the south centre and Kandil Bouzou in the southeast. Neighbouring settlements include Tasker, Abourak and Haltouma to the southwest; Béla Hardé to the southeast, and Koussa Arma, Oyou Bezezé Denga, and Agadem on the eastern fringe. Settled communities on the south west fringe are largely

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also ...

, and to the south east Kanuri. The large Kanuri town of

N'guigmi N'guigmi is a city and Commune of fifteen thousand in the easternmost part of Niger, very near to Lake Chad – lying on its shore until the lake retreated. It is a crossroads for the traditional camel caravans of the Toureg and for traders p ...

is to the southeast and the Hausa cities of

Goure Goure (fr. Gouré) is a town in southeastern Niger, Zinder Region, Goure Department, of which it is the seat. Situation Situated on the main all-weather east–west highway in Southern Niger, it is about 170 km east of regional capital ...

and

Zinder Zinder (locally, ''Damagaram''), formerly also spelled Sinder, is the third largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 (2001 census);

are to the southwest.

Ecological protection

Termit is home to the Termit Massif Reserve, a 700,000 hectare faunal reserve established in 1962 to protect endangered antelope and Addax populations.World Database on Protected Areas / UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 2008.
/ref> In 2006, the government of Niger applied to

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

to have the Termit Massif area named a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

.Massif de Termit
Base de données des listes indicatives, 26 May 2006.

References

* {{Authority control Geography of Niger