Fort-Laperrine, Algeria Market town and administrative center, 1400km (4600 ft) above sea level. Located in the mountainous Ahaggar (Hoggar) region on the Wadi Tamanghasset, the town originated as a military outpost, guarding trans-Saharan trade routes. Tamanrasset is about 1,900km (1,200 miles) south of Algiers. Although the desert climate is mitigated by the town's elevation, some of the world's highest known shade temperatures (exceeding 38C [100F]) have been recorded there at the Jules Carde Observatory. It is the key starting place for desert travel to Agadez in Niger and Gao in Mali. It is also the capital and meeting place of the Touaregs, desert nomads who graze their livestock in the Hoggar Mountains.

Pecular spectacle: on the long Emir AbdelKader Avenue, Tuaregs, who affect to keep up the arrogance of their old spledours, meet track adventurers and round-eyed tourists. One shouldn't take fright at this friendly confusion. Tam' picturesque disorder does not deprive the city of its enwrapping absolute. Tamanrasset is in the bosom of the Ahaggar, and the Ahaggar is immutable. A journalist has written that "the sought at camel's tread is large, very large, but so nice, very nice." Out of modestry, the sentence is meant to be common place, but it expresses a real emotion. It is the emotion that grips you when once the daily cries and noises have attenuated, the great nocturnal silence spreads on the vasteness of the south. To those for whom the unsettled existence of towns tries out, the Ahaggar offers as a reward, the life passion reduced to essential. One must not say that the Ahaggar humiliates man by too much greatness. On the contrary, the Ahaggar restores to him dignity.

Once one has enjoyed the picturesque spell of "Tam", one can immediatly devote his time to visit the Ahaggar Traditional Art Museum: usual articles, jewels, arms and odd padlocks finely chiselled. One will need two days for the Assekren tour, you will be strongly advised to sleep in the refuge at the foot of the plateau in order to visit the hermitage of Father de Foucauld before the twilight. There, one discovers a breath-taking panorama. Visit also Adrian'Spa, the pools of Imlaoulaouene and the pools of Afilale. A short tour allows a person to visit the Assekren. A 6 to 10 days trip offers a tourist the possibility to know diverse landscapes and to admire nice cave-paintings.

Population : (estimated) 45.000