Tamanrasset

{{About|the city|the ancient river|Tamanrasset River|other uses|Tamanrasset (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Tamanrasset

| native_name = {{lang|ar|تامنراست}}

| settlement_type = City

| image_skyline = Cour d'assises de Tamanrasset مجلس قضاء تمنراست.jpg

| image_size =

| image_caption = Tamanrasset assize court

| image_flag =

| image_seal =

| image_map = DZ-11 Tamanrasset.svg

| map_caption = Location of Tamanrasset commune within Tamanrasset Province

| pushpin_map = Algeria

| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Tamanrasset within Algeria

| pushpin_mapsize = 300

| pushpin_label_position = top

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = {{flag|Algeria}}

| subdivision_type1 = Province

| subdivision_name1 = Tamanrasset Province

| subdivision_type2 = District

| subdivision_name2 = Tamanrasset District

| subdivision_type3 =

| subdivision_name3 =

| leader_title =

| leader_name =

| established_title =

| established_date = 1905

| area_magnitude =

| area_total_km2 = 37713

| area_land_km2 =

| area_water_km2 =

| population_footnotes =

| population_as_of = 2008

| population_note =

| population_total = 92635

| population_metro =

| population_density_km2 = 2

| timezone = CET

| utc_offset = +1

| timezone_DST =

| utc_offset_DST =

| coordinates = {{coord|22|47|20|N|5|31|32|E|region:DZ|display=inline,title}}

| elevation_m = 1320

| blank_name_sec1 = PMA seats (as of 2007)

| blank_info_sec1 = 11

| blank1_name_sec1 = ONS code

| blank1_info_sec1 = 1101

| postal_code_type = Postal code

| postal_code = 11000

| area_code = (+213) 29

| blank2_name_sec1 = Climate

| blank2_info_sec1 = BWh

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Tamanrasset ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|t|æ|m|ə|n|ˈ|r|æ|s|ə|t|,_|-|s|ɛ|t}};{{cite web |url= https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Tamanrasset |title=Tamanrasset |website=Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary |publisher= Merriam-Webster|access-date= 8 December 2020}} {{langx|ar|تامنراست|Tāmanrāssit}}), also known as Tamanghasset or Tamenghest, is an oasis city and capital of Tamanrasset Province in southern Algeria, in the Ahaggar Mountains. It is the chief city of the Algerian Tuareg. It is located at an altitude of {{convert|1320|m|ft}}. As of the 2008 census, it has a population of 92,635,{{cite web|title=Population: Tamanrasset Wilaya|url=http://www.ons.dz/collections/w11_p1.pdf|publisher=Office National des Statistiques Algérie|access-date=30 May 2013|language=fr}} up from 72,741 in 1998,{{cite web|title=Algeria Communes|url=http://www.statoids.com/ydz.html|publisher=Statoids|access-date=8 March 2013}} with an annual growth rate of 2.5%. up to 116,521 in 2019.

Tamanrasset was originally established as a military outpost to guard the trans-Saharan trade routes. Surrounded by the barren Sahara, very high temperatures of over {{convert|47|°C}} have been recorded here{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}}. Tamanrasset is located at an oasis where citrus fruits, apricots, dates, almonds, cereals, corn, and figs are grown, despite the difficult climate. The Tuareg people were once the town's main inhabitants. Tamanrasset is a tourist attraction during the cooler months. Visitors are also drawn to the Museum of the Hoggar, which offers many exhibits depicting Tuareg life and culture.

The city is served by Tamanrasset Airport and the Trans-Sahara Highway.

History

Tamanrasset originated as the centre of a network of camel caravan trading routes from Kano, Lake Chad, Gao, Agades and Zinder.John Gunther, "Inside Africa" Hamish Hamilton, page132 When Algeria was under French rule, the Catholic priest Charles de Foucauld built his hermitage here in 1905; he established the fort by 1915.

Foucauld was shot to death outside his Tamanrasset compound by Sermi ag Thora under the command of El Madani ag Soba on 1 December 1916.Fleming, Fergus. The Sword and the Cross: Two Men and an Empire of Sand. New York: Grove Press, 2003.

As a military post, the settlement was named Fort Laperrine, after General François-Henry Laperrine's death:fr:François-Henry Laperrine in the desert nearby in 1922.{{cite web |last1=Cunningham |first1=John M. |title=Tamanrasset |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Tamanrasset |website=Britannica |publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica |access-date=7 November 2024}}

On 13 February 1960, during the Algerian War, Gerboise Bleue – the first French nuclear test – detonated in the middle of the Algerian Sahara, located about 800 km to the north-west of Tamanrasset.{{Cite web|url=http://www.senat.fr/rap/o97-179/o97-1799.html|title=RAPPORT N° 179 - L'EVALUATION DE LA RECHERCHE SUR LA GESTION DES DECHETS NUCLEAIRES A HAUTE ACTIVITE - TOME II : LES DECHETS MILITAIRES|website=www.senat.fr}}

On 1 May 1962, near Ecker, 150 km north of Tamanrasset, there was an accidental venting of a French underground nuclear test. Due to improper sealing of the shaft, a spectacular flame burst through the concrete cap and radioactive gases and dust were vented into the atmosphere. The plume climbed up to 2600 m high and radiation was detected hundreds of kilometres away. About a hundred French soldiers and officials, including two ministers, were irradiated. The number of contaminated Algerians is unknown.

In March 2003 Air Algérie Flight 6289 crashed in the city.

In 2010, the oasis town was the site of the Joint Military Staff Committee headquarters for combating Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb. The four-country Committee (Algeria, Mali, Niger, Mauritania) intends to use Tamanrasset to coordinate their military activity in the Pan-Sahel.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8633851.stm|title=Saharan states to open joint military headquarters|publisher=BBC News|date=2010-04-21|access-date=2011-03-01}}

Climate

Tamanrasset has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh), with very hot summers (which are moderated by its elevation) and mild winters. There is very little rain throughout the year, although occasional rain does fall in late summer from the northern extension of the Intertropical Convergence Zone.

{{Weather box| location = Tamanrasset, Algeria (1991–2020)| width= auto| single line = Y| metric first = Y| Jan high C =20.5| Feb high C =22.8| Mar high C =26.4| Apr high C =31.0| May high C =34.2| Jun high C =36.1| Jul high C =36.1| Aug high C =35.3| Sep high C =34.2| Oct high C =30.3| Nov high C = 25.4| Dec high C = 21.9| year high C =29.5| Jan low C =4.9| Feb low C =7.2| Mar low C =11.2| Apr low C =15.7| May low C =20.1| Jun low C =23.1| Jul low C =23.4| Aug low C =22.9| Sep low C =21.4| Oct low C =16.8| Nov low C =10.7| Dec low C =6.9| year low C =15.4| Jan mean C =12.7| Feb mean C =15.0| Mar mean C =18.8| Apr mean C =23.3| May mean C =27.2| Jun mean C =29.6| Jul mean C =29.8| Aug mean C =29.1| Sep mean C =27.8| Oct mean C =23.6| Nov mean C =18.1| Dec mean C =14.4| year mean C =22.4|precipitation colour = green| Jan precipitation mm =1.3| Feb precipitation mm =0.9| Mar precipitation mm =4.2| Apr precipitation mm =0.9| May precipitation mm =2.9| Jun precipitation mm =7.0| Jul precipitation mm =8.0| Aug precipitation mm =17.8| Sep precipitation mm =6.0| Oct precipitation mm =8.3| Nov precipitation mm =0.5| Dec precipitation mm =0.6| year precipitation mm =58.4| unit precipitation days = 1 mm| Jan precipitation days =0.3| Feb precipitation days =0.2| Mar precipitation days =0.4| Apr precipitation days =0.1| May precipitation days =0.6| Jun precipitation days =1.2| Jul precipitation days =1.2| Aug precipitation days =3.3| Sep precipitation days =1.4| Oct precipitation days =0.9| Nov precipitation days =0.2| Dec precipitation days =0.1| year precipitation days =9.9|Jan sun =288.0|Feb sun =272.9|Mar sun =297.2|Apr sun =299.5|May sun =288.8|Jun sun =240.2|Jul sun =286.9|Aug sun =261.2|Sep sun =248.3|Oct sun =282.6|Nov sun =284.2|Dec sun =282.4|year sun =3,332.2| Jan record high C =30.5| Feb record high C =32.9| Mar record high C =33.9| Apr record high C =37.5| May record high C =38.8| Jun record high C =41.0| Jul record high C =41.4| Aug record high C =39.5| Sep record high C =37.8| Oct record high C =35.9| Nov record high C = 31.6| Dec record high C = 28.6| year record high C =41.4| Jan record low C =-3.4| Feb record low C =-3.7| Mar record low C =-1.5| Apr record low C =6.0| May record low C =9.0| Jun record low C =16.0| Jul record low C =17.6| Aug record low C =16.8| Sep record low C =15.5| Oct record low C =7.4| Nov record low C = -1.0| Dec record low C = -2.4| year record low C =-3.7|source = NOAA{{cite web

| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Algeria/CSV/Tamanrasset_60680.csv| title = Tamanrasset Climate Normals 1991–2020| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration| access-date = December 25, 2023

}}

Education

4.3% of the population has a tertiary education, and another 14.1% has completed secondary education.{{cite web|title=Structure relative de la population résidente des ménages ordinaires et collectifs âgée de 6 ans et plus selon le niveau d'instruction et la commune de résidence.|url=http://www.ons.dz/collections/w11_p6.pdf|publisher=Office National des Statistiques Algérie|access-date=30 May 2013|language=fr}} The overall literacy rate is 69.8%, and is 78.4% among males and 60.8% among females.{{cite web|title=Taux d'analphabétisme et taux d'alphabétisation de la population âgée de 15 ans et plus, selon le sexe et la commune de résidence.|url=http://www.ons.dz/collections/w11_p10.pdf|publisher=Office National des Statistiques Algérie|access-date=30 May 2013|language=fr}}

Localities

The commune is composed of 14 localities:{{cite web|title=Décret n° 84-365, fixant la composition, la consistance et les limites territoriale des communes. Wilaya d'El Oued|url=http://www.joradp.dz/JO8499/1984/067/FP1551.pdf|publisher=Journal officiel de la République Algérienne|access-date=2 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302112245/http://www.joradp.dz/JO8499/1984/067/FP1551.pdf |archive-date=2 March 2013 |page=1551|language=fr|date=19 December 1984}}