Tenere
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Tenere is a desert region in the south central Sahara, Niger. The huge sand dunes of Temet and magical scenery are said to make Tenere the most beautiful desert in the world. The Tuareg word tenere meaning desert, translated into Arabic, gave the Sahara its name.
The desert is composed of sand dunes and sand flats. A major dinosaur cemetery lies at its western edge with a large number of fossils, many covered by sand, spread over 150 km.
Tenere's main city is the town of Agadez, in the shadow of the Aïr Mountains. There are also various oasis settlements based on salt mining.
The desert is also known for the Tree of Tenere, once the most remote in the world. Incredibly, in 1973, a truck driver hit the tree – the only one for several hundred kilometres – and it was replaced by a metal sculpture, the original now being in the Niger National Museum.
Population
The inhabitants of Tenere region are largely Tuareg of Ayr and Azawagh. Three Tuareg federations, Kel Ayr, Iwillimidan Kel Denneg and Kel Gres ruled the area until the arrival of the French colonial army, which occupied the land. Other ethnic groups dwelling in Tenere are the Hausa, Songhay, Wodaabe or (Peul Bororo), the Moors, and Tebu.
In 1960 the Tuareg territory become part of the independent republic of Niger. It has been divided between seven departments.
Major cities and villages of Tenere: