The Kaouar (or Kawar ) is a series of ten oases in the southern Sahara in northeast Niger , covering about 75 km (50 mi) from north to south, and 1–5 km (0.62–3.11 mi) east to west. They are on the eastern edge of the Ténéré desert, between the Tibesti Mountains in the east and the Aïr Mountains in the west and between the Fezzan in the north and Lake Chad in the south. They lie on the leeward side of a 100-meter-high north–south escarpment and easterly winds striking the escarpment provide easy access to groundwater for the oases.
10-589: Running south to north, Bilma , Dirkou , Aney and Séguédine are the largest towns. The Kaouar oases are famous for salt and date production, and were along the route of the great Bornu to Fezzan caravan trail. This was the major point of contact between the African Sahel and the Mediterranean civilisations until the 19th century. Numerous archeological sites and rock paintings attest to human habitation here reaching back some 10,000 years to when
20-583: Is a political party in Niger led by Sanoussi Jackou . "Al'ouma", the party's nickname, is an Arabic loan word meaning "Community" in Hausa . The party was founded by Jackou on 2 February 1997 following his 1996 expulsion from the Democratic and Social Convention (which he had co-founded in 1991) when he chose to take up ministerial posts in the government of Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara . It received 0.9% of
30-454: Is also hot during the "winter" months and extremely hot during the summer months and for prolonged periods of time. Average high temperatures in "winter" months surpass 27 °C (81 °F), and exceed 40 °C (104 °F) from April to September inclusively, peaking at 44 °C (111 °F) in June. The record high temperature is 48.2 °C (118.8 °F) on June 23, 2010. Bilma had
40-630: Is an oasis town and commune in north east Niger with, as of the 2012 census, a total population of 4,016 people. It lies protected from the desert dunes under the Kaouar Cliffs and is the largest town along the Kaouar escarpment. It is known for its gardens, for salt and natron production through evaporation ponds, date cultivation, and as the destination of one of the last Saharan caravan routes (the Azalai , from Agadez ). Its population
50-606: Is mostly Kanuri , with smaller Toubou , Tuareg , and Hausa populations, the last being a reminder of Bilma's role as a key stop in the Trans Saharan trade . Bilma is the administrative seat of the Bilma Department , covering some 670,000 km (260,000 sq mi) of north eastern Niger . While it continues to produce salt in large natron salt pans, and this salt is still sold for livestock use throughout west Africa. Tourism (based out of Agadez and
60-629: The Aïr Mountains some 560 km (350 mi) to the west) is of growing importance. Bilma features a hot desert climate ( Köppen climate classification BWh ). The town lies deep in the heart of the Sahara Desert , more precisely in the Ténéré , a hyper-arid desert region lying over northeastern Niger and western Chad , and as such is extremely dry, averaging only 12.7 mm (0.50 in) of measurable precipitation annually. Bilma
70-476: The area was surrounded by lush grasslands. In 1997, the Kaouar was submitted as a tentative candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Site status as part of The salt route from Air to Kaouar. The oases have been designated as a Ramsar site since 2005. 18°54′N 12°54′E / 18.900°N 12.900°E / 18.900; 12.900 This Niger location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Bilma Bilma
80-506: The country's lowest ever recorded temperature, −2.4 °C (27.7 °F), on 13 January 1995. The sunshine duration is extremely high year-round with some 4,000 hours of bright sunshine annually. The region excels at hot, sunny and dry weather. The poet Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Kanemi was born in Bilma in the 12th century. During French Colonial rule, Bilma was the site of a major—if isolated—military post at Fort Dromard . After independence,
90-739: The isolation of Bilma made it the destination for disgraced officials under the authoritarian regime of Seyni Kountché , and a prison was built there by the government. Political leaders were held there in the 1980s, such as Sanoussi Tambari Djakou , today president of the PNA-AL , a Nigerien political party. In 1989, UTA Flight 772 crashed into the desert near the town after a bomb exploded on board, killing all 170 people aboard. 18°41′N 12°55′E / 18.683°N 12.917°E / 18.683; 12.917 Nigerien Self-Management Party The Nigerien Self-Management Party ( French : Parti nigérien pour l'autogestion , PNA-Al'ouma)
100-645: The vote in the 1999 parliamentary elections , failing to win a seat. It contested the 2004 parliamentary elections in alliance with the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism and the Nigerien Progressive Party – African Democratic Rally , with the joint list winning four seats. Jackou took one of the seats, becoming the PNA's first elected deputy. It retained its single seat in the 2009 parliamentary elections , but received no votes in
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