Atar, Mauritania
Encyclopedia
Atar is a town in northwestern Mauritania
, the capital of the Adrar Region and the main settlement on the Adrar Plateau
. It is home to an airport
, a museum
and a historic mosque
, constructed in 1674. As of 2000 it had a population of 24,021.
and Chinguetti
. It was a key stop in the world's longest off-road race, the Paris Dakar Rally, held every January.
n scientists using geoinformation
to study the topography
of the desert with satellites. They were operating at the request of the Mauritanian government. The find has been confirmed by the Mauritanian military. Eventually, the river will provide water enough to support Atar's entire population. http://english.pravda.ru/world/2002/08/01/33665.html.
The Terjit
oasis
is near Atar.
Tiris Zemmour
. Near Atar, you can find stromatolite
s. In the North, you can find Choum
with the train that comes from Nouadhibou
and goes to Zouerate. East of Atar is the difficult way to Chinguetti
, Ouadane
and the astonishing Richat Structure
.
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
, the capital of the Adrar Region and the main settlement on the Adrar Plateau
Adrar Plateau
The Adrar Plateau is a highland area of the Sahara Desert in northern Mauritania. It was heavily settled in the Neolithic era, and the more recent aridification has left much of the archaeology intact, most notable several stone circles and the later town of Azougui.The plateau is known for its...
. It is home to an airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
, a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and a historic mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, constructed in 1674. As of 2000 it had a population of 24,021.
Tourism
Today, the Atar is best known to outsiders as an entryway for tourists to visit the ruins of the ancient Moorish cities of OuadaneOuadane
Ouadane or Wadan is a small town in the desert region of central Mauritania, situated on the southern edge of the Adrar Plateau, 93 km northeast of Chinguetti. The town was a staging post in the trans-Saharan trade and for caravans transporting slabs of salt from the mines at Idjil. A...
and Chinguetti
Chinguetti
Chinguetti is a ksar or medieval trading centre in northern Mauritania, lying on the Adrar Plateau east of Atar.Founded in the 13th century, as the center of several trans-Saharan trade routes, this tiny city continues to attract a handful of visitors who admire its spare architecture, exotic...
. It was a key stop in the world's longest off-road race, the Paris Dakar Rally, held every January.
Water Supply
While the city sits within the Sahara Desert, a nearby water supply of considerable size was recently discovered. An underground river was discovered by RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n scientists using geoinformation
Geoinformation
Geoinformation is an abbreviation of geographic information. Geographic information is created by manipulating geographic data in a computerized system. Systems can include computers and networks, standards and protocols for data use and exchange between users within a range of different...
to study the topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
of the desert with satellites. They were operating at the request of the Mauritanian government. The find has been confirmed by the Mauritanian military. Eventually, the river will provide water enough to support Atar's entire population. http://english.pravda.ru/world/2002/08/01/33665.html.
The Terjit
Terjit
Terjit is an oasis , popular with Mauritania's few tourists. It nestles in a cut on the edge of an arid plateau, and stretches a few hundred metres alongside a stream that emerges from the rock. There is a modest fee to enter and tourists can pay to stay in tents in the palm grove....
oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
is near Atar.
Geology, geography
The Adrar's mountains are from the primary era against the precambrianPrecambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
Tiris Zemmour
Tiris Zemmour
Tiris Zemmour is the northern-most region of Mauritania. Its capital is Zouérate. Other major cities/towns include F'dérik and Bir Moghrein. The region borders Algeria to the north-east, Mali to east, the Mauritanian region of Adrar to the south and Western Sahara to west and north-west.Tiris...
. Near Atar, you can find stromatolite
Stromatolite
Stromatolites or stromatoliths are layered accretionary structures formed in shallow water by the trapping, binding and cementation of sedimentary grains by biofilms of microorganisms, especially cyanobacteria ....
s. In the North, you can find Choum
Choum
Choum is a town in northern Mauritania, lying in the Adrar Region close to the border with the Western Sahara . Choum has a population of around 5,000.- History :The town grew from its position on trans-Saharan trading routes...
with the train that comes from Nouadhibou
Nouadhibou
Nouadhibou is the second largest city in Mauritania and serves as a major commercial centre. The city itself has about 75,000 inhabitants expanding to over 90,000 in the larger metropolitan area. It is situated on a 40-mile peninsula or headland called Ras Nouadhibou, Cap Blanc, or Cabo Blanco, of...
and goes to Zouerate. East of Atar is the difficult way to Chinguetti
Chinguetti
Chinguetti is a ksar or medieval trading centre in northern Mauritania, lying on the Adrar Plateau east of Atar.Founded in the 13th century, as the center of several trans-Saharan trade routes, this tiny city continues to attract a handful of visitors who admire its spare architecture, exotic...
, Ouadane
Ouadane
Ouadane or Wadan is a small town in the desert region of central Mauritania, situated on the southern edge of the Adrar Plateau, 93 km northeast of Chinguetti. The town was a staging post in the trans-Saharan trade and for caravans transporting slabs of salt from the mines at Idjil. A...
and the astonishing Richat Structure
Richat Structure
The Richat Structure, also known as the Eye of the Sahara and Guelb er Richat, is a prominent circular feature in the Sahara desert of west – central Mauritania near Ouadane. This structure is a deeply eroded, slightly elliptical, 40-km in diameter, dome...
.