Blue Mountains (Niger)
Encyclopedia
The Blue Mountains are a mountain range in Niger
in the northeastern section of the Aïr Massif, about 100 km ENE of the town of Iférouane
and 30 km NE of the Tezerik oasis. Isolated from the main Massif by dune seas of the Erg of Ténéré and a flat gravely Desert pavement
plain, the rocky outcrop from the desert rises to a height of 924m, almost 300m over the surrounding topography. The area is in Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve
, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mountains themselves are also within the smaller Aïr and Ténéré Addax Sanctuary
. They are characterised by cipollino marble
outcroppings, which give the hills a blueish tint. Despite their relative inaccessibility, they became a tourist destination during the upsurge of desert region Tourism in Niger during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
in the northeastern section of the Aïr Massif, about 100 km ENE of the town of Iférouane
Iferouane
Iferouane , also spelled Iferouan, is an oasis town in northern Niger, in Agadez Department. It is located northeast of Arlit in the northern Aïr,in the Ighazar valleynear the Tamgak Range....
and 30 km NE of the Tezerik oasis. Isolated from the main Massif by dune seas of the Erg of Ténéré and a flat gravely Desert pavement
Desert pavement
A desert pavement is a desert surface that is covered with closely packed, interlocking angular or rounded rock fragments of pebble and cobble size.-Formation:Several theories have been proposed for their formation...
plain, the rocky outcrop from the desert rises to a height of 924m, almost 300m over the surrounding topography. The area is in Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve
Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve
The Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve is a national nature reserve in the West African nation of Niger. It includes several overlapping reserve designations, and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mountains themselves are also within the smaller Aïr and Ténéré Addax Sanctuary
Aïr and Ténéré Addax Sanctuary
The Aïr and Ténéré Addax Sanctuary is a nature reserve in the north center of the nation of Niger. The reserve forms part of the larger Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
. They are characterised by cipollino marble
Cipollino marble
Cipollino marble was a variety of marble used by the ancient Greeks and Romans, whose Latin term for it was "marmor carystium" . It was quarried in several locations on the south-west coast of the island of Euboea in Greece, between the modern-day cities of Styra and Karystos...
outcroppings, which give the hills a blueish tint. Despite their relative inaccessibility, they became a tourist destination during the upsurge of desert region Tourism in Niger during the late 1990s and early 2000s.