  the hoggar mountains (, berber: idurar n ahaggar, tuareg: idurar uhaggar), also known as the ahaggar, are a highland region in the central sahara, southern algeria, along the tropic of cancer. ==geography== this mountainous region is located about  south of the capital, algiers. the area is largely rocky desert with an average elevation of more than  above sea level. the highest peak, mount tahat, is at . assekrem is a famous and often visited point where charles de foucauld built a hermitage in 1911. the main city near the hoggar mountains is tamanrasset, built in a desert valley or wadi. ==environment== the hoggar mountain range is chiefly volcanic rock and contains a hot summer climate, with a cold winter climate (temperatures fall below  in the winter). the mountains are youngâabout 2 million years old. rainfall is rare and sporadic. however, since the climate is less extreme than in most other areas of the sahara, the hoggar mountains are a major location for biodiversity and host relict species. the hoggar mountains are part of the west saharan montane xeric woodlands ecoregion. it is also one of the national parks of the country. ===fauna and flora=== slightly to the west of the hoggar range, a population of the endangered painted hunting dog (lycaon pictus) remained viable into the 20th century, but is now thought to be extirpated within this entire region.c. michael hogan. 2009 in scat collections there are records of the presence of these elusive and very rare carnivores.see busby, 2006, http://users.ox.ac.uk/~some2456/docs/busby_gbj_north_african_cheetah_thesis.pdf.http://users.ox.ac.uk/~some2456/docs/carniv_mol_gen_ahaggar_report_2006.pdf ==cultural significance== prehistoric settlem
IUCN_Category_II Mountain_ranges_of_Algeria Sahara Saharan_rock_art Tuareg