Figure 1.--he Tuareg are a Berber people intimately connected with the vast, arid Sahara Desert. They inhabit the western Saharan regions of North Africa (modern Niger, Mali, Libya, Algeria, and Burkina Faso). The cammel played a key role in Tuareg life, now being replaced by the pickup truck. The Tuareg still, however, are deeply attached to the cammel. Here a Tuareg toddler in Niger is playing with a baby camel.

The Tuareg are a Berber people intimately connected with the vast, arid Sahara Desert. They inhabit the western Saharan regions of North Africa (modern Niger, Mali, Libya, Algeria, and Burkina Faso). These were countries colonized by France in the late-19th century, except for Libya which replaced the Ottomanns as the colonial power in the early-20th century. Because of their geographic distribution they were ble to dominate thecaravan trafic between West Africa and the Magreb, wither bu attacking the caravns are selling protection. This means that they were involved in the slve trade as slaves were one of the primary commodities transported over the caravn roots. The nomadic Tuareg gradually settled around the major commercial cities of the southern Sahara. At first this facilitated commerce because the Tuareg in the cities could cooperate with the nomadic tribesmen and the caravan tradesmen. Now most Tuareg have settled in the cities although their connection with the Sahara continues. Thir influence is strongest in the Saharan regions of the countries mentioned above. This assocition with the Sahara means historicall stron connctions with cammels and cravn trade. An emotional attachment to cammels continues, but today trasport is more likely to mean pick-up trucks.

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Created: 2:38 PM 1/25/2013
Last updated: 2:38 PM 1/25/2013