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Hassi Messaoud

(Encyclopedia)Hassi Messaoud häsˈsē mĕsˌsäo͞odˈ [key] [Arab.,=blessed well], town, E Algeria. Formerly a watering hole in the Sahara desert, Hassi Messaoud rose to prominence with the discovery of oil in 19...

Ghardaïa

(Encyclopedia)Ghardaïa gärdäyäˈ [key], town, N Algeria. It is the chief town of the Mzab, a stony, barren ...

Hassan II

(Encyclopedia)Hassan II häˈsän [key], 1929–99, king of Morocco (1961–99). Formerly crown prince Moulay Hassan ben Mohammed Alaoui, he ascended the throne on the death (1961) of his father, Muhammad V. A grad...

Ghudamis

(Encyclopedia)Ghudamis or Ghadames both: gədäˈmĕs [key], town, W Libya, in an oasis in the Sahara, near the borders with Algeria and Tunisia. It was long an important caravan center on the route from Tripoli to...

Daddah, Moktar Ould

(Encyclopedia)Daddah, Moktar Ould mo͝okhˈtär o͞old dädˈdä [key], 1924–2003, president of Mauritania (1961–78). He became premier when Mauritania joined the French Community (1958). Elected president when...

Laghouat

(Encyclopedia)Laghouat lägwätˈ [key], town (1998 pop. 96,342), N Algeria, an oasis on the north edge of the Sahara Desert. It is an important administrative and military center and marketplace and is known for r...

Atlas Mountains

(Encyclopedia)Atlas Mountains, system of ranges and plateaus in NW Africa, extending c.1,500 mi (2,410 km) from SW Morocco, through N Algeria, to N Tunisia; Jebel Toubkal (13,671 ft/4,167 m), in SW Morocco, is the ...

Maghreb

(Encyclopedia)Maghreb or Magrib both: mäˈgrĭb [key] [Arab.,=the West], Arabic term for NW Africa. It is generally applied to all of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia but actually pertains only to the area of the thr...

Clapperton, Hugh

(Encyclopedia)Clapperton, Hugh, 1788–1827, British explorer, b. Annan, Scotland. After serving with the British navy in East India and Canada he made two journeys to W Africa. On the initial journey (1822–25) h...

Mzab

(Encyclopedia)Mzab əmzäbˈ [key], stony, barren valley, Algeria, in the N Sahara. It was settled c.1000 by members of an austere Muslim sect, the Kharijites. The inhabitants, called Mozabites, dug wells, created ...

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