Ennedi Plateau

The Ennedi is a big land in Chad.

It sits in the middle of the Sahara. The wind and heat shaped the rocks. Now, the land has tall towers and arches.

You can see very old art on the walls. It shows many cows and people. Some people live there with camels and goats. It is a very special place to visit.

The Ennedi Plateau is a large area in northeast Chad.

It sits in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Wind and heat shaped the land over a long time. This created tall stone towers, pillars, and arches. The area is about 60,000 square kilometers in size. That is as big as the country of Switzerland.

Many people lived here a long time ago. They left behind beautiful rock art on cave walls.

This art is nearly 7,000 years old. Most of the pictures show cattle. Today, groups of people live here with herds of camels and goats.

They move through the land during the rainy months.

The land has special desert ponds called gueltas. These pools help animals survive. You might see birds, gazelles, or even ostriches. Some small crocodiles also live in the water. The Ennedi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This means it is a very important place for the whole world to protect.

The Ennedi Plateau is a vast and beautiful place in northeast Chad.

It sits within the Ennedi-Ouest and Ennedi-Est regions. This area is part of the Ennedi Massif mountains. These mountains are found in the Sahelian belt of Africa. The plateau is a huge sandstone wall in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Wind and changing temperatures shaped the land over a very long time. This process of erosion created amazing stone towers, pillars, and arches.

Nature works in many ways to shape this desert landscape. The plateau is made of sandstone sitting on a granite base. Even in the dry desert, you can find water in special places. There are at least twenty springs and desert ponds called gueltas. These pools are very important for living things to survive. The climate can change based on the seasons and rain. In the south, the weather is more wet between May and September. This rain helps moisture stay in the thin soil during winter.

People have called this land home for thousands of years. Long ago, hunters and gatherers lived in the area. Later, pastoralists arrived to live with their animals. They left behind a massive collection of rock art.

This art is nearly 7,000 years old. Most of the paintings show cattle because they were so important. Some art is painted, while some is carved into the stone. These pictures show how people lived and worked long ago.

Today, the Ennedi is full of interesting animals and plants. You can find 199 species of migratory birds passing through. There are also desert crocodiles that live in small pools. These crocodiles are small because they have been isolated for a long time. Researchers even found a group of 25 North African ostriches. Some people are working to bring addax antelopes back to the area. There are also over 525 species of plants growing here.

Protecting this special place is a big job for the world. The Ennedi became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in February 2016. This helps people remember how important the land is. In 2018, a group called African Parks began managing the area. They work with the Chadian government to help the landscape. They want to improve the area for both nature and tourists. This helps provide money and support for the local people who live there.

The Ennedi Plateau is a massive sandstone bulwark located in northeast Chad. It spans the Ennedi-Ouest and Ennedi-Est regions. This landscape is part of the Ennedi Massif mountain group. This group sits within the Sahelian belt of Africa. The belt stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to Sudan. The plateau covers approximately 60,000 square kilometers. This makes it roughly the same size as Switzerland.

Geological forces created the unique shapes of this desert. The massif consists of sandstone sitting on a Precambrian granite base. This sandstone includes Cambrian-Ordovician to Carboniferous layers. These layers sit on the north-facing Gondwana platform. Wind and temperature changes caused erosion over many years. This erosion carved the landscape into towers, pillars, bridges, and arches. These structures are now major attractions for tourists. Some features, like ridge-and-trough topography, record the ancient Andean-Saharan glaciation.

The climate of the Ennedi is often dry, but it changes. The area is part of the Sahelian Acacia savanna. Rainfall is influenced by the Intertropical Convergence Zone, or ITCZ. In the southern region, a north-Sahelian climate brings more rain. This rain usually falls between May and September. Historically, the climate has shifted significantly. Around 6000 BP, the region was a savanna with 250 mm of annual rainfall. By 4300 BP, rainfall dropped to 150 mm. By 2700 BP, it reached 50 mm per year. This 50 mm level is similar to the rainfall seen today.

Water is vital for life in this arid environment. The plateau contains at least twenty perennial or semi-perennial springs. It also features gueltas, which are desert ponds, and various pools. During the dry season, these pools rarely exceed a few dozen meters in depth. These water sources support a rich collection of fauna. For example, 199 species of migratory birds pass through the area. The Guelta d'Archei is a famous landmark where camels gather.

The wildlife of the Ennedi is both diverse and fragile. The West African crocodile, or desert crocodile, lives in a few river canyon pools. These crocodiles show dwarfism because they have been isolated for so long. The plateau also hosts an isolated population of North African ostriches. As of 2022, researchers identified 25 ostriches in the area. African Parks recently rehomed 11 ostrich chicks there to help the population grow. Some species, like the scimitar-horned oryx and addax, were once hunted to extinction here. However, efforts are underway to bring them back. In December 2023, 10 addax were released into the reserve.

Human history is deeply etched into the stone of the plateau. Many people occupied this area thousands of years ago. Hunters-gatherers lived here between 5,000 and 4,000 cal BC. Pastoralists began arriving around 4,000 cal BC. These people left behind a massive collection of rock art. This art is estimated to be about 8,000 years old. Most of the art is painted, making up 86% of the collection. The remaining 14% is engraved or carved.

The rock art provides a window into ancient lifestyles. The images depict humans and animals with great realism. Domesticated animals make up nearly 69% of the artwork. Cattle are the most frequent subject, representing over 50% of the total pictures at some sites. At the Murdi site, caprids make up 10% and dogs make up 5%. Early monochrome paintings showed people working with livestock. Later, more colorful images appeared. These later works often showed more combat weapons. This change might indicate intensified fighting due to social hierarchies or changing climates.

Protecting the Ennedi is a complex international effort. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in February 2016. This status helps increase tourism income for Chad. However, the government reduced the protected area size to allow for oil exploration. This has led to concerns about oil spills and water contamination. To help manage the land, African Parks assumed management in early 2018. They work with the Chadian government to improve infrastructure. The European Union and the Dutch Postcode Lottery have provided millions of euros to support these efforts. In 2019, the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve was officially designated.