Which mountain range in the Sahara Desert is the highest and includes Emi Koussi?

The Tibesti Mountains are the highest mountain range in the Sahara Desert and include Emi Koussi. This volcanic massif lies mainly in northern Chad, with parts extending toward southern Libya, and rises dramatically above the surrounding desert plains.

Emi Koussi reaches about 3,447 meters and is both the highest point in the Tibesti range and the highest mountain in the Sahara. It is a broad pyroclastic shield volcano with two overlapping summit calderas. Its great height and isolated profile make it one of the most recognizable landmarks in the central Sahara.

The Tibesti is not simply a chain of ordinary desert ridges. It is a complex volcanic region formed by uplift and repeated eruptions, with lava plateaus, volcanic cones, deep valleys, and high-elevation vegetation. Some peaks exceed 2,000 meters, producing cooler and occasionally wetter conditions than the surrounding desert.

The Air Mountains, Ahaggar Mountains, and Ethiopian Highlands are also important African highlands, but none is the range associated with Emi Koussi. The Toubou, or Teda and Daza peoples, have long lived in and around the Tibesti region.