In Salah

In Salah عين صالح
Town and Commune
Aïn Salah
In Salah
Coordinates: 27°11′42″N 2°29′0″E
Country	Algeria
Province	Tamanrasset
District	In Salah
Founded	17th century
Area
• Total	11,750 km2 (4,540 sq mi)
Elevation	293 m (961 ft)
Population  (2008)
• Total	32,518
• Density	2.8/km2 (7.2/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)

In Salah or Aïn Salah (Arabic: عين صالح) is a town in southern Algeria, located in the Sahara desert, about 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) away from the capital city, Algiers. The town has more than 22,000 people living there. It was founded in the 17th century and used to be a trade center for the Tuareg people who moved around. It was an important stopover for caravans carrying goods like salt, gold, and slaves. In Salah became part of France when they colonized Algeria. After Algeria gained independence, In Salah became part of Tamanrasset Province. In January 2015, people protested against a proposed shale gas drilling project because they were concerned about the environment and earthquakes. In Salah is in the middle of the Sahara desert and is surrounded by sand dunes and rocks. The nearest city is Tamanrasset. The town has a hot desert climate, with extremely hot summers and mild winters. It rarely rains in In Salah.