Tarkint is a village and commune in the Cercle of Bourem in the Gao Region of north-eastern Mali. The village is 70 km (43 mi) northeast of Bourem and 123 km (76 mi) from Gao. Tarkint extends for 23,000 km2 and includes part of the Tilemsi Valley. In the 2009 census Tarkint had a population of 19,082.
Tarkint | |
|---|---|
Commune and village | |
  Tarkint Location in Mali | |
| Coordinates: 17°28′37.2″N 0°06′58.6″E / 17.477000°N 0.116278°E | |
| Country |  Mali |
| Region | Gao Region |
| Cercle | Bourem Cercle |
| Government | |
| • Type | Elected body |
| • Mayor | Baba Ould Cheikh Sid’Elmoctar Alkounti |
| Area | |
• Total | 23,000 km2 (9,000 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 305 m (1,000 ft) |
| Population (2009 census)[2] | |
• Total | 19,082 |
| • Density | 0.83/km2 (2.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
Cocaine Air
editThe sandblown village became notorious in 2009, when the burnt-out wreckage of an old Boeing 727 airliner was found abandoned in the desert, 85 miles north of Gao, at the scene of the so-called "Cocaine Air" incident. It is believed that the aircraft had been transporting up to 10 tons of cocaine.[3]
References
edit- ^ Plan de Securite Alimentaire Commune de Tarkint 2005-2009 (PDF) (in French), Commissariat à la Sécurité Alimentaire, République du Mali, USAID-Mali, 2005.
- ^ Resultats Provisoires RGPH 2009 (Région de Gao) (PDF) (in French), République de Mali: Institut National de la Statistique.
- ^ Revealed: how Saharan caravans of cocaine help to fund al-Qaeda in terrorists' North African domain. telegraph.co.uk. From 26 January 2013
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