The
Aïr Mountains or
Aïr Massif (;
Hausa:
Eastern Azbin,
Western Abzin) is a triangular
massif, located in northern
Niger, within the
Sahara Desert. Part of the
West Saharan montane xeric woodlands ecoregion, they rise to more than and extend over . Lying in the midst of desert north of the
17th parallel, the Aïr plateau, with an average altitude between , forms an island of
Sahel climate which supports a wide variety of life, many pastoral and farming communities, and dramatic geological and archaeological sites. There are notable archaeological excavations in the region that illustrate the prehistoric past of this region. The endangered
painted hunting dog (
Lycaon pictus) once existed in this region, but may now be
extirpated due to
human population pressures in this region.