[3] From the mid-15th century to the early 20th, much of the region was under the control of the Sultanate of Agadez, except for a period when the area came under the rule of the Songhai Empire in the 1500s.

[3] This process continued following Niger's independence in 1960; local Tuareg saw little recompense from the uranium mining boom in Arlit in the 1970s, and Agadez Region was struck by repeated droughts and famines.

Agadez is the regional capital; other major settlements include Aderbissinat, Arlit, Assamakka, Bilma, Dirkou, Iferouane, In-Gall, Madama, Séguédine, Tchirozerine, Tegguiada In Tessoum and Timia.

Much of its population comprises nomadic or semi-nomadic peoples, including Arabs, Fulani, Kanuri, Dazaga Toubou and various Tuareg groups.

[6]Traversed for centuries by the Trans-Saharan trade routes, the oasis towns of the Aïr and the eastern Kaouar Cliffs are known for their gardens, salt manufacture, and date cultivation.

[11] Agadez had historically been one of the main centres of tourism in Niger, with visitors attracted by the desert scenery, archaeological sites and the Air Mountains.