 The western-most line runs from the Malian tripoint to the Agadez-Tamanrasset highway for 109 miles; the middle section run for 142 miles up to the vicinity of I-n-Azaoua; and the final and longest segment runs for 343 miles up to the Libyan tripoint.The boundary runs entirely within the Sahara desert.The 1880s saw an intense competition between the European powers for territories in Africa, a process known as the Scramble for Africa.