Where are the Atlas Mountains located?
Morocco
The three mountain ranges that cross much of contemporary Morocco—the Middle in the north, the High Atlas in central Morocco, and the Anti-Atlas in the south along the Atlantic coast—form both a natural boundary and a rich natural environment.
Where are the anti-Atlas Mountains?
Anti-Atlas, also called Lesser Atlas, mountain range in Morocco running parallel to and southward of the central range of the Atlas Mountains of North Africa. Although it has a mean elevation of 5,000 feet (1,500 metres), some peaks and passes exceed 6,000 feet (1,800 metres).
Where do the Atlas Mountains start and end?
The High Atlas Mountains extend in a northeasterly direction from Morocco’s Atlantic coast (near Agadir) for hundreds of miles inland toward the Algerian border. The western portion of the range is home to its tallest mountains, with peaks that stand above 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).
What are the Atlas Mountains famous for?
Fertile valleys, networks of hiking paths, remote Berber villages and snow-smeared peaks across North Africa’s highest mountain range. The three ranges of the Atlas Mountains create a striking, sometimes harsh barrier between the arid Sahara and Morocco’s milder coastal climate.
Why are they called the Atlas Mountains?
The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert. Most of the people living in the Atlas Mountains are part of Berber tribes in Morocco and in Algeria. The mountains are named after the ancient Greek Titan, Atlas.
Who lives in the Atlas Mountains?
Berber populations
The Atlas mountains are primarily inhabited by Berber populations. The terms for ‘mountain’ are adrar and adras in some Berber languages. These terms are believed to be cognates of the toponym Atlas.
When should I go to Atlas Mountains?
The best time to visit the Atlas Mountains is usually considered to be from March to November, although the Anti-Atlas, which don’t see snowfall, can be explored right through the sunny winter. Summers are hot here – but still pleasant compared to lowland Morocco.
What type of mountains are Atlas Mountains?
Overall, however, the Atlas can be categorized as a semi-arid mountain range between the tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean/Mediterranean and the massive Sahara Desert. The highest mountain in the Atlas is Mount Toubkal.
What type of rock is the Atlas Mountains?
sedimentary rocks
The Atlas Mountains, with their folded sedimentary rocks and thick-skinned faulting, soar above dramatic gorges, lush palm oases, crumbling kasbahs, and the exotic souk in Marrakesh.
Is it cold in the Atlas Mountains?
Starting from the months of November until March, the Atlas Mountains have a typical mountain climate, with cold weather. Although the day time temperature can range from around 10°C up to 20°C. Indeed, winter can usher in plenty of wonderfully crisp, dry and sunny days ideal for trekking.
Are the Atlas Mountains volcanic?
It includes the Djebel Siroua, a massif of volcanic origin with the highest summit of the range at 3,304 m. The Jebel Bani is a much lower range running along the southern side of the Anti Atlas.
How old are little Atlas Mountains?
300 million years ago
The Anti-Atlas range formed in the Paleozoic (~300 million years ago), as a result of continental collisions. North America, Europe and Africa were connected as part of two former continents, Euramerica and Gondwana, which ground against one another to create the former Central Pangean Mountains.