Coordinates: 31°03′43″N 07°54′58″W

Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains (Arabic: ‫�ـ��ـس‬ � � ��‫��ـ��ـال ا‬,
romanized: jibāl al-ʾaṭlas; durar n waṭlas) are a
Atlas Mountains
mountain range in the Maghreb. It separates the
Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the
Sahara Desert. It stretches around 2,500 km
(1,600 mi) through Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
The range's highest peak is Toubkal, which is in
southwestern Morocco, with an elevation of 4,167
metres (13,671 ft).[1] The Atlas mountains are
primarily inhabited by Berber populations.[2] The
terms for 'mountain' are adrar and adras in some
Berber languages. These terms are believed to be
cognates of the toponym Atlas. The mountains are Toubkal Mountain in Toubkal National Park
also home to a number of animals and plants which in the High Atlas, Morocco
are mostly found within Africa but some of which can
Highest point
be found in Europe. Many of these species are
endangered and a few are already extinct. Peak Toubkal, Morocco
Elevation 4,167 m (13,671 ft)
Coordinates 31°03′43″N 07°54′58″W
Geography
Contents
Geology
Natural resources
Subranges of the Atlas Mountains
Anti-Atlas ranges
High Atlas
Middle Atlas range
Saharan Atlas range Location of the Atlas Mountains (red)
across North Africa
Tell Atlas range
Aurès mountain range Countries Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia
Geology
Flora and fauna
Age of rock Precambrian
See also
References and notes

Geology
 The basement rock of most of
Africa was formed during the
Precambrian supereon and is
much older than the Atlas
Mountains lying on the continent.
The Atlas was formed during three
subsequent phases of Earth's
geology.

The first tectonic deformation

phase involves only the Anti-Atlas,
Map showing the location of the Atlas Mountains across North which was formed in the Paleozoic
Africa Era (~300 million years ago) as
the result of continental collisions.
North America, Europe and Africa
were connected millions of years ago.

The Anti-Atlas Mountains are believed to have originally been

formed as part of Alleghenian orogeny. These mountains were
formed when Africa and America collided, and were once a chain
rivaling today's Himalayas. Today, the remains of this chain can
be seen in the Fall Line region in the Eastern United States. Some
remnants can also be found in the later formed Appalachians in
North America. The tectonic boundary

A second phase took place during the Mesozoic Era (before ~66
My). It consisted of a widespread extension of the Earth's crust
that rifted and separated the continents mentioned above. This extension was responsible for
the formation of many thick intracontinental sedimentary basins including the present Atlas.
Most of the rocks forming the surface of the present High Atlas were deposited under the ocean
at that time.
Finally, in the Paleogene and Neogene Periods (~66 million to ~1.8 million years ago), the
mountain chains that today constitute the Atlas were uplifted, as the land masses of Europe
and Africa collided at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. Such convergent tectonic
boundaries occur where two plates slide towards each other forming a subduction zone (if one
plate moves underneath the other), and/or a continental collision (when the two plates contain
continental crust). In the case of the Africa-Europe collision, it is clear that tectonic
convergence is partially responsible for the formation of the High Atlas, as well as for the
closure of the Strait of Gibraltar and the formation of the Alps and the Pyrenees. However,
there is a lack of evidence for the nature of the subduction in the Atlas region, or for the
thickening of the Earth's crust generally associated with continental collisions. In fact, one of
the most striking features of the Atlas to geologists is the relative small amount of crustal
thickening and tectonic shortening despite the important altitude of the mountain range.
Recent studies suggest that deep processes rooted in the Earth's mantle may have contributed
to the uplift of the High and Middle Atlas.[3][4]

Natural resources

The Atlas are rich in natural

resources. There are deposits of
iron ore, lead ore, copper, silver,
mercury, rock salt, phosphate,
marble, anthracite coal and
natural gas among other View of the mountains
resources.

Subranges of the Atlas Mountains

The range can be divided into four
general regions:

◾ Anti-Atlas, High Atlas and Middle

Atlas (Morocco).
◾ Tell Atlas (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia).
◾ Aurès Mountains (Algeria, Tunisia).
◾ Saharan Atlas (Algeria).

Anti-Atlas ranges
Satellite photograph of the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas
The Anti-Atlas extends from the Atlantic
Mountains. North is at the bottom; the city of Goulmima
Ocean in the southwest of Morocco
can be seen at center left.
toward the northeast to the heights of
Ouarzazate and further east to the city of
Tafilalt (altogether a distance of
approximately 500 kilometres or 310 miles). In the south it borders the Sahara. The
easternmost point of the anti-Atlas is the Jbel Saghro range and its northern boundary is
flanked by sections of the High Atlas range. 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.[5]

High Atlas

The High Atlas in central Morocco rises in the west at the

Atlantic coast and stretches in an eastern direction to the
Moroccan-Algerian border. It has several peaks over 4,000 m
(2.5 mi), including the highest summit in North Africa,
Toubkal (4,167 m (13,671 ft)) and further east Ighil m'Goun
(4,071 m (13,356 ft)) the second major summit of the range.
At the Atlantic and to the southwest, the range drops abruptly
and makes a transition to the coast and the Anti-Atlas range.
To the north, in the direction of Marrakesh, the range
descends less abruptly.

On the heights of Ouarzazate the massif is cut through by the

Draa Valley which opens southward. It is mainly inhabited by
Berber people, who live in small villages and cultivate the
high plains of the Ourika Valley. High Atlas, Morocco

Near Barrage Cavagnac[6] there is a hydroelectric dam that

has created the artificial lake Lalla Takerkoust. The lake serves also as a source for fish for the
local fishermen.

The largest villages and towns of the area are Ouarzazate, Tahannaout, Amizmiz, Imlil, Tin Mal
and Ijoukak.

Panoramic picture of the artificial lake of Lalla Takerkoust near Barrage Cavagnac, with the
hydroelectric dam (far right)

Middle Atlas range

The Middle Atlas is completely in Morocco and is the northernmost of its main three Atlas
ranges. The range lies north of High Atlas, separated by the Moulouya and Oum Er-Rbia rivers,
and south of the Rif mountains, separated by the Sebou River. To the west are the main coastal
plains of Morocco with many of the major cities and, to the east, the high barren plateau that
lies between the Saharan and Tell Atlas. The high point of the range is the jbel Bou Naceur
(3340m). The Middle Atlas experiences more rain than the ranges to the south, making it an
important water catchment for the coastal plains and important for biodiversity. It is home to
the majority of the world's population of Barbary macaque.

Saharan Atlas range

The Saharan Atlas of Algeria is the eastern portion of the

Atlas mountain range. Though not as high as the Grand
Atlas, they are far more imposing than the Tell Atlas range
that runs to the north of them and closer to the coast. The
highest peak in the range is the 2,236 m (7,336 ft) high
Djebel Aissa. They mark the northern edge of the Sahara
Snow on Atlas Mountains in
Desert. The mountains see some rainfall and are better
Morocco on 9 January 2018
suited to agriculture than the plateau region to the north.
Today most of the population of the region are Berbers
(Imazighen).

Tell Atlas range

The Tell Atlas is a mountain chain over

1,500 kilometres (930 mi) in length,
belonging to the Atlas mountain ranges
and stretching from Morocco, through
Algeria to Tunisia. It parallels the Panoramic view of typical Berber village in the Moroccan
Mediterranean coast. Together with part of the High Atlas
the Saharan Atlas to the south it forms
the northernmost of two more or less
parallel ranges which gradually approach one another towards the east, merging in Eastern
Algeria. At the western ends at the Middle Atlas range in Morocco. The area immediately to the
south of this range is the high plateau of the Hautes Plaines, with lakes in the wet season and
salt flats in the dry.

Aurès mountain range

The Aurès Mountains are the easternmost portion of the

Atlas mountain range. It covers parts of Algeria and
Tunisia. The Aurès natural region is named after the
range.[7]

Flora and fauna

Flora in the mountains include the Atlas cedar[9],
Aures Mountains evergreen oak and many semi-evergreen oaks such as the
Algerian oak.
Examples of animals in that live in the area include the
Barbary macaque,[10] Barbary leopard,[11] Barbary stag,
Barbary sheep, Atlas Mountain badger, Cuvier's gazelle,
northern bald ibis, Algerian nuthatch, dipper, and Atlas
mountain viper.

Many animals used to inhabit the Atlas mountains such as

the Atlas bear[12], North African elephant, North African
aurochs and bubal hartebeest but these species are all
A male Barbary lion photographed in
extinct. Barbary lions[8] are currently extinct in the wild
Algeria by Alfred Edward Pease in
but there are members of the species in captivity.
1893.[8]

See also
◾ Atlas (mythology)
◾ Capsian culture
◾ Nafusa Mountains
◾ Teffedest Mountains

References and notes

1. "Atlas Mountains - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help" (http://kids.britannica.com/
students/article/Atlas-Mountains/273001). kids.britannica.com. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
2. "Atlas Mountains: Facts and Location | Study.com" (http://study.com/academy/lesson/atlas-
mountains-facts-and-location.html). Study.com. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
3. UAB.es (http://einstein.uab.cat/c_geotectonica/WebAtlas/AtlasLitho.htm) Potential field
modelling of the Atlas lithosphere
4. UAB.es (http://einstein.uab.cat/c_geotectonica/WebAtlas/MaterialAtlas/Ayarzaetal2005.pdf)
Crustal structure under the central High Atlas Mountains (Morocco) from geological and
gravity data, P. Ayarza, et al., 2005, Tectonophysics, 400, 67-84
5. Des Montagnes du Sarho aux dunes de Merzouga (http://vchery.free.fr/mektoub/maroc/ma
roc.htm)
6. French: L'INGÉNIEUR CAVAGNAC, un nom bien connu des Anciens de Marrakech.... (htt
p://mangin2marrakech.canalblog.com/archives/2017/04/11/35168981.html)
7. Algeria - Ethnic Groups and Languages (http://countrystudies.us/algeria/51.htm)
8. Pease, A. E. (1913). The Book of the Lion (https://archive.org/stream/bookoflion1913alfr#p
age/n5/mode/2up) John Murray, London.
9. Gaussen, H. (1964). Genre Cedrus. Les Formes Actuelles. Trav. Lab. For. Toulouse T2 V1
11: 295-320
10. Van Lavieren, E. (2012). The Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus); A unique endangered
primate species struggling to survive. Revista Eubacteria, (30): 1–4.
11. Emmanuel, John (September 1982). "A Survey of Population and Habitat of the Barbary
Macaqu Macaca Sylvanus L. In North Morocco". Biological Conservation. 24 (1): 45–66.
doi:10.1016/0006-3207(82)90046-5 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2F0006-3207%2882%29900
46-5).
12. Bryden, H. A. (ed.) (1899). Great and small game of Africa (https://archive.org/stream/great
smallgameof00majo#page/544/mode/2up) Rowland Ward Ltd., London. Pp. 544–608.

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