Anti-Atlas
Anti-Atlas | |
---|---|
الأطلس الصغير Aṭlas Mẓẓiyn | |
Djebel el Kest. | |
Highest point | |
Peak | Jbel Sirwa |
Elevation | 3,304 m (10,840 ft) |
Dimensions | |
Length | 670 km (420 mi) ENE/WSW[citation needed] |
Width | 180 km (110 mi) NNW/SSE[citation needed] |
Geography | |
Map of Northwest Africa with the Anti-Atlas in the lower left corner.
| |
Country | Alleghenian |
Age of rock | Paleozoic |
Climbing | |
Easiest route | drive |
The Anti-Atlas, also known as Lesser Atlas or Little Atlas, is a mountain range in Morocco, a part of the Atlas Mountains in the northwest of Africa.[2] The Anti-Atlas extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest toward the northeast, to the heights of Ouarzazate and further east to the city of Tafilalt, altogether a distance of approximately 500 km. The range borders on the Sahara to the south.[2]
In some contexts,[2] the Anti-Atlas is considered separate from the Atlas Mountains system, as the prefix "anti" (i.e. opposite) implies.
Geography
The summits of the Anti-Atlas reach average heights of 2,500–2,700 m (8,200–8,900 ft), with a few peaks reaching higher. To the north lies a plateau at 1700–1800 m in height. To the south lie the Sahara highlands at approximately 700 m. On the heights of
The Anti-Atlas area is a traditionally
Subranges
The eastern prolongation of the Anti-Atlas is the Jbel Saghro range. The Jbel Sirwa is its northern prolongation, connecting with a section of the High Atlas range. The summit of Jbel Sirwa, of volcanic origin, reaches 3304 m. The Jbel Bani is a much lower range running along the southern side of the Anti Atlas.[5]
Origins
The basement rock of Africa (the
A fraction of the
More recently, in the
Climate
In the Anti-Atlas, the precipitation annually is typically below 200 mm, while the climatic conditions on the north and west slopes are locally more wet and agriculturally favorable. Climatically, the mountains are separated from the
Flora
In the least dry areas to the west and the north, much of the land is covered with
Human geography
The Anti-Atlas area is a traditionally
The landscape of the Anti-Atlas is marked by picturesque
Panoramic view
See also
Notes
- ^ Google Earth
- ^ a b c "Anti-Atlas" (or Jebel Saghru), The Encyclopædia Britannica, 1910.
- ^ a b Tafraoute: Morocco's Berber heartland
- ^ a b Alain Rodrigue, L'art rupestre au Maroc : les sites principaux. p. 19
- ^ Des Montagnes du Sarho aux dunes de Merzouga
- ^ Sud-Maroc; Massif aux paysages lunaires
References
- "Anti-Atlas" (or Jebel Saghru), The Encyclopædia Britannica, 1910.
External links
- Media related to Anti-Atlas at Wikimedia Commons