geo.wikisort.org - Mountains

The Middle Atlas (Amazigh: ⴰⵟⵍⴰⵙ ⴰⵏⴰⵎⵎⴰⵙ, Atlas Anammas, Arabic: الأطلس المتوسط, al-Aṭlas al-Mutawassiṭ) is a mountain range in Morocco. It is part of the Atlas mountain range, a mountainous region with more than 100,000 km², 15 percent of its landmass, rising above 2,000 metres. The Middle Atlas is the northernmost and second highest of three main Atlas Mountains chains of Morocco. To south, separated by the Moulouya and Um Er-Rbiâ rivers, lies the High Atlas. The Middle Atlas form the westernmost end of a large plateaued basin extending eastward into Algeria, also bounded by the Tell Atlas to the north and the Saharan Atlas to the south, both lying largely in Algeria. North of the Middle Atlas and separated by the Sebou River, lie the Rif mountains which are an extension of the Baetic System, which includes the Sierra Nevada in the south of Spain. The basin of the Sebou is not only the primary transportation route between Atlantic Morocco and Mediterranean Morocco but is an area, watered by the Middle Atlas range, that constitutes the principal agricultural region of the country.

The Barbary macaque is native to the Middle Atlas, and chief populations occur only in restricted range in parts of Morocco and Algeria. Snow persists in the Middle Atlas in the winter and can appear starting at 600 m above sea level.

Geography and ecology

The Middle Atlas provinces cover 23,000 km² in area, and comprise 18% of the total mountainous surface of Morocco. The provinces of Khènifra, Ifrane, Boulmane, Sefrou, Khemisset, El Hajeb as well as parts of the provinces of Taza and of Beni Mellal lie in the Middle Atlas region. Béni Mellal on the Oum Er-Rbia River is designated "the doorway to the Middle Atlas".

The Middle Atlas is a solid mountainous mass of 350 km in length in the north-east of Morocco with a unique charm. Its biodiversity, both in fauna and flora, make Middle Atlas a significant tourist destination. The region is noted for occurrence of the endangered primate, Barbary macaque, Macaca sylvanus; this monkey prehistorically had a much wider distribution throughout northern Morocco.[1] Wild boar and polecat are also found within the Middle Atlas Range.[2]

Its geo-morphologic structure is:

• Primarily limestone.
• Tabled rock in the west, running to elevations of 800 to 1,000 metres.
• Folded rock toward the northeast and running to elevations exceeding 3000 m, with a highest point, the Jbel Bou Naceur at 3340 m.
• Interspersed with volcanic plateaus.

Over the mountain slopes, extensive forests of cedar spread, intersected by deep valleys. Bordered by the rich Plaine du Saïs and the cities of Fes, Meknes and Beni Mellal, the mountainous reaches of the Middle Atlas are the stronghold of Berber tribes, speaking Tamazight and living at very low population densities.

The Middle Atlas is crossed by one of the principal access roads to the south of Morocco, connecting Fes with Tafilalet. Located at the northeast of Atlas. The Middle Atlas ends in the east at Tazekka National Park,[3] with a landscape replete with narrow canyons and caves. In the south of Sefrou, the forests of cedars, of holm oak and of cork oak alternate with plates volcanic stripped and small full of fish lakes. The jewel of the Middle Atlas is the Ifrane National Park, located between Khenifra and Ifrane.

The highest point of the Middle Atlas is Jbel Bou Naceur (3340 m). 15 km north west lies second highest mountain massif of Moussa ou Sabel (3172 m) and Jbel Bou Iblane (3081 m), which lies close to Immouzer Marmoucha.

Climate

Because of its elevation, the Middle Atlas experiences snow during the winter months and a cool climate during the summer. The town of Ifrane enjoys sufficient snow during the winter months that it provides accommodations quite rare in Africa: it is a ski resort.

Major catchments

The Middle Atlas includes four major catchment areas:

• The basin of Sebou: of a surface of approximately 40,000 km², discharging to the Atlantic Ocean.
• The basin of Oum Errabiaa: extends on a surface from 35,000 km², discharging to the Atlantic Ocean.
• The basin of Bou Regreg: cover a surface of about 10,000 km², discharging to the Atlantic Ocean.
• The basin of Moulouya: takes its source in the Almssid region and drains both the Middle and the High Atlas, with a watershed of 74,000 km², discharging to the Mediterranean.

The Middle Atlas contributes abundant and the relatively regular flows to these rivers. Reservoirs have been developed for flood control, to improve tourism, and to create water reserves supporting the development of the arboriculture important to the agricultural industry of the region.

See also

• Mediterranean woodlands and forests
• Cèdre Gouraud Forest
• Idriss I (dam)
• Ouergha River

References

• C. Michael Hogan. 2008. Barbary Macaque: Macaca sylvanus, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg
• Marshall Cavendish Corporation. 2006. World and Its Peoples, Published by Marshall Cavendish, ISBN 0-7614-7571-0, ISBN 978-0-7614-7571-2

Line notes

External links

На других языках

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[de] Mittlerer Atlas

Der Mittlere Atlas (arabisch الأطلس المتوسط, DMG al-Aṭlas al-mutawassiṭ, Zentralatlas-Tamazight ⴰⵟⵍⴰⵙ ⴰⵏⴰⵎⵎⴰⵙ) ist eine zum Atlasgebirge in Nordafrika gehörende Gebirgskette von fast 500 Kilometern Länge in Marokko. Der höchste Gipfel (Jbel Bou Naceur) erreicht 3356 m.

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- [en] Middle Atlas

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[es] Atlas Medio

El Atlas Medio (en amazig, ⴰⵟⵍⴰⵙ ⴰⵏⴰⵎⵎⴰⵙ) es una cadena montañosa que se extiende a lo largo de 350 km, del suroeste al nordeste de Marruecos, situada entre el Rif y el Alto Atlas. Ocupa una superficie total de 2,3 millones de hectáreas, o sea el 18 % del dominio altimontano de ese país.

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[fr] Moyen Atlas

Le Moyen Atlas (en berbère : ⴰⵟⵍⴰⵚ ⴰⵏⴰⵎⵎⴰⵙ[1], soit Aṭlaṣ Anammas, ou ⴼⴰⵣⴰⵣ, soit Fazaz ; en arabe : الأطلس المتوسط) est un massif montagneux allongé sur quelque 350 km, du sud-ouest au nord-est du Maroc, situé entre le Rif et le Haut Atlas, et couvrant une superficie totale de 2,3 millions d'hectares, soit 18 % du domaine altimontain de ce pays.

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[it] Medio Atlante

Il Medio Atlante (in berbero: ⴰⵟⵍⴰⵙ ⴰⵏⴰⵎⵎⴰⵙ, Atlas Anammas; in arabo: الأطلس المتوسط‎, Ǧibāl al-Aṭlas) è parte della catena montuosa dell'Atlante ed è localizzato in Marocco in una regione montagnosa con più di 100,000 km² o 15% del territorio situato oltre i 2 000 metri. Il Medio Atlante è la più settentrionale delle tre catene di montagne dell'Atlante che definiscono un grande altipiano che si estende, verso est, in Algeria. A sud del Medio Atlante e separato dai fiumi Muluia e Oum Er-Rbia, si trova l'Alto Atlante che si estende per 700 km. con una successione di picchi tra i quali dieci superano i 4.000 metri. A nord del Medio Atlante, separata dal fiume Sebou, la catena del Rif costituisce un'estensione della cordigliera Betica, che comprende la Sierra Nevada nel sud della Spagna. La bertuccia è originaria del Medio Atlante e si trova solo in una ristretta gamma di località del Marocco e dell'Algeria.

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[ru] Средний Атлас

Сре́дний Атла́с[1] (араб. الأطلس المتوسط‎, Эль-Атлас-эль-Мутавассит) — горный хребет в Марокко, входящий в систему Атласа. Совместно с другими двумя восточными хребтами системы (Сахарским Атласом и Телль-Атласом) Средний Атлас ограничивает обширную область внутренних плато на северо-востоке Марокко и северо-западе Алжира. К югу от Среднего Атласа через долину рек Мулуя, Умм-эр-Рбия располагается Высокий Атлас, наиболее высокая горная цепь системы. С севера Средних Атлас отделён от массива Эр-Риф рекой Себу.

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