High Atlas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| High Atlas | |
|---|---|
 Location of the Atlas Mountains across North Africa
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| Country | Morocco |
| Highest point | Jbel Toubkal |
| - coordinates | |
| - elevation | 4,167 m (13,671 ft) |
 Jbel Toubkal in Toubkal National Park
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High Atlas, also called the Grand Atlas Mountains (Arabic: الاطلس الكبير and French: Haut Atlas) is a mountain range in central Morocco in Northern Africa.
The High Atlas rises in the west at the Atlantic Ocean and stretches in an eastern direction to the Moroccan-Algerian border. At the Atlantic and to the southwest the range drops abruptly and makes an impressive transition to the coast and the Anti-Atlas range. To the north, in the direction of Marrakech, the range descends less abruptly.
The range includes Jbel Toubkal, which at 4,167 m is the highest in the range and lies in Toubkal National Park.
The range serves as a weather system barrier in Morocco running east-west and separating the Sahara’s climatic influences, which are particularly pronounced in the summer, from the more Mediterranean climate to the north, resulting in dramatic changes in temperature across the range. In the higher elevations in the range snow falls regularly, allowing winter sports. Snow lasts well into late spring in the High Atlas, mostly on the northern faces of the range.
The High Atlas forms the basins for a multiplicity of river systems. The majority of the year-round rivers flow to the north, providing the basis for the settlements there. A number of wadis and seasonal rivers terminate in the deserts to the south and plateau to the east the mountains.
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[edit] The range
[edit] Western High Atlas
In the west lies the oldest portion of the range. Its high point is the Jbel Toubkal with 4167m, is visible from the city of Marrakech. Jbel Toubkal lies in the Toubkal national park, which was created in 1942. The massif consists of Jurassic and Cretaceous formations notched by deep erosion carved valleys.
[edit] Central High Atlas
Calcareous solid mass morphologiquement dominated by tabular zones culminating to 2.500 m of altitude.qui extends from Azilal with Ouarzazate, where the contrasted landscapes of an extraordinary beauty, which reveal with the visitors the marvellous sites of American Colorado, with its plates of altitude, its throats and canyon S boxed, its summits shredded sometimes chaotic by the érrosion. Several peaks in this area exceed 4000m; Jbel Mgoun at 4068m is the highest peak in this part of the High Atlas. The Berber population there is noted for their exceptional hospitality.
[edit] Eastern High Atlas
The eastern part of the High Atlas forms vast plates at high altitude which form the headwaters for the Moulouya River extending from the town of Khenifra and including shelters (oasis) Jbel Ayachi (at 3747 m), Jbel Saghro and Jbel Sirwa (3305m). This portion of the range includes the solid mass of the Tamlelt whose northern edge is occupied by its higher peaks, such Jbel Ayachi at 3,747 m. The altitude falls towards the east where the mountains join the pre-Saharan zone. This massif became a paleontological site of fame international following the discovery of the bones of the completely unknown ancestor of the dinosaurs Atlasasurus which populated Morocco 180 million years ago. This dinosaur is baptized Tazoudasaurus, after the name of the village of Tazouda where it was discovered. This dinosaur of approximately nine meters length is postulated to be an ancestor of the Sauropoda found in America; until 140 million years ago the African and the American continents were connected.
[edit] Areas of interest
Travel is worthwhile over the high mountain passes. At the foot of the High Atlas one finds Ait Benhaddou (a Kasbah or castle still in use). Among the summits at 1600m height lies the Kasbah of Télouet of the road to Marrakech.
The canyons and ravines of the Dades and the Todgha are also impressive.
[edit] External links
 Map showing seasonal variations of the Canyons and Wadis in the High Atlas Mountains |
 High Atlas, Ait Benhaddou |
 Tower at Ait Benhaddou in the High Atlas |
 Todgha/Todra (a wadi) |
 A Valley in the High Atlas |
 NASA image of High Atlas |
