Ourika River
Ourika River (Arabic: نهر أوريكا) (French: Oued Ourika) is a river in Morocco, at 31°24′00″N 7°47′00″W / 31.4°N 7.783333°W. It rises in the High Atlas and flows through the Ourika Valley, 30 km from Marrakech.
Natural history
A number of interesting plants have been recorded in this valley beginning in the late 19th century including Fraxinus dimorpha.[1] This valley is the sole location within the High Atlas Range where the endangered primate Barbary Macaque, Macaca sylvanus is known to occur; this primate is found in the Middle Atlas and a few disjunctive populations in Algeria and Gibraltar.[2]
Ourika Valley, due to its many waterfalls and several attractions, is a very popular day-trip destination from Marrakech.
The region is inhabited by Berber people who practice a traditional way of life. Despite its proximity to Marrakech, it is still considered relatively "unspoiled".
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Salt production in Ourika Valley
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Ourika river itself
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Drying carpets at a Berber village factory in Ourika Valley.
Notes
References
- C. Michael Hogan (2008). Barbary Macaque: Macaca sylvanus. Globaltwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Stromberg.
- Joseph Dalton Hooker, John Ball and George Maw (1878). Journal of a Tour in Marocco and the Great Atlas. Macmillan and Company.
External links
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