The Middle Atlas [1] ( arab. الأطلس المتوس Эль , El Atlas el-Mutawassit ) is a mountain range in Morocco , part of the Atlas system. Together with the other two eastern ridges of the system (the Sahara Atlas and the Tall Atlas ), the Middle Atlas limits a vast area of inland plateaus in northeastern Morocco and northwestern Algeria . To the south of the Middle Atlas, across the valley of the rivers of Muluy , Umm-ere-Rubia, lies the High Atlas , the highest mountain range of the system. From the north of the Middle Atlas, it is separated from the Rif massif by the River Cebu .
| Middle Atlas | |
|---|---|
| Arab. الأطلس المتوسط | |
 Cedars in Khenifra | |
| Specifications | |
| Square | |
| Length | 350 km |
| Highest point | |
| Highest peak | Boo Nasser |
| Absolute height | 3340 m |
| Location | |
| A country |
|
| Mountain system | Atlas |
The Middle Atlas is composed mainly of limestone and consists of folded ridges with a height of more than 3000 m (in the east) and a table plateau (in the west) with a height of 800 to 1000 m with karst topography, which passes into the Moroccan Meseta .
The snow cover of the mountains above 2000 m lasts up to 5 months a year, and in winter it can drop to 600 m above sea level. Due to the presence of snow in the city of Ifrane there is a ski resort Miclifen . The upper zone receives a large number of precipitations (more than 800 mm), cedar forests grow on the moistened slopes, and a sandarakovy tree and junipers grow on drier slopes.
In the eastern part of the ridge is located the Tazekka National Park, created in 1950, with an area of 137.37 km². Another Ifran national park is located between Khenifra and Ifrane .
In the area of the ridge are the cities of Fez , Meknes and Beni-Mellal , in the mountainous areas live Berber tribes . The Middle Atlas crosses the main roads leading from Fez to the south of the country to the Tafilalt oases.
Hydrography
From the Middle Atlas flow down some of the largest rivers of Morocco , whose waters are intensively used for irrigation. On the rivers built reservoirs.
- Cebu - basin area of about 40 thousand km², flows into the Atlantic Ocean
- Umm er-Ribia - basin area of approximately 35 thousand km², flows into the Atlantic Ocean
- Bu Regreg - basin area of approximately 10 thousand km², flows into the Atlantic Ocean
- Muluya - feeds from the slopes of the Middle and High Atlas, the basin area is about 74 thousand km², flows into the Mediterranean Sea
In the mountains of the Middle Atlas there are also many agelmams - small closed lakes at an altitude of 1,200-2,200 meters above sea level ( Sidi Ali , Aziza , Afhennurir , Abakhan , etc.).
Notes
- ↑ Middle Atlas // Dictionary of geographical names of foreign countries / resp. ed. A.M. Komkov . - 3rd ed., Pererab. and add. - M .: Nedra , 1986. - P. 345.
Links
- The Middle Atlas is an article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia .