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Anti-Atlas
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The Anti-Atlas or Jebel Saghru, or Lesser Atlas, is one of the mountain ranges lying in Morocco, as part of the Atlas mountains in the northwest of Africa. 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, 310 mi). In the south, the range borders the Sahara.
The easternmost point of the anti-Atlas is the Djebel Sarhro mountains, and its eastern boundary is set by sections of the High Atlas range.
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Encyclopedia
The Anti-Atlas or Jebel Saghru, or Lesser Atlas, is one of the mountain ranges lying in Morocco, as part of the Atlas mountains in the northwest of Africa. 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, 310 mi). In the south, the range borders the Sahara.
The easternmost point of the anti-Atlas is the Djebel Sarhro mountains, and its eastern boundary is set by sections of the High Atlas range. On the heights of Ouarzazate, the massif is cut through by the Draa valley, which opens southward. In this chaos of rocks, the contrasts are extreme: water runs in some remote places, forming clear basins. The rare villages are reduced to a handful of small houses surrounded by palm trees.
In some contexts, the Anti-Atlas are considered separate from the Atlas mountains, as the term "anti" implies.
Creation of the Anti-Atlas Range
The base rock of Africa (the African plate) was formed in the Precambrian (approximately 4.5 billion to approximately 550 million years before today) and is much older than the Atlas mountains lying in Africa. The Anti-Atlas range developed later.
The Anti-Atlas range formed in the Paleozoic (~300 million years ago), as the result of continental collisions. North America, Europe and Africa were connected millions of years ago as part of two former continents, Euramerica and Gondwana, which ground against one another. Evidence shows the Anti-Atlas mountains to have originally been formed as part of the Alleghenian orogeny that also formed the Appalachians, formed when Gondwana (including Africa) and Euramerica (America) collided. There are indications they were once a chain of mountains far higher than today's Himalayan mountains.
More recently in the Tertiary period (65 millions to ~1.8 million years ago), the remaining mountain chains that today comprise the Atlas were uplifted as the land masses of Europe and Africa collided at the southern end of the Iberian peninsula. Erosion continued to reduce the Anti-Atlas range so that it is today less significant that the High Atlas range to the north.
Profile and climate
The summits of the Anti-Atlas reach average heights of 2,500-2,700 m (8200-8850 ft), with a few peaks higher. To the north lies a plateau 1700–1800 m (5900 ft) in height. To the south lie the Sahara highlands at approximately 700 m (2300 ft). One peak, Djebel Siroua, of volcanic origin, reaches 3304 m (10,835 ft). The range is strongly fissured, particularly in a southerly direction.
In the Anti-Atlas, the precipitation annually is typically below 200 mm (8 in), while the climatic conditions on the north and west slopes are locally more favorable. Climatically, the mountains are separated by the High Atlas, to the north, from the Mediterranean's influence and belong to the Sahara climate zone.
Flora
In the most moderate areas to the west and the north, large surfaces are covered with thyme, rosemary and other low-water-demand plants, such as argan. The quilt-like cover is endangered by overgrazing, and in the south little but thorn shrubs remain. The transition to the desert is gradual as one moves southward.
Settlement and economics
The Anti-Atlas is inhabited by the Chleuh Berber. Their center is the city Tafraoute, near the valley of the Ammeln. Often they still speak one of the Berber dialects.
Most agriculture takes place at oasis locations and along the rivers, and is heavily reliant on spring runoff. There is some dry-land agriculture: barley is cultivated with limited yields in the highlands. Herding is also common.
Due to the difficult conditions for agricultural production and limited income, migration from the land has become a substantial problem in the Anti-Atlas region. This is offset somewhat by tourism, which has developed during recent decades, providing some income.
Landscape
The landscape is marked by picturesque kasbah (essentially castles) which are found in many places in the region, including the older parts of Agadir. In former times, the kasbah was important as a place of shelter, and a supply depot for kinsmen. In close proximity to these settlements, terraced fields with dry-stone retaining walls cover the landscape. However increasingly, houses are vacated, and fields left uncultivated. With the continued migration from the land, the irrigation systems necessary for agriculture are also decaying.
See also
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