Redalinho
September 7th, 2006, 03:54 PM
http://lexicorient.com/morocco/maps/ifrane_anti.gif
http://lexicorient.com/morocco/maps/map6.gif
The Anti-Atlas is one of the mountain ranges lying in Morocco lying as part of the Atlas mountains in the northwest of the 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). In the south it 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 Dráa valley which opens southward. In this chaos of rocks the contrasts are astonishing: water runs in some remote places, forming clear basins. The rare villages are reduced to a handful of small houses surrounded by palm trees.
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.
Settlement and economics
The Anti-Atlas is inhabited by the Chleuh Berber. Their center is the city Tafraoute near the valley of the Ammeln[1]. 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 offset somewhat by tourism, which has developed during recent decades, providing some income.
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 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.
Profile and climate
The summits of the Anti-Atlas reach heights of 2,500-2,700 m. To the north lies a plateau 1,700–1,800 m in height. To the south lie the Sahara highlands at approximately 700 m. One peak, Djebel Siroua, of volcanic origin, reaches 3,304 m. The range strongly fissured, particularly in a southerly direction.
In the Anti-Atlas the precipitation annually is typically below 200 mm, 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 belongs to the Sahara climate zone.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Atlas-Mountains-Labeled-3.jpg/800px-Atlas-Mountains-Labeled-3.jpg
http://lexicorient.com/morocco/maps/map6.gif
The Anti-Atlas is one of the mountain ranges lying in Morocco lying as part of the Atlas mountains in the northwest of the 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). In the south it 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 Dráa valley which opens southward. In this chaos of rocks the contrasts are astonishing: water runs in some remote places, forming clear basins. The rare villages are reduced to a handful of small houses surrounded by palm trees.
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.
Settlement and economics
The Anti-Atlas is inhabited by the Chleuh Berber. Their center is the city Tafraoute near the valley of the Ammeln[1]. 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 offset somewhat by tourism, which has developed during recent decades, providing some income.
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 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.
Profile and climate
The summits of the Anti-Atlas reach heights of 2,500-2,700 m. To the north lies a plateau 1,700–1,800 m in height. To the south lie the Sahara highlands at approximately 700 m. One peak, Djebel Siroua, of volcanic origin, reaches 3,304 m. The range strongly fissured, particularly in a southerly direction.
In the Anti-Atlas the precipitation annually is typically below 200 mm, 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 belongs to the Sahara climate zone.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Atlas-Mountains-Labeled-3.jpg/800px-Atlas-Mountains-Labeled-3.jpg