The High Atlas mountains are home to several Berber villages where inhabitants do not have electricity, paved roads or access to doctors and make their living farming and making and selling olive oil and pottery.
You asked, why do people live in the Atlas Mountains? The people. The mountains, with their inhospitable environment, have provided a refuge for the original inhabitants, who fled successive invasions. Here the Berber people have survived, preserving their own languages, traditions, and beliefs, while at the same time accepting Islam to some extent.
Frequent question, what do people do in the Atlas Mountains? Trekking with mules, muleteers and expert Berber mountain guides is the way to go, with dramatic dry mountain terrain interspersed with argan and almond filled valleys, poppy filled fields and snow capped peaks in the distance. Stay in mountain gites, splendid kasbahs or camp in the wilds in the Anti Atlas.
Correspondingly, what are 3 facts about Atlas Mountains? The mountain range separates the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert. It has several passes that provide routes between the coast and the Sahara desert. Toubkal, located in Morocco, is the highest peak in the range, and in North Africa. It is 4,167 meters (13,671 feet) high.
Considering this, who lives in the Atlas Mountains? The Atlas mountains are primarily inhabited by Berber populations. The terms for ‘mountain’ are adrar and adras in some Berber languages. These terms are believed to be cognates of the toponym Atlas.
How cold is it in the Atlas Mountains?
The Atlas Mountains In winter, temperatures frequently plummet below freezing, sometimes falling as low as minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 degrees Celsius).
How do the Atlas Mountains affect the climate?
Westerly winds from the Atlantic Ocean carry moisture into the region, but the mountains act as a weather barrier between the coastal grasslands and wetlands and the Sahara Desert. The Atlas Range causes a rain shadow effect, preventing the areas beyond the mountains from receiving much rainfall.
Does it snow in the Atlas Mountains?
Although some peaks of the Atlas Mountains had caps of snow in January, much snowier conditions prevail a month later. Snow in Morocco is not unusual. Two ski resorts in the Atlas Mountains—one near Marrakech and the other near Ifrane—experience fairly regular snowfall each January and February.
What type of mountains are the Atlas Mountains?
Overall, however, the Atlas can be categorized as a semi-arid mountain range between the tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean/Mediterranean and the massive Sahara Desert. The highest mountain in the Atlas is Mount Toubkal. Mount Toubkal measures nearly 14,000 feet, and is located in southwestern Morocco.
How old are the Atlas Mountains?
The Anti-Atlas Mountains of northern Africa and the nearby Atlas mountains were created by the prolonged collision of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, beginning about 80 million years ago.
Is the Atlas Mountains are Africa’s longest range?
What is Africa’s longest mountain range? The Atlas Mountains stretch for 1,490 miles across northern Africa, through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
What are some fun facts about Atlas?
- In Greek Mythology, Atlas was a Titan who was responsible for bearing the weight of the heavens on his shoulders, a punishment bestowed on him by Zeus.
- Atlas was the son of the Titans Iapetus and Clymene, and his siblings were Epimetheus, Menoetius and Prometheus.
Do the Atlas Mountains have glaciers?
There are no glaciers today in the High Atlas, Morocco. However, there is evidence that niche glaciers and late-lying snowpatches in the High Atlas were present as recently as the last century and there are at least four sites where snowpatches appear to survive some summer seasons today.
What country is the Atlas Mountains in?
The three mountain ranges that cross much of contemporary Morocco—the Middle in the north, the High Atlas in central Morocco, and the Anti-Atlas in the south along the Atlantic coast—form both a natural boundary and a rich natural environment.
What is the climate of the Atlas Mountains?
The Atlas Mountains have a typical mountain climate with cool but sunny summers and average temperatures of approximately 25°C.