Where are the Atlas Mountains?
Quick Answer
The Atlas Mountains stretch about 2,500 kilometres across northwest Africa, through Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, separating the Mediterranean coast from the Sahara.
The Full Story
The Atlas range was formed as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided over tens of millions of years. Its highest peak is Toubkal in Morocco's High Atlas, at about 4,167 metres, the highest mountain in North Africa. The mountains catch moisture from the Atlantic and Mediterranean, keeping the northern slopes greener while the south drops into desert. They are the traditional homeland of many Amazigh (Berber) communities, who live in villages of earthen houses. The range is home to the Barbary macaque, the only wild monkey species in Africa north of the Sahara.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"The mountains that hold back the Sahara"