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MOROCCO
Geography and Landscape

Basic information
Official languageArabic, Berber
CapitalRabat
Area446.550 kmĀ²
Population37,659,611  (2021)
CurrencyMoroccan dirham  (MAD)
Web.ma
Code.MAR
Tel.+212

Cities in MOROCCO

Marrakech

Geography and Landscape

Geography

Morocco can be divided into four natural landscapes.

Morocco Satellite PhotoMorocco Satellite PhotoPhoto: Public domain

The Rif Mountains are parallel to the Mediterranean coast and include mountain ranges from the Mouth of the Moulouya to the Strait of Gibraltar. The highest peak is the Tidirhine (2456 m). It is not very accessible mountain country with a lot of erosion. The coast of the north of Morocco is rocky.

The Atlas Mountains consist of the Middle Atlas (the Atlas's most northwestern chain) and the High Atlas, which is linked to the southernmost chain, the Anti-Atlas. The High Atlas mainly consists of a series of high plateaus (up to 2000 m), which border the south side of the plain of the Sous and descend in terraces to the wadis in the foreland of the desert. The highest peaks reach almost 4200 meters, with the Tizi-n-Toubal as the highest peak (4167 m).

Tizi-n-Toubkal, highest mountain in MoroccoTizi-n-Toubkal, highest mountain in MoroccoPhoto: Unknown CC 2.5 Generic no changes made

The plateau of Eastern Morocco, a steppe in the rain shadow of the Atlas chains. Here lies the wide valley of the 530 km long Moulouya, which originates in the Middle Atlas and flows into the Mediterranean Sea. Descending from the Atlas Mountains to the southeast is a plateau landscape at an altitude of 1500 to 1600 meters, which is separated from the Sahara by a fault line. The movement along this fault sometimes causes violent earthquakes (destruction of Agadir in 1960).

The area northwest of the Atlas. Three landscape forms can be distinguished: a fertile coastal plain, more inland a dry, steppe-like, less fertile plateau and finally a strip at the foot of the mountains. The latter is rich in water and is a series of orchards, the center of which is the Marrakech oasis.


Sources

Encarta Encyclopedia

Lehmann, L. / Marokko
Van Reemst

Macguinness, J. / Morocco handbook
Passport Books

Wilkins, F. / Morocco
Chelsea House

CIA - World Factbook

BBC - Country Profiles

Last updated September 2024
Copyright: Team The World of Info