Atlas mountains - a separate mountainous country

A significant part of the territory of Africa is locatedon the African lithospheric plate. This ancient platform in the distant past was part of the vast continent of Gondwana. In the Triassic period, under the influence of the Earth's external forces, the high mountain massifs that existed on the ancient continent collapsed. Faults in the earth's crust, formation of horsts, earthquakes, eruptions of volcanoes led to the formation of hilly plains, high plateaus, large hollows and new mountain peaks. Africa is the only continent on which new mountain massifs were formed not in zones of folded structures. The highest mountains of Africa stretch out on the East African plateau. The mountain system of the Drakensberg Mountains was formed in the east of the southern part of the continent. The south of the continent is bordered by the flat tops of the Cape Mountains, and the Atlas Mountains stretch to the northwest. Their northern ridges are located directly at the junction of two plates of the lithosphere.

The Atlas Mountains, or Atlas, formthe north-western protrusion of the African continent, which is separated from southern Europe only by the Strait of Gibraltar. The north-west coast of the mainland in the west is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, and in the east and the north by the Mediterranean Sea. In the south there is no clearly defined border with the Sahara, it is made up of the southern foothills of the Atlas mountain ranges, into which desert landscapes wedge.

The Atlas is the most significant elevationnorthwestern Africa. The mountain system stretches from the Atlantic coast through Morocco, Algeria to the very shores of Tunisia. It consists of the High Atlas, Tel-Atlas, Saharan Atlas, Middle Atlas, Anti-Atlas, internal plateaus and plains ranges. The highest point of North Africa and the high Atlas is Mount Tubkal, reaching a height of 4,167 m. It is also the highest North African mountain. The Atlas in this part of the mountain range is very similar to the Alps and the Caucasus. In contrast, the Middle Atlas is a plateau-like top with cut deep gorges. To the northeast, the continuation of the High Atlas is the Saharan Atlas. To the south of the High Atlas is the mountain ridge Antiatlas - elevated by the Cenozoic movements of the outskirts of the ancient plate.

The origin of the Atlas Mountains is associated with deepfaults that form lineaments (linear elements of the relief). Geologically, the Atlas Mountains are also noteworthy for serving as a recharge area for the true sea of ​​underground waters of the vast artesian basin, which is under the world's greatest Sahara desert.

Along the Mediterranean coast, following theoutlines of the shore, the young folded mountain ridges of the Rifa Atlas, Tel Atlas up to 2,500 m in height rise. They are the direct continuation of the mountains of Sicily and Southern Spain. Many mountain peaks, including Tubkal, are extinct volcanoes.

Interestingly, the local Atlas population does not havesingle name of the given mountain system, there are names only of separate plateaus and ridges. The very names "Atlas Mountains", "Atlas" in the local population do not apply. They are adopted in Europe and originate in ancient myths, which were sung as "Atlanta Mountains", the mythological titan of Atlanta, or Atlas, turned Perseus into an African mountain for refusing hospitality.

About the existence of the Atlas mountains for the first timeknown from the travels of the Phoenicians. A detailed description of the mountain system is contained in the writings of Maxim Tirsky. But significantly expanded the notion of the mountain massif of the outstanding German researcher of Africa Gerhard Rolf. He under the guise of a Muslim crossed the High Atlas, refined the map of the mountain ranges, studied the largest oases and on the part of Algeria went deep into the Sahara.

Atlas mountains, located near Marrakech, are considered to be the oldest. Their age is determined by the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods.

Features of the modern relief of the Atlas mountainsdepend on sharply continental and rather dry climate. Intensive weathering processes lead to the destruction of mountains and the accumulation of a large number of debris at their footsteps, among which are high ridges with steep slopes and sharp peaks. The relief is also distinguished by a strong erosional dismemberment. Mountain ridges cut through deep gorges, the surface of the inner plateau is intersected by the system of channels - the legacy of the former era.

The Atlas Mountains are characterized by Mediterraneanclimate. However, it is unpredictable and, depending on the height, it is quite severe. So, the area of ​​the High Atlas is distinguished by a typical mountain climate with a cool sunny summer and a very cold winter. The average temperature in the summer reaches +25 ° C, in winter the temperature sometimes drops to -20 ° C. The Middle Atlas mountains are distinguished by a significant precipitation in the winter. In this area there are often floods.

In summer, the surface of the inner valleys and plateau warms up considerably, the temperature can reach + 50 ° C. Nights, on the contrary, are quite cool and with frequent frosts.

The vegetation cover of the Atlas changes withmoving from coastal to internal areas. The lower parts of the slopes are covered with dwarf palm groves, evergreen shrub thickets, forests of cork oak. The higher slopes are covered with forests of yew and Atlas cedar. Internal valleys, plateaus with saline meager soils are semi-deserts and dry steppes.

High in the mountains there are alpine meadows,differing in their species composition from the mountainous European meadows. The peaks of the ridges are devoid of vegetation and are covered with snow for a considerable part of the year. At the southern foothills of the mountains there are desert zones with rare oases.

The animal world of the Atlas is represented by various speciesanimals of Africa and Southern Europe: daman, jerboa, hares, hyenas, jackals, wild cats and viverry. On the rocks there is a maggot, as well as many snakes and lizards.

The Population of the High and Middle Atlasis concentrated at the foot of the mountains and in the valleys, where the land is cultivated and irrigated for planting olives, citrus and other crops. On the terraces of mountain slopes, grapes are grown. The local population is also engaged in cattle breeding, the cultivation of hard alpha grain - a valuable raw material for making high-grade paper.