Where are the Atlas Mountains in Africa? Atlas of the mountain on the map. On what continent is Mount Atlas located?

If you are an adventurous traveler and love to discover something unusual, and for you it is still in some ways terra incognita, then you should definitely plan a trip to these places at the first opportunity. It’s easy to become a researcher here – the region with its pristine, untouched nature offers a lot of opportunities. First of all, you can test your strength by visiting the Atlas Mountains in. This is a real kingdom for lovers of hiking and forest walks.

General information

It is enough to open an introductory course on the geography of Africa to understand where the Atlas Mountains, also known as the Atlas Mountains, are located. This huge mountain system, striking in its size and heights, stretches from the Atlantic coast of Morocco to the shores of Tunisia. The Atlas Mountains separate the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts from the arid sands of the Sahara Desert. The name of this mountain system originates in the myths about the Titan Atlas (Atlas), who held the sky in his hands.

The Atlas Mountains in Morocco consist of ranges such as the High Atlas, Middle Atlas and Anti-Atlas, as well as inland plateaus and plains. The height of the peaks of the Atlas Mountains often reaches 4 thousand meters above sea level, and the highest point is (4165 m). It is located 60 km from and is one of its main natural areas. In winter, it thrives here, since the top is evenly covered with a layer of snow.

This is the largest massif of the Atlas Mountains. We can say with firm confidence that it got its name for a reason - after all, this is where the largest concentration of the largest peaks in Africa is located. The ridge extends from the Atlantic plains to the border with Algeria, its total length is 800 km, and the width in some places is about 100 km. The average height of the mountains in the High Atlas reaches 3-4 thousand m above sea level. Between the peaks lie rocky plains and steep gorges.

Surprisingly, Berber tribes live in such a remote region. They are the guardians of the local traditional culture. Their way of life is based on blood ties and cohesion. On the mountain slopes they plow the land and keep fields where they grow cereals, corn, potatoes and turnips, and also graze goats and sheep.

This place is very popular in terms of tourism. Geographically, in the High Atlas Mountains, the Toubkal National Park is located, along which several tourist routes of different difficulty levels run. On average, the duration of expeditions is 3-4 days. Among the places that deserve special attention are the following: the Ait-Bugemez valley, the natural bridge Imi-n-Ifri, the Mgun valley and gorges, the Ouzoud waterfall, the gorges of the Todra and Dades rivers. However, if for some reason you cannot fully travel through the mountains, but you still really want to get to know the Atlas Mountains, then you can settle in the small village of Imali. This will be an excellent starting point to many picturesque places, and such outings will not take more than a day, and you will always be able to sleep well and rest in comfortable conditions.

This part of the huge mountain range will appeal to lovers of forest walks. The tops of the mountains here are covered with dense thickets of cedar trees, and the massif itself is cut by bottomless gorges. This part of the Atlas Mountains reaches 350 km in length, and the height of the peaks is not much inferior to the High Atlas.

Experienced travelers speak of this corner as a small European state. The nature here is amazing and wonderful, and the small towns are completely picturesque. Such landscapes in Africa are amazing, and it’s hard to believe that the largest desert on Earth is located nearby.

In terms of tourism, three places are very popular here: the cedar groves of Azrou, the high-altitude station of Imouzzer du Candar and the town. On walks through the forests of the Middle Atlas, you can meet small flocks of macaques. They are quite peaceful here, but you should still exercise some caution. In winter, this ski resort becomes somewhat similar to the Swiss ones, in any case, it is in no way inferior to them. There is also a lot of fish in the local mountain lakes, which fishing enthusiasts certainly take advantage of.

Anti-Atlas

This mountain range directly borders the Sahara, making the area virtually uninhabited. However, on the border with the High Atlas, in the interior, is the Ida-Utanan region, which is also called the Paradise Valley. In its center is the village of Imuzzir, where Berber tribes live. Almost throughout the world this place is famous for its aromatic thyme, honey, cactus and lavender.

Atlas Mountains

The Atlas Mountains are the mountains of Africa. The ancient Greek legends and poems of Homer (between the 12th and 7th centuries BC) telling about the structure of the world brought down to the present day the story of the majestic titan Atlas. It was believed that he lives in the last west, for which the Greeks at that time could take the African coast, and has great strength - such that it is enough to support the pillars separating the firmament from the earth (this is exactly how our distant forefathers imagined the place for themselves) and the view of the earth in space). He was associated with the ocean and was considered a dangerous and unruly titan of the sea. And there was justice for him: Atlas, who in some legends was also called the African king, had the imprudence to refuse hospitality to the famous Greek hero Perseus. And Perseus was then already the owner of the magical head of the Gorgon Medusa, which directed anyone who looked at it into stone. Saddened by the behavior of Atlas, Perseus showed the titan the ill-fated head of Medusa and directed him to the African Mount Atlas. Legends are legends, but in northwest Africa, where Atlas seemed to live, there is an extended ridge - the Atlas Mountains.

They are known by this name in Europe, but among the local population there is no single name - only the names of individual ridges. These mountains cross the terrain of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and consist of several ranges: Tell Atlas (Highest Atlas), Middle Atlas and Saharan Atlas. Between them are plains and several internal plateaus - the Highest, Orano-Algerian and Moroccan Mesetas. The latter descends in terraces to the west from the more elevated part of the Er-Rif ridge.

Atlas is a whole mountainous country. It stretches from the shores of the Atlantic, crossing the African continent from west to east, essentially along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (Tell Atlas Ridge). It is so extensive that zones change here - tropical to subtropical, providing very contrasting landscapes: mountains and traces of old icing on their largest peaks, blooming oases, desert (Sahara range), rivers and sebkhas (salt lakes).

In the north and west, the vegetation right up to altitudes of 800 m is similar to ordinary forests suitable for the Mediterranean: picturesque thickets of evergreen bushes and cork oaks are reminiscent of Southern Europe. The south and inland areas have an arid climate, so cereal plants, feather grass and wormwood mainly survive here. The highest belts form evergreen forests of cork and holm oak (up to 1200 m), higher (up to 1700 m) maples and conifers join them. Even higher (after 2200 m) these forests are replaced by coniferous ones, in which a valuable, drought-resistant and pest-resistant species of timber tree predominates - Atlas cedar, which began to be cultivated in Europe in 1842 for decorative purposes.

The Atlas mountainous country is separated from the African tectonic platform by a fault in its southern part (South Atlas Fault).

Another fault runs along the Mediterranean coast, and it is this fault that provokes earthquakes in this part of the ridge.

The atlas was formed in 3 phases. The first step of deformation (in the Paleozoic) affected only the Anti-Atlas as a result of the collision of continents. The second step of the Mesozoic era formed a huge part of the modern Highest Atlas, then it rested on the ocean floor. During the Tertiary period, Atlas appeared on the surface.

Deposits of steel ores and copper, iron and lead, lime, rock salt and marble are developed in the mountains.

The formidable mountains with a capricious climate are not an uninhabited region: there are rivers (especially in the north-west), along which settlements have long been established. Local rivers, which are fed by rainwater and often have a “temporary” character, are called by the Arabs oueds. They even experience floods - in winter, but in summer they actually dry out completely, especially in the southern and inland regions.

The Berbers (indigenous peoples of North Africa) adapted to live in such conditions; they survived all the historical vicissitudes of this region and remained staunch inhabitants of the inhospitable mountains. There are differences between them both in language and in way of life. The Berbers of the western Atlas Mountains are called Shilluh. They lead a more sedentary lifestyle, live in houses, engage in farming and are successful in a number of crafts. Their villages are in most cases scattered far from each other.

Farming requires enormous labor here, because first you need to make your own plot. On the rocky, weathered slopes of mountains there is often no earth, so future cultivators look for places in the hollows where soil has washed or applied, and from there they carry it in baskets on their heads to their own plot. Precious soil is placed in special terraces, which are hollowed out in the mountains. Then you need to look after this land so that it is not washed away by the rain. The plots can be so small that it is impossible to process them with a plow and you have to do everything manually.

The inhabitants of such villages are also engaged in sheep breeding. But their neighbors from the eastern part of the mountains - the Masigs - still live in caves and tents, which is apparently more convenient during their active movements, because the Masigs are good cattle breeders: the stunted vegetation of the slopes serves as food for the livestock. You can climb to higher plains where the grass is juicier. Some Berber tribes are engaged only in cattle breeding, but at the same time they have permanent villages, where they return after grazing cattle in the mountains, where they live in temporary camps.

The Berbers represent mainly the Moroccan part of the inhabitants of the mountains. On the Algerian side, they were also mastered by the Kabyles (a local variety of Berbers). In the near future, people had a noticeable impact on the landscape - in the north, closer to the coast, there was less natural vegetation, the area of ​​artificially irrigated land on which citrus fruits and grains were grown, olive and eucalyptus trees, and date palms was cultivated. And peach and apricot orchards, pomegranate plantations and vineyards can now be seen near private buildings. These interventions in the ecosystem even gave rise to a number of problems: for example, deforestation in some places led to soil erosion.

The existence of these mountains was discussed by the Phoenicians, who intensively traveled around the world, and then by the ancient Greeks. And the Romans - in 42 the Roman commander Gaius Suetonius Paulinus (1st century) crossed the mountains. And in the 2nd century, the Greek wandering philosopher, Orator and writer Maximus of Tyre had already compiled a fairly detailed description of the mountains for that time.

But the world scientific community was able to significantly expand its ideas about this mountainous country only in the 19th century. when the outstanding German explorer of Africa Gerhard Rolfe (1831-1896) crossed the High Atlas under the guise of a Muslim in the service of the Moroccan Sultan, explored the largest oases and went deep into the Sahara from Algeria. Specifically, he significantly refined the map of the ridges and made two books from descriptions of his own routes and memories.

Tourists began to come here for explorers; they are attracted by sunrises and sunsets in the mountains, beautiful views, a huge number of migratory birds, mountain oases (like Shebika in Tunisia), centers of life in the desert (like the Sauf group of oases in Algeria), date oases of Morocco and Palace of the Pasha of Marrakech Thami el Glaoui.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia.

Salt lakes: Chott el Shergi.

A system of mountain ranges and intermountain plateaus within Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia (Maghreb countries), which is collectively called the Atlas Mountains and occupies the very north of the continent.

They were named so by the Greeks back in ancient times in honor of the mythical titan Atlas. The mountain range stretches from southwest to northeast for 2000 km, and is washed on three sides by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. In the south, the border with the Sahara is drawn along the foothills of the mountains. This part of the Alpine-Himalayan belt arose relatively recently and joined Africa as a result of the closure of the Tethys Ocean. The relief of the southern part of the region is formed on structures of Hercynian age, and the northern part - of Alpine age. The Atlas lies mainly within the subtropical zone and is strongly influenced by the Mediterranean Sea.

It is a mountainous country within the mobile belt, unlike most African regions. It is characterized by an echelon-like arrangement of ridges.

These are mainly mountains with average heights of 1200-1500 meters. The maximum height is the city of Toubkal in the High Atlas (4165 meters). The formation of folded structures began in the Hercynian time. Only the Anti-Atlas in the south is a block block within the margins of the ancient Sahara Plate. Most of the ridges (High, Middle, Saharan Atlas) are folded-block structures formed during a period of active tectonic activity in the Neogene, when the Hercynian folded structures were broken into blocks and uplifted. Volcanic eruptions occurred along fault lines. During the era of the Alpine orogeny, the huge Moroccan Meseta block advanced into the Atlas region, crushing limestone strata into steep folds. As a result, the folded Air Reef was formed with a Precambrian core in the axial zone. Tel Atlas arose somewhat earlier; in the east, within its boundaries, salt-bearing rocks of the Triassic were folded into folds. In the Anthropocene, neotectonic movements separated the Atlas system from Sicily. The fault that formed along the coast was accompanied by volcanism. Now this is a seismically troubled area. Between the Tel Atlas and the Saharan Atlas, within a tectonic basin on an ancient, rigid block, lies the High Plateau (sometimes called the Schott Plateau, or the Oran-Algerian Plateau). Thus, the surface structure of the Atlas system combines mountain ranges, high intermountain plateaus, and hilly plains composed of limestone, sandstone, and shale, which are broken through by intrusions. In the mountains, rocks are highly dislocated. The narrow coastal strip is occupied by a lowland, which expands somewhat within Tunisia.

The Atlas Mountains are characterized by strong erosional dissection. Eroded denudation inclined surfaces are widely represented; landslide, solifluction, and landslide-talus processes also occur. Proluvial plumes can be traced at the foot of the southern slopes. The Atlantic lowland is characterized by dune terrain.

The Atlas Mountains region has very diverse climatic conditions. In the north, a typical Mediterranean type of climate prevails, the interior regions are characterized by a high degree of continentality, and in the southern part the climate is tropical desert.

There is a big difference in the amount of precipitation: on the northern slopes in some places more than 1000 mm falls per year (mainly in winter), in the interior and on the leeward southern and southeastern slopes 200-400 mm, and on the border with the Sahara - 150-190 mm . There is a clearly expressed increase in aridity from west to east due to an increase in air dryness in the warm sectors of winter cyclones.

Temperature differences manifest themselves mainly in the winter season: in the Mediterranean part and in the south, average January temperatures are 10-12 ° C, on the Atlantic coast it is lower - about 5 ° C (the influence of the eastern periphery of the Azores high and the cold Canary Islands is affected), and in the interior regions up to There are negative temperatures 5 months a year, and the thickness of the snow cover in some places reaches two meters. Summer is hot (30-32°C), cooler (21-22°C) only in the Atlantic region. It is not uncommon, especially in spring, to experience strong hot Samum and Khamsin winds with sand and dust storms. in this case it can rise to 50°C.

The river network is poorly developed; most rivers do not have a permanent flow.

The winter flow of the largest rivers can reach up to 1000 m 3 /sec, and in summer it can be 1-5 m 3 /s6k.

On the internal plateaus there are drying up salt lakes - shottas (Tigr, Jerid, etc.).

The vegetation cover shows a transition from Mediterranean to tropical deserts.

In the north, forests characteristic of Mediterranean landscapes were widespread, with some types of evergreen oaks, olive, strawberry tree, Aleppo pine, thuja, Lebanese cedar, laurel, etc., which are now replaced by shrub formations - maquis, phrigana, thickets of dwarf palm (palmito ) or cultural landscapes. In Er Rif and Tel Atlas, above 1700 meters, mixed forests of summer-green Lusitanian oak, maple, pine, and Atlas cedar grow. A characteristic feature is the absence of beech, which is widespread in Europe. Above 2200 meters there are juniper thickets. The interior areas are occupied by semi-desert vegetation with a predominance of turf grasses alpha, drina, as well as wormwood and solyanka.

The soil cover corresponds to plant formations: brown carbonate soils of the Mediterranean, brown soils of mountain forests, gray-brown soils of dry steppes and semi-deserts. There are many salt marshes, and on the southern slopes there are gravelly hamad soils.

The fauna is characteristic of both the Mediterranean (macaque monkeys, mongooses, caracals, etc.) and tropical Africa (Barbary leopard, cheetah, jackal, panther); reptiles and birds are numerous. Mouflons, maned sheep, and hyraxes live in the mountains.

The region has reserves of various minerals - iron, tin, zinc, cobalt, molybdenum ores, all kinds of salts, and there is a deposit of phosphorites of world importance. have significant energy potential, but due to the extreme unevenness of flow, reservoirs have to be built to use it. The coast has recreational resources. Fertile soils and a favorable climate for agriculture in the north of the region allow many subtropical crops to be grown here - grapes, citrus fruits, fruit trees. Forests of cork oak, which produces the best cork in the world, and Atlas cedar, which produces excellent timber, are of industrial importance. Forest areas are currently greatly reduced.

The Atlas Mountains are a region of long-term development. Its nature has been greatly modified. Natural vegetation was poorly preserved, and forests were especially damaged. Previously, they occupied about a third of the area of ​​the countries in the region, now - 11%. Some tree species have been destroyed by 50-90%. Many animals have disappeared or are very few in number. In the Maghreb countries there are quite a large number of protected areas where relict groves of Atlas cedar, Numidian fir and other trees are protected. The most famous national parks, Toubkal and Jebel Bou Hedma, protect the mountain gazelle and maned sheep.

The Atlas Mountains are located in the extreme northwest of Africa. They are a system of complexly branched ridges stretching for almost 2000 km from southwest to northeast. Their average height is 1200-1500 m. In the south, the border with the Sahara is not clearly defined everywhere; in general it coincides with the southern foot of the Atlas mountain ranges.

The Atlas Mountains are located on the border of the Mediterranean and the Sahara; this country is characterized by a number of natural features characteristic of both Mediterranean and desert tropical landscapes. In some places, Saharan landscapes penetrate north into the mountain system. Typical

Mediterranean landscapes occupy a narrow strip of coastline no more than 150 km wide.

The Atlas Mountains are heterogeneous in tectonics and geological structure. Their northern part - the Er-Rif and Tell-Atlas ridges - was created by Alpine folding. The rest of the mountain system is formed by fragmented Hercynian structures involved in Paleogene tectonic movements. At the end of the Neogene, the mountainous country of the Atlas experienced strong movements of a vertical nature, which were accompanied by processes of volcanism, determined its modern outlines and separated it from the mountains of Southern Europe. Frequent earthquakes indicate ongoing tectonic activity.

The relief of the Atlas Mountains is characterized by strong erosional dissection. Deep gorges cut through the high ridges, with steep exposed slopes and sharp peaks; the internal plateaus are crossed by a system of channels devoid of permanent watercourses. Physical weathering processes occur intensively.

The Atlas Mountains are divided into northern and southern ranges, separated by a strip of internal plains and plateaus corresponding to intermountain troughs.

Northern Ranges - Er Rif in the west and Tell Atlas in the east they are separated by the Sheliff River valley. These young folded mountains, 2000-2500 m high, stretch along the Mediterranean coast. They drop steeply to the sea, bordering bays convenient for navigation, or are separated from the sea by a narrow strip of low-lying coastal plain. The Mediterranean coast experiences uplifts and, in places, subsidence. Coastal terraces are almost not expressed.

166 Africa. Regional overview

Er-Rif (Rif Atlas) is a complex mountain range, highly dissected by erosion and most elevated in the central part. Its northern, limestone slopes are steep and precipitous; southern, shale - more flat. Tell Atlas forms three mountain ranges parallel to the coast. The ridge reaches its greatest height in the dissected crystalline massif of Djurjur (2300 m). In other places, the mountains are composed of limestone, clay, and marl. Karst is widely developed in limestones.

The southern ranges of the Atlas Mountains are folded and blocky. A ridge stretches from the Atlantic coast to the northeast High Atlas. In the Toubkal massif it reaches 4165 m - the highest height for the entire mountain system. The High Atlas is composed of Precambrian crystalline rocks. Its ridges are cut through by many river valleys, have jagged peaks and preserve traces of Quaternary glaciation - cirques, trough valleys and moraine ridges. East of the High Atlas stretches Middle Atlas. In its western part, it is a limestone, heavily karst plateau, broken by faults, with low extinct volcanic cones along the fault lines. Its eastern part is dominated by parallel anticlinal ridges separated by wide synclinal valleys. The High and Middle Atlas form the Moroccan Highlands. South of the High Atlas there is a ridge Anti-Atlas, representing the edge of the African Platform, uplifted by Cenozoic movements. Its continuation to the northeast is the ridge Saharan Atlas. These ridges are separated by narrow waterless gorges.

They are buried in rocky screes, and physical weathering is actively occurring in them.

Between the zones of the northern and southern ridges lies a strip of inland plains and plateaus, extending from the Atlantic Ocean northeast to the Mediterranean coast. Behind the narrow Atlantic accumulative lowland in the west, it rises stepwise Moroccan Meseta, adjacent to the Moroccan highlands. To the east are located high plateaus, bounded from the south by the Anti-Atlas and Saharan Atlas. The plateaus occupy a significant area and consist of vast basins separated by gentle rises.

The climatic conditions of different parts of the Atlas Mountains vary. The northern coast and ranges have a typically subtropical Mediterranean climate, with dry, hot summers and mild, wet winters. In winter, sea air of temperate latitudes dominates. Significant amounts of precipitation are brought by westerly winds from the Atlantic. It rains from November to May, with a maximum in December-January (when the polar front occupies its southernmost position). In the west (Er Rif and Jurjur) over 800 mm of moisture falls per year, mainly in the form of heavy rains; to the east the amount of precipitation decreases sharply, dropping to 300-200 mm near the Gulf of Gabes. Average temperatures in the winter months are higher than in Southern Europe (from +10 to +15°C). Almost every year there are short-term cold spells caused by the invasion of continental temperate air in the rear of cyclones. They are accompanied by snowfall in the mountains. Snow falls very rarely and quickly on the coast

Atlas Mountains 167

melts. In summer, this area is filled with marine tropical air, coming with northwest, north and northeast winds along the periphery of the Azores High. Downward air currents prevent precipitation; the weather is dry at this time. Summer temperatures are high, they rise from west to east from + 24 to +27 ° C and are only moderated by breezes on the coast. Sometimes hot and dry sirocco winds break through from the Sahara, raising the temperature to +35- + 40 °C and sharply reducing the relative humidity of the air.

The climate of the interior of the Atlas Mountains is sharply continental, arid and dry, with significant seasonal temperature ranges and, due to the high altitude of the area, quite harsh.

The interior of the Atlas - "a cold country with a hot sun"

In winter, a local anticyclone with continental air of temperate latitudes forms in the interior regions. Winters are quite cold, with average monthly temperatures dropping to

8---- + 5°C, and in closed depressions

and in high mountains they often drop to -10 °C and below. The tops of the mountains in winter are covered with snow, the thickness of which reaches 2 m. In the High and Middle Atlas, snow lies for more than 5 months. In summer the weather is hot and dry. Daytime temperatures are + 26 - + 28°C, maximum - up to + 50°C (with a hot southern wind). Mountain ranges block moist air masses from entering the interior, and precipitation there is less than 500 mm per year. Maximum precipitation

winter everywhere. Agriculture in almost the entire region requires artificial irrigation.

The river network of the Atlas Mountains is poorly developed. The rivers are fed mainly by rain, and only those rivers that flow from the Moroccan highlands and the Jurjour massif additionally receive snow nutrition. Permanent watercourses irrigate areas adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The largest rivers are Sheliff (700 km) and Muluya. They do not dry out in the summer, although costs fluctuate sharply throughout the year. In winter, water flow in Sheliff reaches 1400 m 3 /s, in summer it drops to 4 m 3 /s. In the interior of the Atlas there is a network of dry and dry riverbeds (wa-di), filled with water only after irregular rainfall. The high plateaus are characterized by vast, drainless salt lakes - shottas, which remain dry for a significant part of the year and are covered with a salt crust.

In vegetation and soil cover, as well as in relief, climate and hydrography, there are differences between the coastal and inland regions of the Atlas Mountains. On the coast and in the lower parts of the mountain slopes (up to an altitude of 400-500 m), thickets of hard-leaved evergreen shrubs (maquis) of myrtle, gorse, broom, cistus, oleander, strawberry and olive trees are developed on brown soils. However, most of the coast and adjacent foothill areas are plowed and occupied by citrus, olive, fruit, vineyards and grain crops.

Above the maquis (up to 1200-1300 m) forests of evergreen cork oak grow, the second tier and undergrowth of which consist of plants typical of the maquis; entwines tree trunks

168 Africa. Regional overview

ivy. The forests are located on leached brown soils.

Oak forests are replaced by mixed forests (from an altitude of 1200-1300 m), then coniferous forests (about 1800-2000 m). Mixed forests consist of evergreen species (holm oak), as well as trees with falling leaves (Lusitanian oak) and conifers (Atlas cedar); mountain forest brown soils develop under them. Coniferous forests are formed by Atlas cedar, which tolerates cold well, as well as yew. The understory and undergrowth of mixed and coniferous forests consist of maple, chestnut, wild pear, as well as holly and barberry.

The leeward slopes of Tell Atlas are occupied by forests of Aleppo pine with an undergrowth of Berber thuja, sparse juniper bushes, and open forests of holm oak with an undergrowth of Aleppo pine.

The upper border of the forest is formed by twisted, low-growing juniper trees.

velnikami and lies at an altitude of about 3000 m. Higher up, among the rocky placers, in the depressions there are patches of alpine meadows, which are significantly inferior in their species composition to the mountain meadows of Europe. The tops of the highest ridges are devoid of vegetation and are covered with snow for a significant part of the year.

The internal plateaus and valleys of the Atlas Mountains with poor gray soils, often saline soils (salt marshes) are dry steppes and semi-deserts. Xerophytic turf grasses, rare shrubs and trees grow here. Grasses dominate over shrubs in the driest central and southern regions. The main plants are feather grass, alpha grass, wormwood, gorse, and jujube bush; halophytes grow around the chotts. In Morocco, the low-growing chamerops palm and argan tree grow among the cereals; In Tunisia there are groves of coniferous trees and gum acacia. Shrubs and low-growing trees are characteristic of areas with better moisture, often forming dense thickets; Under them, on the carbonate weathering crust, the soils of Terra Rossa develop.

The Anti-Atlas and Sahara Atlas ranges, forming a mountain barrier on the border with the Sahara, already have typically desert landscapes. Only on the upper parts of the northern mountain slopes and on peaks that receive little rainfall are rare groves of Aleppo pine, arborvitae, holm oak (in the Saharan Atlas) and juniper (in the Anti-Atlas). At the southern foot of the mountains there are rare oases in which date palms are cultivated.

The fauna of the Atlas combines species from Southern Europe and Africa.

Sahara 169

There are many rodents here (hares, jerboas), and herbivores - hyraxes - can be found here. Among the predators, jackals, civets, wild cats and hyenas are ubiquitous. A tailless macaque lives on the rocks. Lots of lizards, snakes, various insects. Agriculture periodically suffers from locust attacks.

Sahara

The Sahara occupies a vast territory. It extends from the Atlantic coast to the Red Sea and from the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean coast to a line passing through the lower reaches of the Senegal River, Lake Chad, Khartoum on the Nile and Massawa on the Red Sea coast. The length of the Sahara from north to south is about 2000 km, from west to east - 6000 km, area - 8.7 million km 2. The landscapes of tropical deserts dominate here.

The Sahara is entirely located within the African platform. The surface of the territory is covered with strata of limestone, sandstone and clayey rocks of different ages. They form stratified plains and plateaus 300-500 m above sea level. In places, an ancient folded foundation protrudes to the surface or ancient intrusions emerge, forming crystalline plains and high highlands. Cuest ridges are developed in areas of the platform with a monoclinal structure.

In the west of the Sahara there are low plateaus of crystalline rocks (Karret-Yetti, El-Eghlab). They surround the vast El-Juf basin (syneclise of the platform) and the Er-Rir depression (pre-Atlas foothills).

deflection). Most of the trough is made up of sedimentary strata and is expressed in relief by inclined, strongly dissected plateaus.

The Ahaggar and Tibesti highlands rise in the central part of the Sahara. They are composed of crystalline and volcanic rocks (volcanic peaks on Ahaggar, lava plateaus and extinct volcanoes on Tibesti). The main peak of Tibesti is the extinct volcano Emi-Koussi (3415 m) with a large crater - the highest point of the Sahara. Recent volcanic activity is evidenced by hot springs and emissions of sulfur dioxide gases. The mountain ranges have a highly dissected topography, their slopes are steep and rocky; a mass of coarse debris has accumulated at the foot.

The Ahaggar and Tibesti highlands are surrounded by cuesta ridges, especially well developed on the northern side. The cuestas are separated by wide longitudinal valleys, their ledges are dissected by dry transverse narrow gorges. To the north of the central Saharan highlands lies the tectonically highly fragmented Libyan Sahara with volcanic landforms (the Jebel es-Aswad plateau), rocky and sandy deserts. From the south, the peripheral parts of the Sudanese basins adjoin the highlands.

The east of the Sahara is occupied by the Libyan, Arabian and Nubian deserts. The Libyan desert does not have dry river beds, its north is occupied by lowlands, the rest is occupied by structurally stepped and remnant plateaus. Characterized by deep depressions and the world's largest accumulations of sand. The Qattara Depression (-133 m) is one of the deepest dry depressions on the globe. In the depressions there are the oases of Farafra, Bahariya, Dakhla and

170 Africa. Regional overview

Kharga. In the Arabian and Nubian deserts, the crystalline basement is elevated and in places covered by strata of Mesozoic sandstones. Here table plateaus rise up to 2000 m high, intersected by deep dry gorges, indicating strong erosional dissection in the previous wetter era. Short dry beds of ancient rivers are directed towards the Nile, their sources lie on the slopes of the Etbai ridge - a horst-block massif that survived the collapse of the arch of the Nubian-Arabian anteclise.

In the Sahara, due to processes of intense physical weathering, masses of clastic material have accumulated. About 20% of the area is occupied by sand accumulations (ergs). They are developed mainly in depressions between cuesta plateaus and in vast closed basins. There are especially large accumulations of sand in the Libyan Desert, where the relative height of the dunes reaches 300 m, and in the northwestern part (Great Western and Great Eastern ergs). A significant part of the Sahara is occupied by rocky deserts (hamads), sand and pebble deserts (regs, serirs). Hamads are located on elevated areas and are composed of bedrock. Regs are distributed mainly on the slopes of tectonic basins and troughs, from where sandy material is washed out by water or carried away by the wind. Serirs lie in the lowest parts of the subsidence areas, occupying the bottoms of depressions (sebkhs).

Protective crusts, mainly limestone-gypsum, are widely developed in the Sahara. They protect vast plateaus from destruction and have different ages. The youngest of them are the Shotta in the Serir depressions.

In regs and hamadas, the crusts are more ancient and dense.

The climate of the Sahara is sharply continental and desert. Throughout the year, dry tropical air with low relative humidity (sometimes below 25%) prevails, and downward air currents (trade winds) predominate. Clouds over the Sahara are a rare phenomenon. The transparency and dryness of the air cause high insolation. The Sahara is one of the hottest deserts in the world, with sharp daily and annual temperature fluctuations. In summer, the heat reaches +50 °C and higher, the soil surface warms up to + 60 --- +80 °C.

The desert in July, with the exception of the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, is outlined by an isotherm of + 30 °C. The air is especially hot over the western part of the Sahara, covered by the +35 °C isotherm. Passing atmospheric depressions cause severe sand and dust storms - one of the main disasters of the desert. On hot days, with strong and uneven heating of the air, visibility conditions are distorted and mirages occur.

The absolute maximum temperature of the Earth was recorded in Tripoli (+58°C in the shade)

During the winter months the air is cooler and more stable. The central and northwestern parts of the Sahara are cooling significantly (up to 10 °C). Coastal areas, due to the moderating influence of the ocean and seas, have a higher temperature. During the day the temperature stays around +20 --- +25°С,

At night, due to strong radiation, the earth's surface drops to 0 °C.

Sahara 171

Negative temperatures occur at the heights of the Sahara.

Much of the Sahara receives less than 50 mm of precipitation per year. In inland areas there is sometimes no rain for several years. The Libyan Desert and the area southwest of Ahaggar (Tanezruft) are especially rainless. A slight increase in precipitation (up to 100-150 mm) is typical for the Central Saharan highlands. Precipitation falls mainly in the form of occasional showers, sometimes of a torrential nature. A significant part of them evaporates before reaching the earth's surface. Other sources of moisture include fog (frequent in spring on the Atlantic coast) and dew. Along with the low amount of precipitation in the Sahara, evaporation is extremely high, so the moisture content of the territory is practically zero.

There is more precipitation on the northern and southern edges of the Sahara. In the north they fall in winter, spring and autumn and are associated with the penetration of cyclones of the polar front, in the south - in summer and are caused by cyclones of the tropical front.

There is almost no surface water in the Sahara. The desert is crisscrossed by a network of dry wadi beds. Most of them diverge from the Saharan highlands, which served as watersheds in the past, and end at closed depressions. Only after rare rains do they fill with water, which dries up after a few days, and sometimes hours. Many wadis have underground drainage.

The only major permanent watercourse in the Sahara is the Nile, which receives its nourishment from outside the desert. On the outskirts of the Sahara and in some mountainous areas there are lakes with clean water. They have survived from the previous wet period and are fed by underground watercourses.

kami. Shots are also available. Groundwater, which is richest in sandy deserts and wadis, is of great value. They are the main source of water supply in

Typical landscapes of the Sahara

villages outside the Nile Valley.

The soil and vegetation cover of the Sahara is sparse, discontinuous and extremely sparse. Vast areas are almost completely devoid of soil and vegetation. The soils are poorly developed, primitive, but contain many nutrients. The vast majority of plants are xerophytes and ephemerals, striking in their ability to adapt to harsh conditions. Ephemera after random rains in a short time

172 Africa. Regional overview

For some time they have time to germinate, produce flowers and fruits and again go into a dormant state, which can last for more than one year in anticipation of the next rain. Rocky deserts are especially lifeless. Sandy deserts absorb moisture from dew and rare rains. Sands are supported by long-rooted leafless shrubs, subshrubs and grasses. The most common among them are Saharan gorse, ephedra, and drine. Among the stones and on the sands you can find the rose of Jericho - a plant with a short stem and bent branches. Along the Atlantic coast, due to high air humidity, dew and fog, quite dense thickets of quinoa, as well as low-growing cactus-like spurges and lichens, have developed.

The Ahaggar and Tibesti highlands are better hydrated than other areas of the Sahara. Many rivers originate from their peaks, some of which are preserved.

It creates permanent watercourses in deep and shady gorges. Trees and shrubs climb high along them, forming quite dense thickets in places. Vegetation varies with altitude. In the lower, Saharan-tropical zone, typical representatives of the Sudanese flora (dum palm, acacia) are found; in the middle, Saharan-Mediterranean, oak, juniper, oleander, olive tree, myrtle and cypress grow. On the peaks, especially on Tibesti, there are patches of mountain-steppe vegetation.

One of the attractions of the Sahara is the oases, which are green spots among the vast desert spaces. They occur where there is water on or close to the surface. One of the largest oases in the world is the Nile Valley. Other oases arose near artesian wells. The main crop of the Saharan oases is the date palm, in the shade of which fruit trees and shrubs and cereals are grown.

At the southern border of the Sahara, thickets of bushes and tough grasses appear. In the north, on the border with the Atlas region and on the Mediterranean coast, wild pistachios, oleanders, and jujubes are found.

The fauna of the Sahara is poor in species, but quite rich in individuals. Animals are adapted to harsh conditions, they are hardy, able to move quickly in search of water and food. Some of them are limited in their distribution to better moistened areas or water sources. The most typical for the Sahara are addax and oryx antelopes, gazelles, mountain goats, and among predators are jackals, hyenas, foxes, and cheetahs. Birds are represented by migratory and sedentary species, among the latter

Sudanese-Guinean country 173

desert raven, lizards predominate among reptiles, snakes and turtles are found. There are crocodiles preserved near rare bodies of water.

The ancient Greek legends and poems of Homer (between the 12th and 7th centuries BC) telling about the structure of the world brought the story of the great titan Atlas to the present day. It was believed that he lived in the far west, for which the Greeks at that time could take the African coast, and had enormous strength - such that it was enough to support the pillars separating the firmament from the earth (this is exactly how our distant ancestors imagined the place and view of the earth in space). He was associated with the ocean and was considered a sea titan, treacherous and rebellious. But justice was also found for him: Atlas, who in some legends was also called the African king, had the imprudence to refuse hospitality to the legendary Greek hero Perseus. And Perseus at that time was already the owner of the magical head of the Gorgon Medusa, which turned anyone who looked at her into stone. Frustrated by the behavior of Atlas, Perseus showed the titan the ill-fated head of Medusa and turned him into the African Mount Atlas. Myths are myths, but in the north-west of Africa, where Atlas allegedly lived, there is an extended ridge - the Atlas Mountains.
They are known by this name in Europe, but among the local population there is no single name - only the names of individual ridges. These mountains cross the territory of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and consist of several ranges: Tell Atlas (High Atlas), Middle Atlas and Saharan Atlas. Between them are plains and several internal plateaus - the High, Orano-Algerian and Moroccan Mesetas. The latter, from the most elevated part of the Er-Rif ridge, descends in terraces to the west.
Atlas is a whole mountainous country. It stretches from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, crossing the African continent from west to east almost along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (Tell Atlas Ridge). It is so extensive that zones change here - tropical to subtropical, providing very contrasting landscapes: mountains and traces of ancient glaciation on their highest peaks, flowering oases, desert (Sahara Range), rivers and sebkhas (salt lakes).

Algeria occupies the central part of the Atlas Mountains and one-fourth of the Sahara Desert. The state is located in North Africa. The area of ​​Algeria is 2381.7 square meters. km. The largest cities are Oran, Constantine, Annaba and Algiers.

Borders

The country's southern neighbors are Mali, Niger and Mauritania, in the west the state borders on Morocco, and in the east on Libya and Tunisia, the north of Algeria is washed by the Mediterranean Sea.

The main advantage of the state's location is its location in the western Mediterranean basin.

Table: mountains, what continent they are on, in what direction they stretch.

This area provides major air and water routes between the Middle East, Africa, the Atlantic and Europe. The bays are used for fishing and the export of oil and iron ore.

The country has several regions: Tell, the High Plateau, the Saharan part of the Atlas Mountains and the Algerian Sahara. The northern highland region of Tell, formed by a mountain range, is cut through by a small number of bays and plains. Around the cities of Oran and Algiers, the area is densely populated.

Flora and fauna

Mediterranean-type shrubs and cork oaks grow at medium altitudes. Numerous deforestation, frequent fires and livestock grazing have turned the highlands once occupied by pine and cedar forests into wastelands, overgrown with bushes. The High Plateau region, with an altitude of over a thousand meters, is used for agriculture.

Both the flora and fauna of Algeria are not very diverse. Areas of forest have been preserved only in the north. Olives, oaks, thujas and pines grow in them. The only animals that live are hares, hyenas, Barbary macaques, jackals, rabbits, many species of lizards, snakes and a wide variety of spiders, including poisonous phalanges and scorpions.

Relief of the country

There are almost no bodies of water here. At lower altitudes there are salt marshes and salt lakes, shots formed during rainy periods. The Saharan Atlas rises above the Plateau, descending towards the Sahara. The Tell Atlas mountain range includes Tlemcen, Medjerda and Little and Great Kabylia. The Sheliff, the main river of the country, originates in the mountains.

The highest peaks of the Saharan Atlas are Ouled Nail, Amur and Ksur. This region, due to the abundant grass cover of the intermountain plains, is used as pasture for livestock. The country has a Mediterranean subtropical climate with hot and dry summers and rainy and warm winters.

Only the highest peaks are covered with snow. The Sahara Desert occupies the rest of Algeria. Most of it is occupied by rocky and pebble deserts, reggae and hamadas. Daytime temperatures in a tropical desert climate reach +35 °C, and the nights are cool.

Of all the rivers in the country, only a few have a constant flow; the rest live off the rains. Water is obtained from artesian wells, wells and tunnels dug at a slight slope, foggars. Precipitation here is very rare.

ATLAS (Greek?τλας), Atlas Mountains, mountain system in North Africa, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. It stretches from west to east from the Atlantic Ocean, along the Mediterranean coast, to Cape Et-Tib for 2000 km. Height up to 4165 m (Mount Toubkal). The atlas is identified as a special physical-geographical region of Africa due to the diversity of landscapes and its location at the junction of subtropical and tropical zones. In the Middle Ages, Atlas was called Jezirat al-Maghrib or Maghrib (“island of the West”), thereby emphasizing the “island position” of Atlas between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert.

Relief. The atlas consists of a series of sublatitudinal en-echelon ridges. In the north, along the Mediterranean coast, stretch the short horseshoe-shaped Er Rif ridge and the Tell Atlas coastal ridge system. To the south are the Middle Atlas, to the west of which the Moroccan Meseta plateau descends stepwise towards the Atlantic coast, and the High Atlas with the highest point of the Atlas - Mount Toubkal (4165 m). A series of Saharan Atlas ranges extend along the southern edge. Between the Tell Atlas and the Saharan Atlas are the High Plateaus. In the extreme eastern part of the Atlas there is the Tunisian ridge (height up to 1295 m, Mount Zagwan), represented by a complex system of low mountains, in the southwest there is the Anti-Atlas ridge. The relief of the high mountains (High Atlas, Er Rif, Tell Atlas) is distinguished by sharp and deep dissection (more than 500 m). The mid-altitude mountains (Saharan Atlas and Tunisian Atlas) have relatively weak dissection (less than 500 m). In the high massifs of the western part of the Atlas, alpine landforms predominate. On the slopes of the High Atlas there are traces of ancient glaciation (peaks, cirques, trough valleys), trains of moraines descend to an altitude of 2100 m. On the High Plateaus, in the Saharan Atlas and Tunisian Atlas, denudation and accumulative plains, remnant mountains, and table plateaus are developed. At the foot of the steep slopes of the Atlas, classic forms of piedmont sloping plains are presented - pediments. In the south, the Atlas - the mountain slopes facing the Sahara are covered with rubble. Karst landforms (sinkholes, fields, karrs) are widely represented in the High Atlas and Middle Atlas, Er-Rif. The deepest karst cavity in Africa, Anu Iflis, is located in the Djurjura Tell Atlas ridge.

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Geological structure and minerals. The Atlas is located within the Mediterranean (Alpine-Himalayan) mobile belt; separated from the ancient African platform by the South Atlas fault zone. In the western part of the Atlas, in the Moroccan Meseta region, folded carbonate-terrigenous and volcanic strata of the Upper Proterozoic and Paleozoic, accumulated on the deep-sea margin of the Paleotethys ocean, are widespread (see the Tethys article). In the Carboniferous and Permian, during the era of Hercynian tectogenesis, these rocks experienced intense deformation, metamorphism and the intrusion of granite plutons.

Atlas Mountains

Lagoonal-continental and shallow-marine sediments of the cover of Triassic-Jurassic age are developed in the High Plateau region. In the northern part of the Atlas, they are overlain by flysch, pelagic and reef carbonate strata of the Upper Jurassic, Cretaceous and Paleogene, which accumulated on the southern margin of the Neo-Tethys Ocean. At the end of the Eocene, during the era of Alpine tectogenesis, Mesozoic and early Paleogene deposits experienced intense fold-thrust deformations, forming a system of tectonic covers of the coastal chain of Er-Rif and Tell-Atlas that moved southward. At the front of the orogen, foredeeps were formed (Predrifsky, Predtelsky), filled with Miocene molasse. In the southern part of the Atlas, in the Jurassic-Eocene time, rift troughs arose, filled with thick strata of shallow-marine sediments, which subsequently underwent inversion under the influence of a compression impulse from the Alpine orogen and formed the folded mountain ranges of the High, Middle and Saharan Atlas. The High Plateau and Moroccan Meseta regions remained stable during the Alpine stage with the accumulation of Jurassic-Eocene marine and Oligocene-Quaternary continental sediments. In the modern era, mountains remain highly mobile, accompanied by increased seismic activity. Destructive earthquakes in 1954, 1980 in Tell Atlas; in 1960 in High Atlas. The main wealth of the Atlas subsoil consists of iron ores, polymetals, and phosphorites (Arabian-African phosphorite province). Deposits of oil and combustible gas in intermountain depressions have long been known.

Climate. In the north of Atlas the climate is subtropical Mediterranean, in the interior and southern regions it is semi-desert. Winter is cool and rainy. In the lower mountain belt, the average January temperature in the north is 10-12°C, in the interior regions 4-6°C. Summer is dry and hot. The average temperature in July is about 25°C. The absolute maximum air temperature on the internal plains is 40°C, in the south of the Atlas it is 49°C. The greatest amount of precipitation (1000-1800 mm per year) falls on the northern and eastern slopes of the Tell Atlas east of 2° east longitude and in the High Atlas at an altitude of 2000-2500 m. Most of the Atlas receives 400-600 mm, the southern regions - less than 300 mm of precipitation per year. Above 1500 m in the mountains there is snow for 4-5 months. The height of the snow line in the north is 2500 m, in the south - 3500 m. On the highest peaks, the thickness of the snow cover reaches 2 m.

Rivers and lakes. The deepest rivers are the basins of the Atlantic Ocean (Umm er-Rbiya, Tensift, Cebu) and the Mediterranean Sea (Muluya, Sheliff). During the rainy season, water flows in them increase to several hundred and thousand m3/s. Most of the remaining rivers are dry (oueds), fed mainly by rain, winter floods and extremely uneven flow. In the high-mountain basins of the High Atlas and Middle Atlas there are freshwater lakes of predominantly karst origin. In the eastern part of the Atlas, in vast intermountain basins, there are salt lakes - sebkhas (Chott el-Shergi, Chott el-Khodna, etc.).

Soils, flora and fauna. On the coast and in the mountains (up to an altitude of 800 m), landscapes of the Mediterranean type are common - thickets of evergreen hard-leaved shrubs (maquis), as well as forests of cork and holm oak on brown soils, cultivated vegetation - olive trees, pistachios, etc. In the dry interior regions and in the south, in the zone of subtropical deserts, there is sparse grass vegetation (feather grass, alpha), wormwood on gray-brown, highly gravelly soils. The altitudinal zonation of landscapes in the Atlas is most clearly expressed on the windward slopes of Er Rif and Tell Atlas. Up to an altitude of 1200 m there are evergreen cork oak forests, at an altitude of 1200-1700 m there are mixed forests with evergreen and summergreen broad-leaved and coniferous trees, up to 2200 m there are coniferous forests (mainly Atlas cedar). Mountain brown leached and brown forest soils are developed under the forests. On the peaks there are patches of mountain meadow and mountain steppe vegetation.

The fauna is greatly depleted; has representatives of both African and some European animals (for example, the hare). In the north there are monkeys, jackals everywhere, in the south there are hyenas, and some ungulates. Many migratory birds. Reptiles are numerous.

The Atlas contains 18 protected natural areas with a total area of ​​509 thousand hectares, including the national parks of Guraya, Teniet el-Had, Shrea, Djurjura, and Toubkal.

Lit.: Gvozdetsky N. A., Golubchikov Yu. N. Mountains. M., 1987.

D. S. Asoyan; V. E. Khain (geological structure and minerals).

Physical map of the world allows you to see the relief of the earth's surface and the location of the main continents. A physical map gives a general idea of ​​the location of seas, oceans, complex terrain and elevation changes in different parts of the planet. On a physical map of the world, you can clearly see mountains, plains, and systems of ridges and highlands. Physical maps of the world are widely used in schools when studying geography, as they are basic for understanding the main natural features of different parts of the world.

Physical map of the world in Russian - relief

PHYSICAL MAP OF THE WORLD displays the surface of the Earth. The space of the earth's surface contains all the natural resources and wealth of humanity. The configuration of the earth's surface predetermines the entire course of human history. Change the boundaries of the continents, stretch the direction of the main mountain ranges differently, change the direction of the rivers, remove this or that strait or bay, and the whole history of mankind will become different.

“What is the surface of the Earth? The concept of surface has the same meaning as the concept of geographical envelope and the concept of biosphere proposed by geochemists... The earth's surface is three-dimensional - three-dimensional, and by accepting the geographical envelope as a unique biosphere, we emphasize the paramount importance of living matter for geography. The geographical envelope ends where living matter ends.”

Physical map of the Earth's hemispheres in Russian

Physical map of the world in English from National Geographic

Physical map of the world in Russian

Good physical map of the world in English

Physical map of the world in Ukrainian

Physical map of the Earth in English

Detailed physical map of the Earth with main currents

Physical world map with state borders

Geological map of the world’s regions

A physical map of the world with the ice and clouds

Physical map of the Earth

A physical map of the world

The great importance of the structure of continents for the fate of mankind is indisputable. The gap between the eastern and western hemispheres disappeared only 500 years ago with the voyages of the Spaniards and Portuguese to America. Before this, connections between the peoples of both hemispheres existed mainly only in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean.

The deep penetration of the northern continents into the Arctic has long made routes around their northern shores inaccessible.

On what continent is Mount Atlas located?!

The close convergence of the three main oceans in the area of ​​the three Mediterranean seas created the possibility of connecting them with each other naturally (Strait of Malacca) or artificially (Suez Canal, Panama Canal). The chains of mountains and their location predetermined the movement of peoples. Vast plains led to the unification of people under one state will, strongly dissected spaces contributed to maintaining state fragmentation.

The dismemberment of America by rivers, lakes and mountains led to the formation of Indian peoples who, due to their isolation, could not resist the Europeans. Seas, continents, mountain ranges and rivers form natural boundaries between countries and peoples (F. Fatzel, 1909).