Geography Of Morocco
| Geography of Morocco | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Continent | Africa |
| Region | Maghreb |
| Contact | 32 00'N 5 00'W |
| Area |
|
| Coast | 1835 (3600 with Western Sahara) km |
| Borders | Total: 2017.9 km Algeria 1559 km Western Sahara : 443 km Spain ( Ceuta ) 6.3 km Spain ( Melilla ) 9.6 km |
| Maximum altitude | 4165 m ( Jebel Toubkal ) |
| Minimum altitude | -55 M ( Sebkha Tah ) |
The Morocco is a country in north-western Africa. Its long coastline on the ocean Atlantic ends beyond the Strait of Gibraltar on the Mediterranean.
In southern Morocco is the disputed territory Western Sahara , claimed and largely controlled by Morocco. To the east and southeast, Morocco is bordered by the Algeria. At some distance from the coast Atlantic lie the Canary Islands and Madeira. North of the Strait of Gibraltar is the Spain.
The administrative capital is Rabat. Among large cities that there are Casablanca , Agadir , Fez , Marrakech , Meknes , Tetouan , Tangier , Oujda , Ouarzazate and Laayoune (Western Sahara).
Summary |
Physical Geography
Mountains
Mountains cover more than two thirds of Moroccan territory and reach significant heights. Several peaks crossing the bar of 4000 m. The Jebel Toubkal , the highest mountain in the country, culminating at 4167 meters. Morocco contains four major mountain ranges, and is the only country in the Maghreb to have a huge mountain range of Atlas.
First in the north, the mountains or jebel the Rif bordering the Mediterranean. The highest peak reaches 2456 m Rif and it is called Jebel Tidirhine. The Rif offers a variety of surfaces depending on the altitudes of its regions. In fact, the west is particularly thorny vegetation (the trees , the pines and cedars ). On the other hand, it grows in arid steppe and scrub and still farther east, but with the hemp , which is not harvested. Further on the Mediterranean coast and farther inland, it is possible to note three other huge chains: the Middle Atlas , the High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas , where we find again a diversity of landscapes.
The Middle Atlas , which is the "water tower" of Morocco's Rif is separated by the arid plains of eastern and western fertile. The two channels are separated by the famous patch of Taza. The Middle Atlas is composed of two parts in different landscapes. In the east are steep mountain ranges with peaks over 3100 m as Jebel Bou Naceur or Bouiblane. These summits are experiencing heavy snowfall. Westward chain softened, giving way to relief and more affordable way to leaving a few small plates. Chain in the Middle Atlas is bordered to the south by the High Atlas
It is in the High Atlas mountains , majestic chain belt from east to west that Toubkal peak at about 4167 meters.
The Plains
These plains are often very large areas, stretching from the Rif Mountains to the Middle Atlas, the pool of Sebu (36 000 km 2) consists of low plateaus, rivers, some hills and fertile plains that allow the cultivation of several food.
In the Gharb plain , there are fields of sugar beet, rice, sugarcane and tobacco. This plain is distinguished from others by the presence of the forest where there is Mamora exploitation of cork oaks and eucalyptus.
Vast plains appear as soon as one goes beyond the country of Zaire and the plateau of phosphates. We find the Chaouia , Doukkala and further east at the foot of the Middle Atlas Tadla. Further south, we find the Haouz Plain in the Marrakech region and that of the Souss making the triangle between the ocean, High Atlas and Anti-Atlas.
We found other plains and fertile valleys of smaller sizes especially in the north (Lukose, Nekkor, Trifa, Valley Wadi Ouergha, Baht, Inaouen ...).
Desert
In the south, the Erg Chebbi , near the Algerian border, is the largest expanse of stones and sand inside Morocco. Some sand dunes can reach 200 m height.
Land boundaries
- with Algeria : 1 559 km
- with Western Sahara : 443 km ( disputed territory controlled by Morocco 80%)
- with Spain : 16 km (enclave of Ceuta : 6 km enclave of Melilla : 10 km)
Climate
The Moroccan climate is both Mediterranean and Atlantic, with a hot dry season coupled with a cold and wet season, the end of the warm period was marked by the rains of October.
The presence of the sea mitigates temperature variation, moderates the seasons and increases the moisture in the air (400 to 1,000 mm of rainfall on the coast). In the interior, the climate varies with altitude. Summers are hot and dry, especially when the sirocco blows hot or Chergui , wind summer from the Sahara. For this season , average temperatures are 22 C to 24 C. The winters are cold and wet with frost and snow. The average temperature then evolves from - 2 C to 14 C and can drop to - 26 C. In mountainous areas, rainfall is very large (over 2000 mm of precipitation in the Rif or 1800 mm in the Middle Atlas). The Morocco pre-Saharan and Saharan Africa has a dry desert climate.
Eco-system in Morocco
Hydrography
Morocco has many rivers (rivers and wadis) such as:
Major rivers such as the Bouregreg Oum Errabiaa, Moulouya, and Sebu, have highly variable flows between seasons, and also from year to year.
Many smaller rivers (the "wadis") may even be dry part of the year (or even several consecutive years in the pre-desert areas).
The lack of water, but also the great variability of flows, are a big problem for Morocco, particularly for agriculture (irrigated or not) ...
Fauna of Morocco
The diversity of wildlife is a treasure in principle, but it is absolutely undermined by all sorts of destruction. Among several unique species include:
- the waders
- the little egret
- the flamingo
- the Egyptian vulture
- the golden eagle
- the Barbary deer
- the squirrel of Barbary
- the camel
- the hedgehog Algeria and desert hedgehog
- the golden jackal threatened and he disappeared from whole regions ... In Morocco, he was confused with the wolf that does not exist in Africa.
- the striped hyena , being rapidly extinguishing
- The fennec is rare.
- the fox Rppell , very rare
- the red fox
- the caracal lynx , an endangered species.
- The serval , an endangered species.
- the panther. One individual was killed three years ago in the High Atlas by a poacher. It is immediate danger of extinction in total indifference.
- the Dorcas gazelle and Cuvier's gazelle in rarefaction
- the baboon , threatened by the slow death of the cedar forest and catch traffickers.
- the dolphin
- subspecies of the Egyptian cobra , Naja Haje legionis or cobra North Africa has considerably rarefied and disappeared from entire regions, shows inherited victim of barbarous times still raging in some hotels in Agadir and elsewhere, and on the Djemaa el-Fna in Marrakech, so-called benefit of tourists.
- Many snakes and some vipers. In Morocco, unlike the local prejudices, most snakes are harmless (17 species out of 25) and the few existing species of venomous snakes never attack.
- a species of small burrowing boa, Eryx jaculus
- the sharks
- thirty species of scorpions (new species are identified almost every year in Morocco), one or two are potentially dangerous to humans (eg. Androctonus mauretanicus ), especially for small children. However, almost never attack a scorpion.
The lion of the Atlas went away (destroyed) in the wild, the last in 1943. There are, however, although mixed with other subspecies fifty in various zoos of the world including twenty Temara Zoo. Etchings recently discovered in caves near Ouarzazate indicate that crocodiles , and leopards and elephants lived in these places before their natural extinction or extermination by humans. Similar carvings are also found in the Sahara. For cons, the birds are still very present with a relatively high diversity of species, although the red-necked ostrich , eg., was completely exterminated, and the Sahara as the Houbara Bustard. A fairly large number of species of snakes (25 species including 17 non-hazardous, and the 8 other remaining never attack and are less prevalent!), and lizards are found in Morocco, including a large percentage of endemics. However, many species are threatened. They are victims of ignorance, cruelty and irresponsibility in ecology.
Flora of Morocco
The Morocco has a rich flora due to its strategic position, in fact it has two coastlines totaling over 3500 km, including 500 in the Mediterranean he received thus flows with the rain from the ocean that accumulate against the barrier mountains of the Atlas which allows heavy rains to Rabat , Casablanca , Fez and the formation of snow in Ifrane and Azrou and the high peaks of the Atlas , while the south and east remain dry. More than 4500 species of flora Moroccan configure. Variations in climate and terrain are fundamental to explain such a rich floral. The botanical interest of Morocco is intense and we cite only 2.5 million hectares of forest that contain:
- the cedars
- of palm
- the cedars
- of date palms
- of almond
- of fig
- of olive
- of acacia
- of fruit
- of oaks
- of cork
- of pines
- the eucalyptus
- of strawberry
- alfa and the endemic argan tree , including Morocco and the only country to have this case and is registered in UNESCO World Heritage. The forest represents about 15% of the total area.
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