Atlas Mountains facts for kids
The Atlas Mountains are a long chain of mountains in northwest Africa. They stretch for about 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles). These mountains go through three countries: Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
The highest point in the Atlas Mountains is Tougkal. This peak is in southwestern Morocco and stands at 4,167 meters (13,671 feet) tall. The second highest mountain is M'Goun, which is 4,071 meters high. A part of the Atlas Mountains in the southwest is called the "Anti-Atlas."
The Atlas Mountains act like a natural wall. They separate the cool Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the huge, hot Sahara Desert. Many of the people who live in these mountains belong to Berber tribes. These tribes live in both Morocco and Algeria.
The name "Atlas" comes from an ancient Greek story. The mountains are named after Atlas, a powerful Titan from Greek myths.
Images for kids
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The tectonic boundary
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Satellite photograph of the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas Mountains. North is at the bottom; the city of Goulmima can be seen at center left.
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High Atlas, Morocco
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Panoramic picture of the artificial lake of Lalla Takerkoust near Barrage Cavagnac, with the hydroelectric dam (far right)
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Panoramic view of typical Berber village in the Moroccan part of the High Atlas
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Snow on Atlas Mountains in Morocco on 9 January 2019
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Northern slopes of Djebel Akouker (2184m) in the Djurdjura range (Tell Atlas, Algeria)
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Aures Mountains
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A male Barbary lion photographed in Algeria by Alfred Edward Pease in 1893.
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Mixed forest (Atlas cedar, oaks, ash trees) in the Blidean Atlas, South of Algiers.
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See also
In Spanish: Cordillera del Atlas para niños
