can be seen at center left.|upright=1.59 The range can be divided into four general regions: •
Anti-Atlas,
High Atlas and
Middle Atlas (Morocco) •
Tell Atlas (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) •
Aurès Mountains (Algeria, Tunisia) •
Saharan Atlas (Algeria)
Anti-Atlas The Anti-Atlas extends from the
Atlantic Ocean in the southwest of Morocco toward the northeast to the heights of
Ouarzazate and further east to the city of
Tafilalt (altogether a distance of approximately ). In the south it borders the
Sahara. The easternmost point of the anti-Atlas is the
Jbel Saghro range and its northern boundary is flanked by sections of the
High Atlas range. It includes the Djebel Siroua, a massif of volcanic origin with the highest summit of the range at 3,304 m. The Jebel Bani is a much lower range running along the southern side of the Anti Atlas.
High Atlas The High Atlas in central Morocco rises in the west at the
Atlantic coast and stretches in an eastern direction to the Moroccan-Algerian border. It has several peaks over , including the highest summit in North Africa,
Toubkal (), and further east Ighil
m'Goun (), the second major summit of the range. At the Atlantic and to the southwest, the range drops abruptly and makes a transition to the coast and the Anti-Atlas range. To the north, in the direction of
Marrakesh, the range descends less abruptly. On the heights of
Ouarzazate the massif is cut through by the
Draa Valley which opens southward. It is mainly inhabited by Berber people, who live in small villages and cultivate the high plains of the
Ourika Valley. Near Barrage Cavagnac there is a
hydroelectric dam that has created the artificial lake
Lalla Takerkoust. The lake serves also as a source for fish for the local fishermen. The largest villages and towns of the area are
Ouarzazate,
Tahannaout,
Amizmiz,
Imlil,
Tin Mal and
Ijoukak.
dam (far right) part of the High Atlas
Middle Atlas The Middle Atlas is completely in Morocco and is the northernmost of its three main Atlas ranges. The range lies north of the High Atlas, separated by the
Moulouya and
Oum Er-Rbia rivers, and south of the
Rif mountains, separated by the
Sebou River. To the west are the main coastal plains of Morocco with many of the major cities and, to the east, the high barren plateau that lies between the Saharan and Tell Atlas. The high point of the range is the
jbel Bou Naceur (3340 m). The Middle Atlas experiences more rain than the ranges to the south, making it an important water catchment for the coastal plains and important for biodiversity. It is home to the majority of the world's population of
Barbary macaque.
Saharan Atlas The Saharan Atlas of
Algeria runs east of the High Atlas, crossing Algeria from the Moroccan border and into Tunisia. The
Aures Mountains are often presented as being the easternmost part of the Saharan Atlas. Though not as high as the High Atlas, they reach similar altitudes as the Tell Atlas range that runs to the north of them and closer to the coast. The highest peak in the range, outside of the Aures Mountains, is the high Djebel Aissa. They mark the northern edge of the
Sahara Desert. The mountains see some rainfall and are better suited to agriculture than the
plateau region to the north. Today, most of the population of the region are Berbers (
Imazighen).
Tell Atlas The Tell Atlas is a mountain chain over in length, belonging to the Atlas mountain ranges and stretching from Eastern Morocco to Tunisia, and through Algeria. It parallels the
Mediterranean coast and joins with the Saharan Atlas in Eastern Algeria and Tunisia. The highest summit of the Tell Atlas is the Lalla Khadidja in the
Djurdjura range of
Kabylia. The western end of the Tell Atlas merges with the
Middle Atlas range in Morocco. The area immediately to the south of the Tell Atlas is the high plateau of the
Hautes Plaines, with lakes in the wet season and salt flats in the dry. The eastern half of the Tell Atlas has the most humid climate of North Africa, with annual precipitation reaching well above , and sometimes over like in the
Collo Peninsula or near
Ain Draham. An important amount of snow falls on the summits in winter.
Aurès The Aurès Mountains are the easternmost portion of the Atlas mountain range. It covers parts of
Algeria and
Tunisia. The
Aurès natural region is named after the range. ==Flora and fauna==