MOUNTAINS
The Atlas Mountains lie in northwestern Africa extending for approximately 1,500 miles (2,400 km) along the coasts of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. These mountains reach heights of more than 13,600 feet (4100 km). Like many other high ranges around the world, the Atlas Mountains form a rain shadow. The northern and southern sides of the mountains are very different. The sea winds keep the north generally windy and well watered. The northern slopes have important farmland and forests. The tops of these mountains are often snow-covered; on these mountainsides are the beginningsof many streams and rivers used for irrigation. The drier southward facing mountain sides are covered with shrubs and grasses and have salt lakes and salt flats.Sheep grazingis important in this area. Between the mountain peaks lie many fertile valleys.
Morocco, AlgeriaTunisia
The people of mountain ranges such as the Atlas Mountains rely on terracing to provide precious farmland from out of the steep mountain sides. A terrace is a flat strip of land along a steep slope where people farm and live. People cut terraces through mostly hand labor into the mountainsides. Travel and communication are severely limited by the rugged terrain.The mountains, therefore, tend to seal off their inhabitants from the coastal and desert regions. In their isolation, the people of the mountains preserve their customs for many generations. Berbers comprise a majority of the population in the Atlas Mountains.
Mountain life is sometimes difficult for the people in this region. It is hard to build in this region. Roads are very limited due to the rough and rugged mountain slopes, therefore communication is usually limited between the people living in the mountains and people living on the outskirts. Also there is not much development in these regions. Malls, shopping centers, and other stores usually do not exist in mountainous areas because it is too steep and not enough level land on which to build.
Many people in this region live a happy life without the conveniences of modern technology. They follow traditional customs, do much of their work with only hand tools and often have no telephone or electricity. The mountain people value the land and have relatively few material possessions.