Atlas Mountains

Atlas Mountains
Mount Toubkal in Toubkal National Park within the High Atlas, Morocco
Highest point
Peak	Toubkal, Morocco
Elevation	4,167 m (13,671 ft)[1]
Listing	Mountain ranges
Coordinates	31°03′35″N 7°54′54″W / 31.05963°N 7.91513°W / 31.05963; -7.91513[1]
Dimensions
Length	2,500 km (1,600 mi)
Geography
The location of the Atlas Mountains (red) across North Africa
Countries	Morocco Algeria Tunisia
Region	Maghreb
Geology
Rock age	Precambrian

The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. It separates the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range, which stretches around 2,500 km (1,600 mi) through Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The range's highest peak is Toubkal, which is in central Morocco, with an elevation of 4,167 metres (13,671 ft).^[2] The Atlas Mountains are primarily inhabited by Berber populations.^[3]

The terms for 'mountain' are Adrar and adras in some Berber languages, and these terms are believed to be cognates of the toponym Atlas. The mountains are home to a number of animals and plants which are mostly found within Africa but some of which can be found in Europe. Many of these species are endangered and a few are already extinct. The weather is generally cool but summers are sunny, and the average temperature there is 25 °C.^[4] The Atlas Mountains have earned a reputation as a trekkers’ den, attracting adventurers year-round.^[5]