Morphology

Morocco is a country in North Africa that borders Algeria to the east, with the Western Sahara to the southwest and faces north to the Mediterranean Sea, west to the Atlantic Ocean. This makes it the only African nation bathed by both the Mediterranean and the ocean.

Most of Morocco is located at high altitude, with an average of about 800 meters above sea level. Two mountain ranges divide eastern Morocco from the Atlantic: the Rif mountains to the north along the Mediterranean coast, while the Atlas mountains through the center. The Atlas and Rif chains were formed during the Paleogene and the Neogene (about 65 to 2.6 million years ago). In the southernmost part of the country there is the Sahara desert where the presence of human settlements becomes extremely rarefied.

The Rif mountains are geologically part of the mountain ranges south of the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Most of the limestone peaks of the Rif exceed 1,500 meters and climb 2,456 meters on Mount Tidirhine.

The Atlas Mountains comprise three distinct chains. The High Atlas (High Atlas), where it starts as small hills near the Atlantic, quickly rises to more than 2,000 meters and reaches 4,165 meters on Mount Toubkal, the highest point in Morocco. This mountain is rich in crystalline rocks, such as granite, and constantly covered with snow. The Middle Atlas (Moyen Atlas) moves away from the High Atlas in a northerly direction, reaching 3,340 meters on its crest. The anti-atlas extends southwest from the High Atlas to the Atlantic.

The coast of Morocco is regular and has few natural ports. Before modern ports were built, sandbanks and rocky cliffs offshore made navigation difficult.

The mountains of Morocco capture significant amounts of rain and snow on their slopes upwind from storms that arrive off the North Atlantic and give rise to numerous streams. The main waterways of the country include: The Sebou about 450 km long and has the largest volume of any Moroccan river. The Drâa, which rises in the High Atlas at the confluence of the Dadès and the Imini, is the longest river in Morocco, about 1,100 km long. Oum el-Rbia is another significant river, flowing from the Middle Atlas to the Atlantic. 

The country does not have many lakes, and those present are small due to very high evaporation. In the middle of the Middle Atlas stretches “the plateau of lakes”, which owes its name to deep volcanic lakes, which fill with water during the winter and then dry up in the summer.

A dark clay soil known as tirs produces good harvests of wheat and barley when rainfall is sufficient and can retain enough moisture to sustain summer pastures. Hamri, a slightly reddish siliceous soil around Meknès and Fès, supports vineyards and cereal crops, while not retaining much moisture. Dhess is the main type of soil in the Sebou basin. Rich in silt, it provides the basis for much of Morocco’s modern irrigated agriculture. 

Climate

Most of Morocco north of the Western Sahara, particularly along the coasts, experiences a typical Mediterranean climate. The rainy season generally extends from October to April. Precipitation levels are relatively low and gradually decrease from north to south. 

Average daily summer temperatures in coastal cities vary between 18 and 28 ºC. Indoors, however, the daily peaks often exceed 35 º C. In late spring or summer, the sharqī, a warm dusty wind from the Sahara, penetrates into coastal towns, crossing plains and mountains. This causes temperatures to increase dramatically, reaching 41 ºC. In winter the sea influence moderates temperatures in coastal regions. Average daily winter temperatures vary from 8 to 17 ºC. Far from the coast, temperatures drop significantly, reaching temperatures below zero.

Flora and Fauna 

The vegetation of Morocco is very similar to that present in the Iberian Peninsula, outside the desert areas.

In the wetter mountainous areas there are several forests, with cork oaks, evergreen oaks and deciduous oaks at low altitudes and fir and cedar at higher altitudes. 

In the drier mountain areas are common open forests of Thuja, juniper, Aleppo pine and maritime pine. 

Eucalyptus, originally from Australia, was introduced by the French authorities during the colonial period for reforestation. Since independence, the Moroccan government has established several large plantations of this tree.

In the highlands south of Essaouira are vast forests of Argan. Unique in the south-west of Morocco, this tree has a hard fruit that produces a fine oil.

Large game has been progressively eliminated in Morocco since Roman times, when lions and elephants were still abundant and now long since disappeared.

Gazelles are rarely seen in the south of the country, as are mouflons and fennecs (a type of fox) in the Atlas region. 

The Barbary macaque, protected by the Moroccan government, thrives in the forests of the Middle Atlas. 

The richest fauna in Morocco is represented by birds. Large migratory birds that stay in Morocco include the stork, flamingo, pelican and egret.