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Spectacularly diverse, Morocco
combines sand, sea and snow in a way
that Club Med developers could only
dream about. The southern coast
stretches to the edge of the Western
Sahara while to the north the bulk
of Morocco's population fills the
foothills of the often snow-capped
Atlas Mountains. The mountains
provide a buffer against the
country's dangerously rowdy eastern
neighbour, Algeria.
Morocco's varied geography includes
no less than four separate mountain
ranges, in addition to lush river
valleys, beautiful sandy coasts, and
wide expanses of desert.
The three most prominent mountain
ranges, which run parallel to each
other from the southwest to the
northeast, are the Middle Atlas, the
High Atlas, and the Anti-Atlas. The
ascent of the country's highest
peak, Jebel Toukbal (13,665
ft./4,165 m.), is a spectacular and
not particularly difficult High
Atlas trek.
Between the mountains and Morocco's
Atlantic coast are plateaus and
plains which are fertile and well
watered. In the extreme south, at
the edge of the Anti-Atlas, the
gorges which, like the rivers that
flow at their bases, gradually peter
out into the endless sand and stony
wastes of the vast Sahara.
The climate in Morocco is reliably
dry, although small amounts of rain
do fall between November and March.
Temperature varies considerably by
season and locale. While the
southern and southeastern desert
regions can reach extremely high
temperatures during the hot summer
months, the higher altitudes of the
mountains are cool in summer
evenings and freezing in winter.
Most travellers find the early
summer months to be the most
comfortable time to visit, as rain
is not a threat and temperatures are
warm during the day and pleasantly
cool at night.
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