Middle Atlas

North of the Middle Atlas and separated by the Sebou River, lie the Rif mountains which are an extension of the Baetic System, which includes the Sierra Nevada in the south of Spain.

The Barbary macaque is native to the Middle Atlas, and chief populations occur only in restricted range in parts of Morocco and Algeria.

The region is noted for occurrence of the endangered primate, Barbary macaque, Macaca sylvanus; this monkey prehistorically had a much wider distribution throughout northern Morocco.

Bordered by the rich Plaine du Saïs and the cities of Fes, Meknes and Beni Mellal, the mountainous reaches of the Middle Atlas are the stronghold of Berber tribes, speaking Tamazight and living at very low population densities.

The Middle Atlas ends in the east at Tazekka National Park,[3] with a landscape replete with narrow canyons and caves.