SPACEPHOTOS

Although one-third of Morocco is mountainous, this photograph shows the country’s west-central coastal plains. Casablanca, the largest city, chief port, and major manufacturing center of the country, is visible along the coast near the center of the photograph. The topography east of Casablanca is dissected plateau and hilly terrain. Annual rainfall seldom exceeds 12 inches (30 centimeters) for any part of this region, although rainfall amounts increase slightly from the west coast toward the Atlas Mountains. These mountains extend across the entire southeastern frontier of Morocco and form a major physical barrier for ground transportation. Several dark green areas show the larger concentrations of agricultural activities. A small section of the northeast-southwest trending Atlas Mountains can be seen as a well-defined line of snow-capped mountains (southeast quadrant of the photograph), with remaining snow found only in elevations exceeding 9000 feet (2700 meters). Several peaks within the Atlas range exceed 12 000 feet (3600 meters) above sea level.