Climate: Mediterranean,
more extreme inland. High-lying areas: in winter, Arctic conditions;
in summer, warm mountains, cold at night time.
Coastal areas: almost always a pleasant climate. In winter it
can be cold and humid in the north. In low-lying areas, the coldest
months are October to April.
Rainy season from November to April. Moderate precipitation.
Naturally-occurring catastrophes: mountains in the south geologically
unstable and subject to earthquakes, periodic cyclones.
Terrain: between the mountains (the Atlas mountains) and the
Atlantic coast lie plateaux and fertile, well irrigated plains.
In the far south, at the edges of the Anti-Atlas, the gorges
give way to the Sahara desert.
Arable land: 21%
Permanent farmland: 1%
Permanent pasture land: 47%
Forest: 20%
Other: 11%
Agriculture: wheat, barley, citrus fruits, wine, vegetables,
olives, livestock products.
Natural resources: phosphate, iron, manganese, lead, zinc,
fish, salt.
Vegetation: Holm oak, pine, highland cedar, cork oak, mid-mountain
cedar, wild olive, lentisc, strawberry tree (cleared areas).
In the south: argan, date palm, oleander, esparto grass, eucalyptus,
tamarisk.
