Which mountain range runs along the northwestern coast of Africa?

The mountain range that runs along the northwestern coast of Africa is the Atlas Mountains.

The Atlas Mountains form a broad system across the Maghreb, extending for roughly 2,500 kilometres through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. They help separate the Sahara Desert to the south from the Mediterranean coast and Atlantic-facing landscapes to the north and west. Rather than being a single unbroken ridge, the system includes several linked ranges and high plateaus.

Its best-known divisions include the High Atlas, Middle Atlas, Anti-Atlas, Tell Atlas, Saharan Atlas, and the Aurès Mountains. The highest summit is Toubkal in Morocco, which rises to about 4,167 metres and is also the highest peak in North Africa. The region supports important watersheds, farming communities, forests, and mountain habitats.

The name comes from Atlas, the figure from Greek mythology, although local Amazigh names and traditions are central to the region’s identity. The Atlas Mountains are sometimes confused with the Simien, Rwenzori, or Drakensberg ranges, but those are located farther south or east in Africa and do not span the northwestern Maghreb.