Midelt
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Midelt ميدلت |
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Jbel Ayachi looms over the old French quarter of Midelt
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 Midelt
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| Coordinates: 32°40′48″N 4°43′48″W / 32.68000°N 4.73000°WCoordinates: 32°40′48″N 4°43′48″W / 32.68000°N 4.73000°W | |
| Country |
 Morocco
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| Region | Drâa-Tafilalet |
| Province | Midelt |
| Elevation | 1,508 m (4,948 ft) |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 44,780 |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | WEST (UTC+1) |
Midelt (Berber: ⴰⵡⵟⴰⵟ) (Arabic: ميدلت) is a town in central Morocco, in the high plains between the Middle Atlas and High Atlas mountain ranges. With an estimated population of 44,780, Midelt serves as the commercial center of a large agricultural hinterland. It is also one of Morocco's principal cities for the mining of several minerals.
Midelt is situated on the main road between Fes and Meknes to the north and Errachidia to the south. Geographically, it is situated in the high plains surrounding the Moulouya River, between the Middle and High Atlas mountain ranges.
The city's elevation is 1,508 metres (4,948 ft), making it one of the highest large towns in Morocco.
Midelt features Alpine climate. The elevation of Midelt and its relative proximity to the North Atlantic Ocean cools the daily temperatures to make Midelt one of the most temperate of the inland towns. However, many coastal towns have milder temperatures, warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
Every winter, when a cold damp air coming from the north west influence Western Europe and Morocco, temperatures can fall dramatically well below -10 degrees Celsius in Midelt. However, these extreme conditions don't last for more than 5 continuous days.
Temperature averages, from the years 1961 to 1990, yield daily maximum/minimum temperatures for January as 12.3 / 0.6 degrees Celsius and for July as 32.6 / 16.3 degrees Celsius. Snow is common in winter, and precipitation continues throughout the year at moderate levels. However, the principal water source of the region is a spring at the foot of Jbel Ayachi, 10 kilometres (6 mi) south of Midelt.
A dam moderating the flow from the spring was destroyed by a flood in early 2006 following heavy snows the previous winter, damaging the nearby village of Tattiwin.
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Wikipedia