Rif

Rif (rif) [key]or Rif Atlas,range of the Atlas Mts., NE Morocco, NW Africa, curving along the Mediterranean coast from Ceuta to Melilla. Tidighin (8,056 ft/2,455 m) is the highest peak. Composed of sedimentary rocks and uplifted during the Alpine orogeny, the range is a continuation of the Sierra Nevada of Spain and is separated from it by the Strait of Gibraltar. Iron mining is the principal economic activity; kif (cannabis) is grown. The region is inhabited by Berbers, who generally were independent of any central authority until subdued (1925–26) by the campaign of France and Spain against Abd el-Krim.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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