river of southern Morocco, rising from several headstreams in the High Atlas (Haut Atlas) mountains and flowing westward for 112 miles (180 km) to the Atlantic Ocean south of Agadir. Its alluvial basin, protected from the Sahara by the Anti-Atlas Mountains, is one of Morocco's most fertile regions. Fruits, cotton, vegetables, sugar, and olives are grown, many of them for export. Chief towns are Taroudant, a market centre, and Agadir, a fishing base and commercial port.