page_title: Limes Mauretaniae
section_title: Topography
hierarchical_section_title: Limes Mauretaniae / Topography
context_page_description: The Limes Mauretaniae was a portion of a 4,000-kilometre Roman fortified border in Africa approximately 100 kilometres south of the modern day Algiers.
  Stretching between Auzia and Numerus Syrorum
context_section_description: The North African Limes protected the provinces which stretched about 90 to 400 kilometres (56 to 249 mi) inland from the Mediterranean. The geography of the provinces of Mauretania Caesariensis and Mauretania Tingitana was roughly divided into a variable-width coastal strip, followed by some very fertile mountain regions or river valleys, fading gradually into a steppe and desert steppe border area and mountain regions. The inhabitants of Mauritania, particularly in the Tingitana, were probably semi-nomadic hill tribes related to the Iberians.
  The eastern border of the province of Mauretania Caesariensis (identical to the eastern border of the later province of Sitifensis) ran approximately on a line west of Cape Bougaroun on the Ampsaga River to the east end of the Chott el Hodna and further west into the steppe landscape. This line also separated the sedentary population from the nomads, and formerly formed the border of the area dominated by Carthage. The southern border approached the coast along the northern slope of the Tell Atlas in the transition from Numidia to Mauretania Caesariensis. The Roman-dominated area thus shrank from a width of around 400 kilometres (250 mi) to only around 95 kilometres (59 mi). The more north-facing border in Mauretania Caesariensis was roughly in line with the precipitation limit required for agriculture. The Roman armed forces, which were only weakly represented here, were also decisive for the initial limitation of the territory.
  The Roman area of influence, which was originally limited to the coast of Caesariensis, was extended further south for economic reasons into the Maghreb from the 1st to the 3rd century. This inevitably led to unrest among the local population, who feared for their livelihood. In the west, the River Malva (Moulouya) formed the border with the province of Mauretania Tingitana.
  An extensive barren plain separates Algeria from Morocco. In the north, the foothills of the Rif Mountains drop steeply into the sea, preventing a direct land connection along the coast. The connection between Caesaria and Tingis was therefore normally maintained by sea, since there were no areas between the two provinces that were economically used by the Romans.
  Roman influence and control in the province of Mauretania Tingitana stretched along the Atlantic coast to the Sala River (Bou Regreg) near Sala Colonia and the Atlas plateau around Volubilis, an area with high agricultural yield. The northern Rif and Atlas Mountains, however, were never permanently occupied by the military.
  The road network established by the Romans in North Africa ensured good and timely logistical connections for the trade and supply of their widely deployed troops. In Caesariensis there were three traffic routes running parallel to the coast. As a rule, however, the surfaces were unpaved. Natural traffic routes—like rivers—were not available in the province of Caesariensis. The border of the steppe  was well developed for military reasons.
caption: The Atlas Mountains
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