Gebel el-Akhdar

The prevailing winds in the Mediterranean region are from the north, which means that when the winds reach the north coast of Africa, they are heavy with water vapor. The clouds empty themselves on the mountains of the Gebel el-Akhdar, and many little rivers flow to the sea, making the Cyrenaica unexpectedly green - which is what Gebel el-Akhdar actually means, "green mountains".

The mountain range is, on average, about 600 meter high (with summits just over 800 meter), and stretches from the east to the west, usually parallel to the coast; however, the mountains sometimes reach the shore.