Mount Kilimanjaro
Mountain · 5,895 m
Mount Kilimanjaro is a mountain rising to 5,895 metres (19,341 ft) in Tanzania, in the Africa region. Highest point in Africa.
Mount Kilimanjaro () is a large dormant stratovolcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, at 5,895 m (19,341 ft) above sea level and 4,900 m (16,100 ft) above its plateau base. It is also the highest volcano in the Eastern Hemisphere and the fourth most prominent peak on Earth.
Kilimanjaro's southern and eastern slopes served as the home of the Chagga Kingdoms until their abolition in 1963 by Julius Nyerere. The origin and meaning of the name Kilimanjaro is unknown, but may mean "mountain of greatness" or "unclimbable". Although it is described in classical sources, German missionary Johannes Rebmann is credited as the first European to report the mountain's existence, in 1848. After several European attempts, Hans Meyer reached Kilimanjaro's highest summit in 1889.
The mountain was incorporated into Kilimanjaro National Park in 1973. As one of the Seven Summits, Kilimanjaro is a major hiking and climbing destination. There are seven established routes to Uhuru Peak, the mountain's highest point.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Mount Kilimanjaro (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 5,895 m (19,341 ft)
- Global rank
- #45 of 641 indexed
- Region
- Africa (#1)
- Country
- Tanzania
- Coordinates
- -3.0757°, 37.3533°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Mount Kilimanjaro ranks #45 by elevation, below Mount Logan (5,959 m) and above Hkakabo Razi (5,881 m).
- Ranges:
- Ruwenzori Range (Africa), Ethiopian Highlands (Africa)
- Neighbouring summits:
- Loolmalasin (3,682 m), Lesatima (4,001 m), Mount Kenya (5,199 m)
More about Mount Kilimanjaro
Geology and geography
Kilimanjaro is a large dormant stratovolcano composed of three distinct volcanic cones: Kibo, the highest; Mawenzi at 5,149 m (16,893 ft); and Shira, the lowest at 4,005 m (13,140 ft). Mawenzi and Shira are extinct, while Kibo is dormant and could erupt again.
Uhuru Peak is the highest summit on Kibo's crater rim. The Tanzania National Parks Authority, a Tanzanian government agency, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization both list the height of Uhuru Peak as 5,895 m (19,341 ft), based on a British survey in 1952. The height has since been measured as 5,892 m (19,331 ft) in 1999, 5,902 m (19,364 ft) in 2008, and 5,899 m (19,354 ft) in 2014.
Human history
Kilimanjaro is attested to in numerous stories by the people who live in East Africa. The Chagga, who traditionally lived on the southern and eastern slopes of the mountain in sovereign Chagga states, tell how a man named Tone once provoked a god, Ruwa, to bring famine upon the land. The people became angry at Tone, forcing him to flee. Nobody wanted to protect him but a solitary dweller who had stones that turned miraculously into cattle. The dweller bid that Tone never open the stable of the cattle. When Tone did not heed the warning and the cattle escaped, Tone followed them, but the fleeing cattle threw up hills to run on, including Mawenzi and Kibo. Tone finally collapsed on Kibo, ending the pursuit.
Climate
The climate of Kilimanjaro is influenced by the height of the mountain, which allows the simultaneous influence of the equatorial trade winds and the high altitude anti-trades, and by the isolated position of the mountain. Kilimanjaro has daily upslope and nightly downslope winds, a regimen stronger on the southern than the northern side of the mountain. The flatter southern flanks are more extended and affect the atmosphere more strongly.
Kilimanjaro has two distinct rainy seasons, one from March to May and another around November. The northern slopes receive much less rainfall than the southern ones.
Tourism industry
Kilimanjaro National Park generated US$51 million in revenue in 2013, the second-most of any Tanzanian national park. The Tanzania National Parks Authority reported that the park recorded 57,456 tourists during the 2011–12 budget year, of whom 16,425 hiked the mountain; the park's General Management Plan specifies an annual capacity of 28,470. The mountain hikers generated irregular and seasonal jobs for about 11,000 guides, porters, and cooks in 2007. Concerns have been raised about the poor working conditions and inadequate wages of these workers.
Due to Kilimanjaro National Park's popularity as a destination, the Tanzanian government has invested in road infrastructure to improve accessibility.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Mount Kilimanjaro (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mount Kilimanjaro: Key Facts
| Topographic prominence | 5,895 m |
|---|---|
| Mountain range | East African mountains |
Facts from Wikidata Q7296 (CC0).
