This stunning mountain, covered with a snow cap like gray hair, is located in Northern Tanzania. Translated from Swahili, the name Kilimanjaro means “Sparkling Mountain” - very suitable for this majestic mountain.
This is the highest point in Africa - its height is 5899 meters, so it is clearly visible for many kilometers. Its sloping slopes rise to a flat and elongated peak, which is a giant crater of this mighty volcano.
Kilimanjaro Volcano is ninety-seven kilometers long and sixty-four kilometers wide. This mountain is so large that it is able to form its own climate. The warm and humid wind from the Indian Ocean, encountering this huge barrier, gives away the moisture brought in in the form of snow or rain.
At the base and on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro, coffee and corn are grown. Above, up to about three thousand meters, the mountain slopes are covered with dense tropical forests. Tourists from all over the world come to Africa to see the magnificent volcano Kilimanjaro.
Climbing the mountain can be done up to the Shira plateau, located at an altitude of 4000 kilometers, on an SUV. Hiking is done from the territory of Tanzania or Kenya. They take four to six days. You can climb to the equatorial glaciers and see the stunning panorama of Africa. Kilimanjaro is the highest volcano in Africa.
The snow and the hanging glaciers covering the Kilimanjaro volcano are considered one of the wonders of the world. After all, it is located very close to the equator. But due to global warming, the snow cap crowning the Kilimanjaro volcano is rapidly melting.
If you want to see a glacier in the center of Africa, then you should hurry up: according to researchers, in 15-20 years there will be no snow on the mountain at all. This process did not begin today. A decrease in the ice layer was observed throughout the past century, beginning in 1912. During this time, the volcano lost more than 80% of the ice layer.
The media spoke about this only in the 90s. An amazing African mountain, once covered with a snow layer 100 meters thick, Kilimanjaro turns into a stone wasteland. Stunning ice terraces remained only on the southern slopes of the mountain, at an altitude of more than 4000 meters.
Many tourists are attracted by the opportunity to visit
the Kilimanjaro
National Park , located near the small towns of Moshi and Akshi. Naturally, the main attraction of the park is the still dormant volcano Kilimanjaro, which is part of the earthquake-prone zone. In 1987, this snowy peak was listed as a UNESCO heritage site.
Particularly noteworthy are the lakes formed by the waters draining from the mountain, formed as a result of snowmelt. This is Lake Chapa, located in a small ancient crater, and Lake Gip, located on the border between Kenya and Tanzania. It reaches 16 kilometers in length and 5 kilometers in width.
In the east of the park is a hunting reserve. Antelopes, giraffes, zebras, elephants, many snakes and a variety of birds are found here.