Mount Kilimanjaro : In News
The Defence Secretary formally flagged off mountaineering expeditions to Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro at an event organised in South Block, New Delhi.
- It is Africa’s tallest mountain and the world’s largest free-standing mountain (which means not part of a mountain range).
- It is located in northeastern Tanzania, near the Kenya border.
- It extends approximately east-west for 50 miles (80 km).
- Also called a stratovolcano, Kilimanjaro is made up of three cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira.
- Among these cones is Kibois, the tallest of the three volcanic formations, which is also a dormant volcano, while the other two are extinct volcanoes.
- Uhuru Peak, the highest free-standing peak in Africa, is located on the volcanic cone Kibo.
- Kilimanjaro is also known for its snow-capped peak.
- The mountain has five main vegetation zones, from the lowest to the highest point: Lower slopes, montane forest, heath and moorland, alpine desert, and summit.
- The Kilimanjaro National Park was named a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 1987.
