Mount Kenya
Highest mountain in Kenya / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Mount Kenya (Kikuyu: Kĩrĩnyaga, Kamba, Ki Nyaa, Embu, Kirinyaa) is an extinct volcano in Kenya and the second-highest peak in Africa, after Kilimanjaro.[5] The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian (5,199 metres (17,057 feet)), Nelion (5,188 m (17,021 ft)) and Point Lenana (4,985 m (16,355 ft)). Mount Kenya is located in the former Eastern and Central provinces of Kenya; its peak is now the intersection of Meru, Embu, Kirinyaga, Nyeri and Tharaka Nithi counties, about 16.5 kilometres (10.3 miles) south of the equator, around 150 km (90 mi) north-northeast of the capital Nairobi.[6][5] Mount Kenya is the source of the name of the Republic of Kenya.
Mount Kenya | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 5,199 m (17,057 ft)[1] |
Prominence | 3,825 m (12,549 ft)[1] Ranked 32nd |
Listing | Seven Second Summits Country high point Ultra |
Coordinates | 0°9′03″S 37°18′27″E[1] |
Naming | |
Native name | |
Geography | |
Topo map | Mount Kenya by Wielochowski and Savage[2][3] |
Geology | |
Mountain type | Stratovolcano (extinct) |
Last eruption | 2.6–3.1 MYA |
Climbing | |
First ascent | 13 September 1899 by Mackinder, Ollier, and Brocherel, although the peoples of Kenya believed God (Ngai in Gikuyu) resided on this mountain and regularly ascended the peaks to perform spiritual rites.[4] |
Easiest route | Rock climb |
Mount Kenya is a volcano created approximately 3 million years after the opening of the East African Rift.[7] Before glaciation, it was 7,000 m (23,000 ft) high. It was covered by an ice cap for thousands of years. This has resulted in very eroded slopes and numerous valleys radiating from the peak.[8][9] There are currently 11 small glaciers, which are shrinking rapidly, and may disappear by 2050.[10] The forested slopes are an important source of water for much of Kenya.[11]
There are several vegetation bands from the base to the peak.[12] The lower slopes are covered by different types of forest. Many alpine species are endemic to Mount Kenya, such as the giant lobelias and senecios and a local subspecies of rock hyrax.[13] An area of 715 km2 (276 sq mi) around the centre of the mountain was designated a National Park and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.[14] The park receives over 16,000 visitors per year.[15][11]