Mount Kilimanjaro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Kilimanjaro |
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 Mount Kilimanjaro
Location in Tanzania
Mount Kilimanjaro
Location in Africa
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Mount Kilimanjaro
Location in Earth
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| Highest point | |
| Prominence | Ranked 4th |
| Geography | |
| Location | Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania |
| Parent range | The Eastern Rift mountains |
| Topo map | Kilimanjaro map and guide by Wielochowski |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | 4 million years |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
| Last eruption | Between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 6 October 1889 by Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller |
| Easiest route | Hiking |
Mount Kilimanjaro is a huge, inactive volcano in Tanzania, Africa. It has three main peaks, which are actually old volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa. It is also the highest free-standing mountain in the world, meaning it stands alone and is not part of a mountain range. It rises about 5,895 meters (19,341 feet) above sea level.
Kilimanjaro is part of the Kilimanjaro National Park. Many people enjoy hiking and climbing there. Scientists study the mountain because its glaciers and ice fields are shrinking. Experts believe these ice caps might disappear completely between 2025 and 2035.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The exact meaning of the name Kilimanjaro is a bit of a mystery. European explorers started using the name around 1860. They heard it from the local Swahili people.
One idea is that Kilimanjaro means "mountain of greatness" or "mountain of caravans." In this idea, kilima means "mountain" and jaro means "caravans." However, kilima actually means "hill" in Swahili, not mountain. The correct Swahili word for mountain is mlima. Some think early European visitors might have changed mlima to kilima.
Another idea is that Njaro is an old Swahili word for "shining." This could refer to the mountain's white, snowy peak. The Wakamba people called it Kima jajeu, which means "mountain of whiteness."
Some people also think the name comes from the Wachagga people. They might have said the mountain was "unclimbable" (kilemanjaare or kilemajyaro). Porters might have then thought this was the mountain's name.
In the 1880s, the mountain was part of German East Africa. The Germans called it Kilima-Ndscharo. On October 6, 1889, Hans Meyer reached the highest point of Kibo. He named it Kaiser-Wilhelm-Spitze after the German Emperor. This name was used until Tanzania became a country in 1964. Then, the summit was renamed Uhuru Peak, which means "Freedom Peak" in Swahili.
Mountain's Makeup
Kilimanjaro is a huge, inactive stratovolcano. It has three main volcanic cones:
- Kibo: This is the highest cone.
- Mawenzi: This cone is 5,149 meters (16,893 feet) tall.
- Shira: This is the lowest cone at 4,005 meters (13,140 feet).
Mawenzi and Shira are considered extinct volcanoes, meaning they won't erupt again. Kibo is dormant, which means it's sleeping but could erupt in the future.
Uhuru Peak is the highest point on Kibo's rim. Its height is officially listed as 5,895 meters (19,341 feet). Different surveys have measured it slightly differently over the years.
How the Volcanoes Formed
The Shira cone started erupting about 2.5 million years ago. Its last major activity was about 1.9 million years ago. Shira has a wide, flat top that might be a filled-in caldera (a large crater formed when a volcano collapses).
Both Mawenzi and Kibo began erupting about 1 million years ago. They are separated by a flat area called the Saddle Plateau, which is about 4,400 meters (14,400 feet) high.
The youngest rocks found at Mawenzi are about 448,000 years old. Mawenzi has a horseshoe shape with sharp peaks and ridges. Much of its eastern side has been worn away by erosion.
Kibo is the biggest cone, stretching over 24 kilometers (15 miles) wide at the Saddle Plateau. Its last activity, about 150,000 to 200,000 years ago, created the crater we see today. Kibo still has fumaroles, which are vents that release gas, inside its crater.
Inside Kibo's main crater is another cone called the Inner Cone. Within that, there's the Reusch Crater, named after Gustav Otto Richard Reusch, who climbed the mountain 25 times. The Ash Pit, which is 350 meters (1,150 feet) deep, is inside the Reusch Crater.
Kilimanjaro also has more than 250 smaller, side volcanoes called parasitic cones. These formed between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago on Kibo's sides.
Kilimanjaro's Glaciers
Kibo's ice cap is shrinking. It exists because Kilimanjaro is a very tall mountain that rises above the snow line. The ice cap is split into separate glaciers around the edges. The middle part of the ice cap is broken up by the Kibo crater.
Scientists have found evidence of five ice ages on Kilimanjaro during the last 2.5 million years. During the last major ice age, a continuous ice cap covered about 400 square kilometers (150 square miles) of Kilimanjaro. It reached down to 3,200 meters (10,500 feet) high, covering both Kibo and Mawenzi.
Around 11,500 years ago, the ice fields on Kilimanjaro might have disappeared due to very dry conditions. However, more rain at the start of the Holocene period (11,500 years ago) allowed the ice cap to grow back.
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In the late 1880s, Kibo's summit was completely covered by an ice cap about 20 square kilometers (7.7 square miles) wide. Glaciers flowed down the western and southern slopes.
However, between 1912 and 1953, the slope glaciers melted very quickly. They have continued to shrink more slowly since then. This shows they are still reacting to climate changes over the last century.
The glaciers on Kilimanjaro's crater plateau have appeared and disappeared many times over the last few hundred years. The shrinking of the glaciers is likely caused by less humidity, not just warmer temperatures. Even though air temperatures at that height are usually below freezing, sunlight causes the vertical ice walls to melt.
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About 85 percent of Kilimanjaro's ice cover disappeared between 1912 and 2011. The amount of ice shrank from 11.40 square kilometers (4.40 square miles) to just 1.76 square kilometers (0.68 square miles). The rate of ice loss has increased over time.
The glaciers are not only shrinking in area but also getting thinner. They are not getting new snow and ice to replace what is lost. Both melting and sublimation (when ice turns directly into gas) cause the glaciers to disappear.
Scientists estimate that most of Kilimanjaro's ice will be gone by 2040. It is very unlikely that any ice will remain after 2060 if global warming continues at its current rate.
The Furtwangler Glacier is a small part of the ice cap that once covered the mountain. It has shrunk a lot over the last century.
The forests on Kilimanjaro, far below the ice fields, are very important. They act as natural water storage for the people living nearby. The melting glaciers do not provide much water for the area.
Water Flow from the Mountain
Many rivers and streams flow from Kilimanjaro, especially on the wetter southern side. Below 1,200 meters (3,900 feet), more water evaporates or is used by people, so the rivers have less water. The Lumi and Pangani rivers drain water from the eastern and southern parts of Kilimanjaro.
A Special Geological Site
In 2022, the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) named Kilimanjaro a "geological heritage site." It was chosen because it is the highest stratovolcano in the East African Rift and still has a glacier on its summit. This means it's a very important place for studying geology.
Kilimanjaro's Past
Local Legends
The Chagga, who live on the mountain's slopes, have many stories about Kilimanjaro. One legend tells of a man named Tone who angered the god Ruwa, causing a famine. Tone fled, and as he ran, cattle escaped from a magical stable. The cattle created hills, including Mawenzi and Kibo, as they ran. Tone finally collapsed on Kibo, ending the chase.
Another Chagga legend talks about elephant graves filled with ivory on the mountain. There's also a story about a cow named Rayli that produces special fat. If someone tries to steal it too slowly, Rayli will snort and blow the thief down to the plains.
Early Mentions
People outside Africa might have known about Kilimanjaro a long time ago. Ancient Greek and Roman writings mention a "moon mountain" and a spring that feeds the Nile River. This could be Kilimanjaro, or other mountains in East Africa.
A Spanish traveler named Martín Fernández de Enciso wrote in 1519 about a very high "Ethiopian Mount Olympus" west of Mombasa, with the "Mountains of the Moon" beyond it, where the Nile begins. This might have been Kilimanjaro.
European Explorers
The first Europeans known to try to reach the mountain were German missionaries Johannes Rebmann and Johann Krapf. In 1848, Rebmann was the first European to report seeing Kilimanjaro. He wrote in his diary about seeing a "beautiful white cloud" on the mountain, which he realized was snow.
Many others tried to climb Kilimanjaro after that. In 1861, Karl Klaus von der Decken tried but couldn't go far because of bad weather. He tried again in 1862 and reached a higher point.
In 1871, missionary Charles New became the first European to reach the snow on Kilimanjaro, at over 3,962 meters (13,000 feet).
In 1887, Hans Meyer, a German geology professor, reached the edge of Kibo's ice cap. He had to turn back because he didn't have the right equipment for the ice. He tried again in 1888, but his trip was stopped when he was taken hostage during a local revolt.
Finally, in 1889, Meyer returned with Austrian mountaineer Ludwig Purtscheller. They set up several camps with supplies to make multiple attempts. On October 6, they reached the highest summit on the southern rim of Kibo's crater. They were the first to confirm that Kibo had a crater.
The first time someone reached the highest point of Mawenzi was on July 29, 1912. German climbers Eduard Hans Oehler and Fritz Klute did it.
In 1989, a special event honored the African porters and guides who helped Meyer and Purtscheller. One man, Yohani Kinyala Lauwo, was thought to be one of Meyer's team members. He died in 1996, at an estimated age of 125. Some people say he was one of the first to climb Kilimanjaro.
Animals and Plants
Animals on Kilimanjaro
Large animals are not common on the higher parts of Kilimanjaro. They are more often found in the forests and lower areas. Elephants and Cape buffaloes can be seen, and they can be dangerous to hikers.
Other animals reported on the mountain include bushbucks, chameleons, dik-diks, duikers, mongooses, sunbirds, and warthogs. Sometimes, zebras, leopards, and hyenas are seen on the Shira plateau. Two special animals linked to the mountain are the Kilimanjaro shrew and a type of chameleon called Kinyongia tavetana.
Plants on Kilimanjaro
Natural forests cover about 1,000 square kilometers (250,000 acres) of Kilimanjaro. In the lower areas, people grow crops like corn, beans, and sunflowers. There are also remains of old savanna plants like Acacia trees.
Between 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) and 1,800 meters (5,900 feet), coffee plants are grown in "Chagga home gardens." Higher up, in the cloud forests, you can find trees like Podocarpus latifolius and mosses that depend on the fog. On the drier northern slopes, different types of trees form forests.
Between 3,100 meters (10,200 feet) and 3,900 meters (12,800 feet), there are Erica bushes and heathlands. Above that, up to 4,500 meters (14,800 feet), you find Helichrysum plants.
The Tussock Grassland on Kilimanjaro has many unique plants, like the water holding cabbage.
Kilimanjaro's Weather
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Kilimanjaro's weather is shaped by its height and its isolated location. The mountain has winds that blow up the slopes during the day and down the slopes at night. These winds are stronger on the southern side.
Kilimanjaro has two rainy seasons: one from March to May and another around November. The northern slopes get much less rain than the southern ones. The lower southern slope gets 800 to 900 millimeters (31 to 35 inches) of rain each year. This increases to 1,500 to 2,000 millimeters (59 to 79 inches) at 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) and can be over 3,000 millimeters (120 inches) in the forest belt. In the alpine zone, the rainfall drops to 200 millimeters (7.9 inches) per year.
The average temperature at the summit is about -7°C (19°F). At night, temperatures on the Northern Ice Field can drop to -9°C (16°F), and sometimes even as low as -27°C (-17°F).
Snow can fall at any time of year, but it's most common during Tanzania's two rainy seasons. The summit area gets about 250 to 500 millimeters (9.8 to 20 inches) of snow and soft hail each year. This snow melts within days or years.
Climate Zones
Kilimanjaro has five different climate zones as you go up the mountain:
- Bushland / Lower Slope: 800 to 1,800 meters (2,600 to 5,900 feet)
- Rainforest: 1,800 to 2,800 meters (5,900 to 9,200 feet)
- Heather / Moorland: 2,800 to 4,000 meters (9,200 to 13,100 feet)
- Alpine Desert: 4,000 to 5,000 meters (13,100 to 16,400 feet)
- Arctic: 5,000 to 5,895 meters (16,400 to 19,341 feet)
Tourism and Climbing
Kilimanjaro National Park makes a lot of money from tourism. In 2013, it earned US$51 million, making it the second-highest earning national park in Tanzania. In 2011–12, about 16,425 people hiked the mountain. This tourism provides jobs for about 11,000 guides, porters, and cooks. However, there have been concerns about their working conditions and low pay.
To make it easier for tourists to visit, the Tanzanian government has improved roads. Kilimanjaro International Airport is also an important travel hub for the area.
There are seven official paths to climb and descend Kilimanjaro: Lemosho, Lemosho Western-Breach, Machame, Marangu, Mweka, Rongai, Shira, and Umbwe. Some routes, like Machame, can be done in six or seven days. The Lemosho route takes six to eight days. The Rongai route is considered the easiest for camping. The Marangu route is also fairly easy and offers shared huts for sleeping.
Climbing Achievements
Many people have set records climbing Mount Kilimanjaro:
- The oldest person to climb Kilimanjaro is Anne Lorimor, who reached Uhuru Peak in 2019 at 89 years old.
- The oldest man to summit is Fred Dishelhorst, who was 88 years old in 2017.
- The youngest person to climb Mount Kilimanjaro is Ognjen Zivkovic, who reached the summit in 2023 at 5 years old.
- The fastest ascent and round trip record is held by Karl Egloff. In 2014, he ran from Umbwe Gate to the top in 4 hours and 56 minutes. He returned to Mweka Gate in a total of 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 24 seconds.
- The fastest female round trip record is held by Fernanda Maciel (10 hours, 6 minutes). Kristina Schou Madsen holds the fastest female ascent record (6 hours, 52 minutes, 54 seconds).
Some disabled people have also climbed Kilimanjaro. In 2007, Bernard Goosen, who uses a wheelchair, scaled the mountain in six days. In 2012, Kyle Maynard, who has no forearms or lower legs, crawled to the summit without help. In 2020, a team with two double above-knee amputees, Hari Budha Magar and Justin Oliver Davis, also reached the top.
Staying Safe While Climbing
Climbing Kilimanjaro is not as technically hard as climbing in the Himalayas or Andes. However, the high altitude, cold temperatures, and strong winds can make it very challenging. It's important to get used to the high altitude slowly. Even experienced climbers can get altitude sickness.
A study in 2005 found that 77 percent of climbers experienced acute mountain sickness (AMS). This can cause headaches, nausea, and other symptoms. More serious forms of altitude sickness, like high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or high altitude cerebral edema (HACE), can be life-threatening. These risks increase if climbers go up too quickly.
Falls and rock slides have caused deaths on the mountain. Because of this, one route, the Arrow Glacier route, was closed for several years. It reopened in 2007.
It's also important to boil all water on the mountain because of improper waste disposal.
Between 1996 and 2003, 25 people died while climbing Kilimanjaro. Most of these deaths were due to severe altitude sickness. Other deaths were caused by injuries, heart attacks, or other health problems. The overall death rate was about 13.6 deaths for every 100,000 climbers.
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Caution signs at the Machamé trailhead.
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Sign at Uhuru peak, showing trekkers they have reached the top.
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Memorial for German Hans Meyer, the first European to "conquer" Kilimanjaro.
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Kilimanjaro's summit, Uhuru peak.
Special Events
- The first wedding below the summit of Kilimanjaro happened on September 21, 2014, at Shira 2 Camp. In 2011, a couple even exchanged vows at the very top!
- On September 26, 2014, a new world record was set for the highest-ever cricket match. A group of international cricketers played on a flat crater on the mountain at 5,730 meters (18,799 feet) high.
See also
In Spanish: Kilimanjaro para niños
