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Mount Kenya facts for kids

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Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya.jpg
Highest point
Elevation 5,199 m (17,057 ft)
Prominence 3,825 m (12,549 ft) 
Ranked 32nd
Listing Seven Second Summits
Country high point
Ultra
Geography
Location Kenya
Geology
Mountain type Stratovolcano (extinct)
Last eruption 2.6–3.1 MYA
Climbing
First ascent 1899 by Halford Mackinder, with guides César Ollier and Joseph Brocherel
Easiest route Rock climb

Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian (5,199 metres (17,057 ft)), Nelion (5,188 metres (17,021 ft)) and Point Lenana (4,985 metres (16,355 ft)). Mount Kenya is located in the former Eastern and central provinces of Kenya, now Meru, Embu, Laikipia, Kirinyaga, Nyeri and Isiolo counties, about 16.5 kilometres (10.3 mi) south of the equator, around 150 kilometres (93 mi) north-northeast of the capital Nairobi. Mount Kenya is the source of the name of the Republic of Kenya.

Mount Kenya is a stratovolcano created approximately 3 million years after the opening of the East African rift. 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 centre. There are currently 11 small glaciers. The forested slopes are an important source of water for much of Kenya.

There are several vegetation bands from the base to the summit. 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. 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. The park receives over 16,000 visitors per year.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Monte Kenia para niños

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