What is the tallest mountain in Africa? Kilimanjaro: the description, photo

Africa is exotic to many residents of Eurasia continent. There are huge deserts and Savannah, inhabited by unusual animals and grow amazing plants. And did you know what the highest mountain in Africa? The names of some of them we remember still at school, others are unknown.

General description

The Main feature of the continent is that the high mountains are not in the folded structures. For example, the highest mountain in Africa located on the East African plateau. In the North-West and South of the continent towering folded mountains-the Atlas and the Cape. Ethiopian (Abyssinian) plateau is located in the North-East, Aberdare ridge – in the heart of the continent, Drakensberg mountains are in the South, the Ahaggar – in the North-West. In addition, Africa is famous for its active and extinct volcanoes (Kilimanjaro and Cameroon).

The highest mountain in Africa - Kilimanjaro

This huge mountain consists of three extinct now volcanoes - Mawenzi (5129 m), Shira (3962 m), and Kibo (5895 m). Accordingly, the height of the highest mountain of Africa is considered 5895 meters. The array is located on the plateau of the Masai. Today scientists do not have documentary evidence that in ancient times there was volcanic activity, talking about it, just legends. In the Kilimanjaro region today about volcanism are the only periodic gas emissions. However, in the past there were shifts and collapses.

The highest mountain of Africa, famous for its ice cap since the peak covered glaciers for many thousands of years. Today, many scientists have expressed fears that the ice cap may disappear in the coming decades. Perhaps their fears are not groundless - in the last 100 years cap has decreased in volume by almost 80 %. This is not a result of the increase in temperature, and depends on reducing the amount of snow that falls in the region.

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The highest mountain in Africa was opened in 1848 pastor of the German Johaneson Rebmann. First tried to climb to the top of the Hungarian count Smoltelecom, but obeyed it only in 1889, the German traveler Hans Meyer and his companion — the climber from Austria Ludwig Purtscheller.

Mount Kenya

It is not the highest mountain in Africa, however, it reaches a height of 5199 meters. Mount Kenya is an extinct stratovolcano and one of the most popular among climbers of the peaks of the African continent. It is located in Mount Kenya national Park, established in 1949 to protect the surrounding area.

Most of the climbing on this mountain are three of its peaks - Batiano, Nelion and point-Lenana. From a technical point of view the most affordable and simple is the point Legnano, located in the Southeast of the array.

Scientists believe that about two million years ago, mount Kenya was an active volcano. There is a theory that in those days it was higher than Kilimanjaro.

In 1849, it was opened by the German missionary Johannes Krapf, and after 34 years has confirmed the discovery of Explorer George. Thompson, reached its foot from the West.

Cameroon

This mountain is the highest in Central Africa. Its altitude of 4070 meters. Currently it still shows volcanic activity. The last eruption of the Cameroon recorded in 2000. The top of the mountain is not always covered of snow, only sometimes it appears in the cap. The volcano has other names – Cameroon and Mongo mA Ndemi – so it calls the local people.

Opened this volcano, the Portuguese sailors of the expedition, which searched via the African route to India. Reached the summit in 1861 Richard Francis Burton.

Ethiopian highlands

It lies in the North-East of the continent, in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and partly in the North of Somalia. The highest point is considered to be a mountain of RAS Dashen. Its height is 4550 meters. On the East and South escarpments of the plateau are steep. They descend into a deep valley. The Western ledges of different stage form, are cut by deep canyons of the Blue Nile. Valleys divide the plateau in free-standing arrays (ambah). Compose Ethiopian highlands gneiss, schist, above are volcanic rock.

In the highlands is marked monsoon climate, which allows to grow a coffee tree, rye and wheat. In addition, there are a lot of minerals - gold, platinum, sulphur, copper and iron ore. Here is mined lignite, limestone and gypsum.

Atlas mountains

This mountain range is located in the North-West of the continent. For a long time it was believed that it stretches from the Atlantic coast in Morocco to the coast of Tunisia. Today it is established that it stretches for 2,300 km from Cape Sertov to Kotey.

The Atlas Mountains separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coast of the Sahara desert. They are numerousranges. The highest point of this massif is mount Toubkal (4167 m).