Mount Kilimanjaro

About Mount Kilimanjaro:

• 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. 
• 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 locatedon 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. 

Q1: What is a Stratovolcano?

The stratovolcano is a tall, steep, and cone-shaped type of volcano. Unlike flat shield volcanoes like in Hawaii, they have higher peaks. At the peak, stratovolcanoes usually have a small crater. Stratovolcanoes build up on height by layering lava, ash and tephra. By definition, they have alternating layers of pyroclastics and lava. When ash falls or lava flows, it solidifies and makes a narrower cone. Strato Volcanoes comprise the largest percentage (~60%) of the Earth's individual volcanoes. Strato volcanoes are usually about half-half lava and pyroclastic material, and the layering of these products gives them their other common name of composite volcanoes.

Source: Climbers from Himalayan Mountaineering Institute unfurl tricolour atop Mt Kilimanjaro