Mount Kilimanjaro

　　   　    Introduction        Mount Kilimanjaro is located at the border between Tanzania and Kenya. Standing 5,895 meters tall and covering an area of 756 square kilometers, it is the highest peak in Africa and the world’s largest free-standing mountain. In Swahili, “Kilimanjaro” means “shining mountain” or “bright and beautiful mountain.” It rises above the rolling plains not far from the Indian Ocean and is known as the “Roof of Africa” and the “House of God.” Its summit is capped with snow year-round, creating the spectacular sight of a snow-capped mountain on the equator. Many who are drawn to this majestic peak are influenced by Ernest Hemingway, who in his famous short story “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” paints a magical scene in just a few opening lines: “Kilimanjaro is a snow-covered mountain 19,710 feet high, and is said to be the highest mountain in Africa. Its western summit is called the Masai ‘Ngaje Ngai,’ the House of God. Close to the western summit there is the dried and frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude.” However, due to global greenhouse effects, the snows of Kilimanjaro are melting and may completely disappear within 15 years. Compared to 1912, the mountain’s “snow cap” has already shrunk by 82%. Tip: To climb Mount Kilimanjaro, you must start from a Tanzanian national park.

　　 Amboseli, Kenya