Mount Kilimanjaro - Facts

Rising 19,340 feet above sea level, Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa and the world’s highest free-standing mountain.

Kilimanjaro - the word means "shining mountain" in Swahili

The structure is composed of 3 volcanoes: Kibo (19,340 feet), Mawenzi (16,896 feet), and Shira (13,000 feet).

Kilimanjaro supports 5 major eco-zones: rainforest, heath, moorland, alpine desert and glaciers.

Kilimanjaro has 2.2 square kilometers of glacial ice and is losing it quickly due to global warming. The glaciers have shrunk 82% since 1912 and declined 33% since 1989. It may be ice free within 20 years, dramatically affecting local drinking water, crop irrigation, and hydroelectric power.

Uhuru Peak on the southern rim of the outer crater is the highest point on the mountain. (This is as far as we can hope to get to!)