Situated in the Northern region of the East African country of Tanzania, Kilimanjaro can be seen as far away as the Amboseli and Tsavo parks in the neighbouring town of Kenya. The exact co ordinates of the mountain are 3, 04 degrees south and 37, 21 degrees east. In its entirety, Mount Kilimanjaro is approximately 49 miles long and 24 miles wide. Whilst appearing relatively flat from in the distance, Mount Kilimanjaro actually consists of three very distinct volcanic craters: Mawenzi, Shira and Kibo.
At 3962 meters, Shira is the oldest and smallest of the three peaks. It was also the first of the three volcanic centers to become extinct. In comparison, although no longer active Kibo is nevertheless merely dormant as opposed to extinct. As the topmost crater, it is 5895 metres high (19,340 ft) and 1.5 miles wide. Its peak, also known as Uhuru Peak is officially the highest point in Africa and the ultimate destination of all summiteers on the mountain. |