Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano located in the north of Tanzania. It has three volcanic cones – Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. Kibo reaches 5,895 metres, making Mount Kilimanjaro the tallest mountain in Africa. The name Kilimanjaro means ‘White Mountain’ which comes from the snow cap on the top of the mountain. Apart from the snow, glaciers can also be found on the mountain top, which is very rare on the equator. Six forests surround the mountain, making the ecosystems around Mount Kilimanjaro very vast – plateau, rain forest, semi-arid, grassland, moorland, tundra, etc., and habitat for rare local plants and animals. Mount Kilimanjaro has become a destination for tourists to experience the different ecosystem the mountain has to offer. In 1987, Mount Kilimanjaro was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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