7 Things You Didn’t Know About Mt
Kenya
When
Queen Elizabeth became Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the
British Commonwealth in 1952, following the death of his father King George VI,
she was on holiday in Kenya on the slopes of Mt Kenya. The then Princess
Elizabeth had been staying at nearby Sagana State Lodge and Treetops Hotel when
she received the news.
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| Mount Kenya - The Second Largest Mount in Africa |
Perhaps
one of her major attractions was the sunrise and sunshine on this epic
mountain. The sun always rises and sets at around the same time on this
mountain at five thirty in the morning and five thirty in the evening. This is
because the Mountain lies on the Equator. But that is not the only interesting
thing about Mt Kenya.
The
name Mt Kenya is of special significance to Kenya as a country, as the country
derives its name from this word. The major ethnic groups living here are
Agikuyu, Embu, Meru and Maasai. The Agikuyu name for Mt Kenya is Kirinyaga. The
word is locally translated to mean “God’s Resting Place.”
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| The Agikuyu community - One of the Tribes Living around Mt.Kenya |
Mt
Kenya is the tallest mountain in Kenya and second tallest mountain in Africa
after Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. It is 5,199 metres tall. The highest peaks on
the mountain are Batian (5,199 metres) Nelion (5,188 metres), and Point Lenana
(4,985 metres).
Mt
Kenya is a dormant volcano formed almost 3 million years ago. The mountain is
formed from different types of rocks.
A
large area at the centre of the mountain is designated as a national park and a
world heritage centre. The park has unique animal species that include the
Bongo antelope and the Cape buffalo. There are 1,200 species of birds, 200 of
which are migratory.
Mt
Kenya has a big forest that covers 186 acres of land. There are 284 vegetation
species. The massive bamboo acreage measures 86,000 and grassland stretches
several kilometres. This forest is a critical source of water for the country.
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