| Tanzania is the largest country in eastern Africa. It | | | | mountain. Lions, wild dogs, and elands have been |
| became a country in 1964, when the countries of | | | | found living in the third zone. Even fewer animals |
| Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged. Tanzania is home | | | | dwell in the fourth zone. These include birds, rodents, |
| to more than 39 million people. It is one of the | | | | and insects. Animals are unable to survive the harsh |
| poorest countries in Africa and the world. Mount | | | | climates of the fifth zone. |
| Kilimanjaro sits in the northeastern part of Tanzania, | | | | Johannes Rebmann, a German missionary, arrived in |
| bordering on Kenya. The mountain is about 170 miles | | | | East Africa in 1846. Rebmann traveled the |
| (270 km) west of the Indian Ocean and 220 miles | | | | countryside to teach Africans about Christianity. On |
| (350 km) south of the equator. The Great Rift Valley | | | | May 11,1848, he became the first European to see |
| lies about 100 miles (160 km) to its west. The forces | | | | Mount Kilimanjaro. Rebmann reported his find back to |
| that created this valley played a key role in Mount | | | | Europe. However, few people believed he had found |
| Kilimanjaro's creation. | | | | a snow-covered mountain in Africa, so close to the |
| Mount Kilimanjaro began forming more than 750,000 | | | | equator. Support for Rebmann's claims came 12 years |
| years ago. The mountain was created as a result of | | | | later. German explorer Baron Karl Klaus von der |
| volcanic activity that started deep underground and | | | | Decken and British geologist Richard Thornton |
| broke through to the surface. The mountain-building | | | | surveyed the mountain. They were the first |
| process did not happen overnight. It took more than | | | | Europeans to see Mount Kilimanjaro since Rebmann |
| 250,000 years for Mount Kilimanjaro to form. Shira | | | | had visited the site 13 years earlier. Decken and |
| was the first volcano to emerge. Mawenzi was next. | | | | Thornton attempted to climb the mountain, but bad |
| Finally, about 460,000 years ago, Kibo came to be. | | | | weather stopped them from climbing very high. In |
| The lava that flowed from Kibo attached all three | | | | 1862, Decken and explorer Otto Kersten made |
| volcanoes together, making the mountain that stands | | | | another attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, but poor |
| today. Over time, the shape of the mountain became | | | | weather stopped their team at about 14,000 feet |
| more defined. During the course of several ice ages, | | | | (4,267 m). Seventeen years passed before the first |
| huge sheets of ice called glaciers cut through the | | | | Europeans, Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller, |
| rock, carving it into smooth valleys and sharp ridges. | | | | reached the top of the mountain. |
| Due to its massive size, Mount Kilimanjaro is home to | | | | When Johannes Rebmann first saw Mount |
| five vegetation zones. Each zone occurs at a | | | | Kilimanjaro, the local people told him its summit was |
| different altitude and has unique features. The first | | | | covered with a strange white powder that looked |
| zone is found on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro, | | | | like silver. They believed that evil spirits protected the |
| between 2,300 and 5,900 feet (700 and 1,800 m). At | | | | mountain's treasures, and they would punish any |
| one time, the land in this zone was made up of | | | | person who tried to climb the mountain. Rebmann |
| forest and scrub. Today, the rich soils make it | | | | soon learned that the silver was snow and that the |
| perfect for farming. Wildflowers are common in this | | | | evil spirits were the extreme cold. Both the snow and |
| zone. At 5,900 to 9,200 feet (1,800 to 2,800 m), the | | | | the cold could easily hurt a person who was not |
| second zone is a humid rain forest. Here, there is an | | | | dressed for the weather. The Chagga people still |
| abundance of plant life. Moss drapes the huge fig, | | | | have great respect for the mountain. To them> it |
| juniper, date palm, and olive trees. The third zone | | | | is the home of the gods. Traditionally, the Chagga |
| occurs at 9,200 to 13,120 feet (2,800 to 4,000 m). | | | | would bury their dead so that the body was facing |
| Vegetation such as heath, grasses, giant groundsels | | | | Mount Kilimanjaro. They may have believed that the |
| and lobelias, and wildflowers cover the slopes in this | | | | summit led to the afterlife. |
| zone. | | | | Each year, thousands of people attempt hiking to the |
| Few plants can stand the cold, dry conditions at | | | | summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. There are many routes |
| 13,120 to 16,400 feet (4,000 to 5,000 m). The fourth | | | | up the mountain. Most people take four to six days |
| zone is a hot, dry desert during the day, but the | | | | to get to the top. The hike can be done using |
| ground freezes at night. Only everlastings, moss, | | | | standard hiking equipment. However, climbing Mount |
| lichen, and three types of grasses are able to survive | | | | Kilimanjaro is still considered to be a huge challenge. |
| here. Above 16,400 feet (5,000 m), there is even | | | | Trying to climb the mountain too quickly is dangerous. |
| less life. The fifth zone, or summit area, is home only | | | | This is because oxygen levels decrease as the |
| to rocks, snow, and a few lichen. | | | | altitude increases. There is half the amount of |
| Mount Kilimanjaro is home to many animals, including | | | | oxygen at the summit as there is at sea level. |
| 140 types of mammals. Each vegetation zone has | | | | Climbers must let their bodies slowly adjust to the |
| unique features that support different creatures. | | | | decreasing oxygen levels. If they do not, climbers |
| While some zones have a large variety of wildlife, | | | | may suffer from altitude sickness, an illness that |
| others are inhabited by only the smallest life forms. In | | | | causes headaches, sleepiness, and muscle weakness |
| the lush rain forest of the second zone, the trees | | | | that can be deadly. In addition to a lack of oxygen, |
| are alive with monkeys and birds. Large animals, | | | | climbers must cover more than 50 miles (80 km) of |
| including elephants, lions, leopards, and giraffes, travel | | | | land without the use of vehicles. Mount Kilimanjaro is |
| through the jungle growth. African hunting dogs and | | | | the setting for many athletic events. The Kilimanjaro |
| birds of prey, such as buzzards, eagles, and bearded | | | | Marathon is a 26.2-mile (42.2-km) foot race around |
| vultures, live here as well. The extreme altitude | | | | the base of the mountain. |
| keeps many animals from living higher up the | | | | |