What Does Kilimanjaro Mean?

Kilimanjaro literally means 'shining mountain' in the African language of Swahili. Kaiser-Wilhelm-Spitze was its former name. It is a very tall mountain located in the African country of Tanzania. It has the distinction of being the world's tallest mountain that is free standing or does belong to a particular mountain range. It measures 4600 meters in height and has the highest peak in the whole of Africa. Mt. Kilimanjaro has a panoramic view of the neighbouring plains.

Although Mt. Kilimanjaro is a stratovolcano it is not presently active. However in its main summit Kibo there are fumaroles that occasionally emit gas. In 2003 on the basis of research findings scientists concluded that there is much molten magma a mere four hundred meters below the crater summit. Despite this however no volcanic activity is expected in the near future although it is feared that the volcano may collapse and thereby create a huge eruption very similar to the one created by Mount St Helens.

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According to the Kilimanjaro national park website, no one knows for sure what the name means or where it comes from. It states, the name is a mystery and no one can determine its true meaning. The above answer is a theory, but has not been proven.

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