Swahili Kirinyaga
Extinct volcano, central Kenya.
Lying just south of the Equator and rising to 17,058 ft (5,199 m), it is the highest mountain in Kenya. The first European to discover the mountain was Johann Ludwig Krapf in 1849. Mount Kenya National Park, occupying an area of 277 sq mi (718 sq km), contains a variety of large animals, including elephants and buffalo. The town of Nanyuki lies at the mountain's northwestern foot and is the chief base for ascents.