Mount Kenya << KEHN yuh or KEEN yuh >> is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest mountain in Africa. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is the only taller African mountain. Mount Kenya is an extinct volcano that rises 17,058 feet (5,199 meters) in central Kenya. Although the mountain stands just south of the equator, it is capped by snow and has glaciers on its upper slopes.
Mount Kenya receives heavy rainfall. Coffee, Kenya’s most valuable export crop, is widely grown on the mountain’s slopes. The farmers in the region around Mount Kenya also grow beans, corns, and other crops.
Mount Kenya forms part of Mount Kenya National Park. A large number of animals, including buffalo, monkeys, and a wide variety of birds, live in the park. The park also provides a starting point for people who come to climb the mountain. In 1997, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added Mount Kenya National Park to its list of World Heritage Sites. Such sites are designated places of unique cultural or natural importance.
