How Mountain Rwenzori was formed?
How Mountain Rwenzori was formed?
The Rwenzori Mountains were formed as a result of a shift in the Earth’s crust over 3 million years ago. This shift caused an uplift of rock made up of gneiss, quartzite and granite. It is believed that the shift in tectonic plates pushed the mountain block upwards and tilted it to form the high peaks of the range.
Is Rwenzori a block mountain?
A block mountain is formed by natural faults in the earth’s crust. Mountain Rwenzori is the only block mountain in Uganda. The Rwenzori mountains also known as ‘mountains of the moon’ are found on the border of Uganda and Democratic republic of Congo situated in the eastern rift valley.
How is Mt Rwenzori different from Mt Elgon in terms of formation?
Unlike Rwenzori mountain which is block mountain, Mt Elgon is Volcanic mountain which was formed by the process of Vulcanicity. It’s a dormant volcanic mountain that is shared by Uganda and Kenya.
Where is Mountain Rwenzori found?
western Uganda
The Rwenzori Mountains National Park covers nearly 100,000 ha in western Uganda and comprises the main part of the Rwenzori mountain chain, which includes Africa’s third highest peak (Mount Margherita: 5,109 m). The region’s glaciers, waterfalls and lakes make it one of Africa’s most beautiful alpine areas.
What type of mountain is Rwenzori?
Unlike most African snow peaks, the Ruwenzori is not of volcanic origin but is a gigantic horst of six separate glaciated masses, reaching a high point in Mount Stanley at Margherita Peak (16,795 feet [5,119 m]).
What tribes live in the Rwenzori Mountains?
The Bakonzo are Bantu-speaking people. This tribe is one of the 54 tribes of Uganda. They live on the Rwenzori Mountains and are until now, known as the indigenous tribe for this mountain. The Bakonzo people originally traveled from the Congo and settled here about 300 years ago.
What type of mountain is Mount Rwenzori?
What are the Rwenzori Mountains also known as?
The Ruwenzori, also spelled Rwenzori and Rwenjura, are a range of mountains in eastern equatorial Africa, located on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Why is Mt Rwenzori called mountain of the Moon?
The reference to Mount Rwenzori as Mountains of the Moon came from Greek explorers trying to locate the source of the Nile. A merchant called Diogenes reported that the source of the Nile came from a group of mountains which the indigenes of the land called Mountains of the Moon because of their snow-capped whiteness.
Why is Rwenzori called Mountain of the Moon?
Who found Mt Rwenzori?
The explorer Henry Stanley placed the Rwenzori on the map on 24th May 1888. He labelled it ‘Ruwenzori’, a local name which he recorded as meaning “Rain-Maker” or “Cloud-King.” The oldest recorded person to reach Margherita Peak was Ms Beryl Park aged 78 in 2010.
Why is Mountain Rwenzori called a mountain range?
These mountains were named ‘Rwenzori’ by Henry M. Stanley, a European explorer. He called this range after an African native word that means ‘rainmaker. ‘ And, it’s indeed rainmaker as rain feeds the dense foliage and falls on the Rwenzori Mountains for up to around 350 days each year.
Where is the Rwenzori mountain range?
The Rwenzori (formerly spelled Ruwenzori) is a spectacular mountain range located in Africa on the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The range is not volcanic but consists of crystalline rock that moved upward from the earth’s crust.
How did the Rwenzori get its name?
The range was named Rwenzori by European explorer Henry M. Stanley, after a native word meaning “rain maker.”. Indeed, the Rwenzori IS a rain maker, for up to 350 days a year rain falls on these mountains, feeding the dense foliage.
What is happening to the Rwenzori Glacier?
An ongoing concern is the impact of climate change on Rwenzori’s glaciers. In 1906, the Rwenzori had 43 named glaciers distributed over six mountains with a total area of 7.5 square kilometres (2.9 sq mi), about half the total glacier area in Africa.
When was the first traverse of the Rwenzori Mountains done?
The first traverse of the six massifs of the Rwenzori Mountains was done in 1975, starting on 27 January and ending on 13 February. The traverse was done by Polish climbers Janusz Chalecki, Stanisław Cholewa and Leszek Czarnecki, with Mirosław Kuraś accompanying them on the last half of the traverse.
