Mount Elgon is an
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
shield volcano
A shield volcano is a type of volcano named for its low profile, resembling a warrior's shield lying on the ground. It is formed by the eruption of highly fluid (low viscosity) lava, which travels farther and forms thinner flows than the more v ...
on the border of
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
and
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
, north of
Kisumu
Kisumu ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Kenya by population, third-largest city in Kenya after the capital, Nairobi, and the coastal city of Mombasa (census 2019). It is the third-largest city after Kampala and Mwanza in the Lake Victor ...
and west of
Kitale
Kitale is an agricultural town in northern Rift Valley Kenya situated between Mount Elgon and the Cherangany Hills at an elevation of around . Its population is 106,187 as of 2009. Kitale is the headquarter town of Trans-Nzoia County. Kitale is r ...
. The mountain's highest point, named "Wagagai", is located entirely within Uganda.
["Mount Elgon, Uganda" Peakbagger.com.](_blank)
Retrieved 11 January 2012 Although there is no verifiable evidence of its earliest volcanic activity, geologists estimate that Mount Elgon is at least 24 million years old, making it the oldest extinct volcano in
East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa:
Due to the historical ...
.
The mountain's name originates from its
Maasai Maasai may refer to:
* Maasai people
*Maasai language
* Maasai mythology
* MAASAI (band)
See also
* Masai (disambiguation)
* Massai
Massai (also known as: Masai, Massey, Massi, Mah–sii, Massa, Wasse, Wassil or by the nickname "Big Foot" Mas ...
name, Elgonyi.
Physical features
Mount Elgon is a massive solitary
volcanic mountain
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...
on the border of eastern Uganda and western Kenya. Its vast form, in diameter, rises above the surrounding plains. Its cooler heights offer respite for humans from the hot plains below, and its higher altitudes provide a refuge for flora and fauna.
Mt. Elgon consists of five major peaks:
* Wagagai (), in Uganda
* Sudek () on the Kenya/Uganda border
* Koitobos (), a flat-topped basalt column in Kenya
* Mubiyi () in Uganda
* Masaba () in Uganda
Other features of note are:
* The
caldera
A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcano eruption. When large volumes of magma are erupted over a short time, structural support for the rock above the magma chamber is ...
— Elgon's is one of the largest intact calderas in the world.
* The warm springs by the
Suam River
The Turkwel River (sometimes spelled Turkwell River) is a river flowing from Mount Elgon on the border of Kenya and Uganda to Lake Turkana. The river is called the Suam River from its source to the border at West Pokot County of Kenya. The name Tu ...
*
Endebess Bluff
Endebess is a small town that houses the headquarters for the division in Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya. The town is located 17 kilometers west of Kitale
Kitale is an agricultural town in northern Rift Valley Kenya situated between Mount Elgon and ...
()
* Ngwarisha, Makingeny, Chepnyalil, and Kitum caves:
Kitum Cave
Kitum Cave is located in Mount Elgon National Park, Kenya. In the 1980s, two European visitors contracted Marburg virus disease there. It is one of five named “elephant caves” of Mount Elgon where animals, including elephants, “mine” the ...
is over wide and penetrates . The cave contains salt deposits and it is frequented by wild
elephant
Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae an ...
s that lick the salt exposed by gouging the walls with their tusks. It became notorious following the publication of Richard Preston's book ''
The Hot Zone
''The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story'' is a best-selling 1994 nonfiction thriller by Richard Preston about the origins and incidents involving viral hemorrhagic fevers, particularly ebolaviruses and marburgviruses. The basis of the book was P ...
'' in 1994 for its association with the
Marburg virus
Marburg virus (MARV) is a hemorrhagic fever virus of the ''Filoviridae'' family of viruses and a member of the species '' Marburg marburgvirus'', genus ''Marburgvirus''. It causes Marburg virus disease in primates, a form of viral hemorrhagic f ...
after two people who had visited the cave (one in 1980 and another in 1987) contracted the disease and died.
The mountain soils are red
laterite
Laterite is both a soil and a rock type rich in iron and aluminium and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content. They develop by ...
. The mountain is the catchment area for the several rivers such as the
Suam River
The Turkwel River (sometimes spelled Turkwell River) is a river flowing from Mount Elgon on the border of Kenya and Uganda to Lake Turkana. The river is called the Suam River from its source to the border at West Pokot County of Kenya. The name Tu ...
, which becomes the Turkwel downstream and drains into Lake Turkana, and the
Nzoia River
The Nzoia River is a Kenyan river, rising from Cherangany hills. It passes through Kapsara, Springer ,Moi's bridge then crosses to Kakamega county.It flows south and then west, eventually flowing into Lake Victoria near the town of Port Victoria. ...
and the
Lwakhakha River Lwakhakha may refer to the following:
* Lwakhakha, Uganda, the Ugandan town on the border with Kenya.
* Lwakhakha, Kenya, the Kenyan town on the border with Uganda
{{Disambig ...
, which flow to
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after ...
. The town of
Kitale
Kitale is an agricultural town in northern Rift Valley Kenya situated between Mount Elgon and the Cherangany Hills at an elevation of around . Its population is 106,187 as of 2009. Kitale is the headquarter town of Trans-Nzoia County. Kitale is r ...
is in the foothills of the mountain. The area around the mountain is protected by two
Mount Elgon National Park
Mount Elgon National Park is a national park northeast of Lake Victoria. The park covers an area of and is bisected by the border of Kenya and Uganda. The Ugandan part of the park covers while the Kenyan part covers . The Kenyan part of the p ...
s, one on each side of the international border.
Fauna
A unique population of
African bush elephants
The African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana'') is one of two extant African elephant species and one of three extant elephant species. It is the largest living terrestrial animal, with bulls reaching a shoulder height of up to and a body m ...
is present around the mountain that venture deep into caves to access
salt licks
A mineral lick (also known as a salt lick) is a place where animals can go to lick essential mineral nutrients from a deposit of salts and other minerals. Mineral licks can be naturally occurring or artificial (such as blocks of salt that farm ...
. This population was formerly present around all the mountain, but has since been reduced to the Kenyan side, where they venture into
Kitum Cave
Kitum Cave is located in Mount Elgon National Park, Kenya. In the 1980s, two European visitors contracted Marburg virus disease there. It is one of five named “elephant caves” of Mount Elgon where animals, including elephants, “mine” the ...
.
There are several
disjunct populations of mammal species that are restricted to Mount Elgon, including the
Elgon shrew
The Elgon shrew (''Crocidura elgonius'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest
Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mo ...
(''Crocidura elgonius''),
Rudd's mole-rat (''Tachyoryctes ruddi''), and
Thomas's pygmy mouse
The Thomas's pygmy mouse (''Mus sorella'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Its natu ...
(''Mus sorella''). There are also several disjunct populations of rare bird species, including
Sharpe's longclaw
Sharpe's longclaw (''Macronyx sharpei'') is a passerine bird in the longclaw family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and wagtails. It is endemic to Kenya.
It is 16–17 cm long, with upperparts heavily marked with buff and rufo ...
(''Macronyx sharpei''),
Hunter's cisticola
Hunter's cisticola (''Cisticola hunteri'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae.
It is found in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Its natural habitats are tropical moist montane and high-altitude shrubland. It is a dueting species.
Referen ...
(''Cisticola hunteri''),
Jackson's spurfowl
Jackson's spurfowl or Jackson's francolin (''Pternistis jacksoni'') is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in Kenya and Uganda. Its preferred habitats include mountainous forests and stands of bamboo.
The species is named aft ...
(''Pternistis jacksoni''), and the
Elgon francolin
The Elgon francolin (''Scleroptila elgonensis'') is a francolin found in moorland at altitudes above from eastern Uganda (Mount Elgon) to central Kenya.McGowan, P. J. K. (1994). Moorland Francolin (''Francolinus elgonensis''). Pp. 494 in: del Ho ...
(''Scleroptila elgonensis'').
An
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
subspecies of the
bushbuck
The Cape bushbuck (''Tragelaphus sylvaticus'') is a common and a widespread species of antelope in sub-Saharan Africa.Wronski T, Moodley Y. (2009)Bushbuck, harnessed antelope or both? ''Gnusletter'', 28(1):18-19. Bushbuck are found in a wide ra ...
(''Tragelaphus scriptus heterochrous'') is restricted to the mountain. The possibly
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
Du Toit's torrent frog
Du Toit's torrent frog, the Mt. Elgon torrent frog, or the Kenya rocky river frog (''Arthroleptides dutoiti'') is a species of frog in the family Petropedetidae endemic to Mount Elgon in Kenya; it has not been found on the Ugandan part of the mou ...
(''Arthroleptides dutoiti''), considered an
EDGE species
Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species are animal species which have a high 'EDGE score', a metric combining endangered conservation status with the genetic distinctiveness of the particular taxon. Distinctive species have ...
due to its evolutionary distinctiveness, is known only from a single specimen collected on the Kenyan side of the mountain.
Flora
Some rare plants are found on the mountain, including ''
Ardisiandra wettsteinii
''Ardisiandra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Primulaceae.
Its native range is Tropical African Mountains.
Species:
*''Ardisiandra primuloides''
*''Ardisiandra sibthorpioides''
*''Ardisiandra wettsteinii''
Referenc ...
'', ''
Carduus afromontanus
''Carduus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, and the tribe Cardueae, one of two genera considered to be true thistles, the other being ''Cirsium''. Plants of the genus are known commonly as plumeless thistles. '', ''
Echinops hoehnelii'', ''
Ranunculus keniensis
''Ranunculus'' is a List of the largest genera of flowering plants, large genus of about almost 1700 to more than 1800 species of flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. Members of the genus are known as buttercups, spearworts and water c ...
'', and ''
Romulea keniensis
''Romulea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1772. It is distributed in Europe, the Mediterranean, the Arabian Peninsula, and Africa.Bagisu
The Gisu people, or ''Bamasaba'' people of Elgon, are a Bantu tribe of the Masaba people of eastern Uganda, closely related to the Bukusu people of Kenya. Bamasaba live mainly in the Mbale District of Uganda on the slopes of Mount Elgon.
Ancestor ...
, the
Sapinjek, the
Sabaot, and the
Ogiek
The Okiek (Ogiek: ), sometimes called the Ogiek or Akiek (although the term Akiek sometimes refers to a distinct subgroup), are a Southern Nilotic ethnic group native to Tanzania and Southern Kenya (in the Mau Forest), and Western Kenya (in the M ...
, better known in the region under the derogatory umbrella term
Ndorobo.
Gallery
File:Elgon hut 1.jpg, Sudek and Lower Elgon from the Old Elgon Hut, burned down 1975, on the Kimilili approach
File:Sacred lake.jpg, The sacred lake
Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, springs, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with the sacramental blessing of a cleric. T ...
, just outside the crater rim and below Sudek
File:Pinnacle on Sudek.jpg, upleft, A climber on a Sudek Pinnacle
Image:Koitobos.jpg, Koitobos peak, Kenya
File:Koitoboss.jpg, Koitobos and the moorland above The Mount Elgon National Park
See also
*
List of Ultras of Africa
This is a list of all the Ultra prominent peaks (with topographic prominence greater than 1,500 metres) in Africa. Also shown is Mount Catherine in Sinai, Egypt which is not geographically part of Africa. Not listed here are the 5 Ultras of the Can ...
*
2010 Ugandan landslide
*
List of volcanoes in Kenya
This is a short list of active and extinct volcanoes in Kenya.For a more comprehensive list of volcanoes and craters in Kenya, see :sw:Orodha ya volkeno nchini Kenya
List of volcanoes in Kenya (non-exhaustive)
References
* Volcanoes of ...
*
Elgon languages
The Elgon languages are languages of the Southern Nilotic Kalenjin family spoken in the Mount Elgon area in western Kenya and eastern Uganda. According to the Ethnologue, there are two main Elgon languages: Kupsabiny (spoken by about 120,000 ...
*
Mount Elgon insurgency
The Mount Elgon insurgency was a conflict that started in 2005 when the Sabaot Land Defence Force militia revolted in the Mount Elgon area, Western Kenya.
Background
In the 1920s and the 1930s, British Kenya had displaced many native Sabaots in th ...
*
Breast shaped hills
The breast is one of two prominences located on the upper ventral region of a primate's torso. Both females and males develop breasts from the same embryological tissues.
In females, it serves as the mammary gland, which produces and secre ...
References
External links
Kenya Wildlife Service – Mount Elgon National ParkMount Elgon National Park
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elgon, Mount
Bungoma County
Trans-Nzoia County
Volcanoes of Kenya
Calderas of Africa
Calderas of Kenya
Mountains of Uganda
Volcanoes of Uganda
Mountains of Kenya
Volcanoes of the Great Rift Valley
Extinct volcanoes
Kenya–Uganda border
International mountains of Africa
Four-thousanders of Africa
East African montane forests
Miocene shield volcanoes