Kilimanjaro National Park | |
---|---|
IUCN category II (
national park) | |
Location | Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania |
Nearest city | Moshi |
Coordinates | 3°04′S 37°22′E / 3.067°S 37.367°E |
Area | 1,688 km2 (652 sq mi) |
Established | 1973 [1] |
Visitors | c. 52,000 per year [2] |
Governing body | Tanzania National Parks Authority |
Website |
www |
Type | Natural |
Criteria | vii |
Designated | 1987 (11th session) |
Reference no. | 403 |
Region | Africa |
Kilimanjaro National Park is a Tanzanian national park located 300 kilometres (190 mi) south of the equator [1] in the Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. The park is located near the region of Moshi. [3] The park includes the whole of Mount Kilimanjaro above the tree line and the surrounding montane forest belt above 1,820 metres (5,970 ft). [1] [3] It covers an area of 1,688 square kilometres (652 sq mi), 2°50'–3°10'S 37°10'–37°40'E. [1] The park is administered by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA). [4] It was established as a national park in 1973.
The park generated US$51 million in revenue in 2013, [5]: 285 the second-most of any Tanzanian national park, [6]: 258 and was one of only two Tanzanian national parks to generate a surplus during the 2012–2013 budget year. [7] (The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which includes the heavily visited Ngorongoro Crater, is not a national park.) TANAPA has reported that the park recorded 58,460 tourists during the 2012–2013 budget year, of whom 54,584 were foreigners. [7] Of the park's 57,456 tourists during the 2011–2012 budget year, 16,425 hiked the mountain, which was well below the capacity of 28,470 as specified in the park's General Management Plan. [8]
In the early twentieth century, Mount Kilimanjaro and the adjacent forests were declared a game reserve by the German colonial government. [3] In 1921, it was designated a forest reserve. [3] In 1973, the mountain above the tree line (about 2,700 metres (8,900 ft)) was reclassified as a national park. [1] The park was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1987. [3] In 2005, the park was expanded to include the entire montane forest, which had been part of the Kilimanjaro Forest Reserve. [1] [3]
A variety of animals can be found in the park. Above the timberline, the Kilimanjaro tree hyrax, the grey duiker, and rodents are frequently encountered. [3] The bushbuck and red duiker appear above the timberline in places. [3] Cape buffaloes are found in the montane forest and occasionally in the moorland and grassland. [3] Elephants can be found between the Namwai and Tarakia rivers and sometimes occur at higher elevations. [3] In the montane forests, blue monkeys, eastern black and white colobuses, bushbabies, and leopards can be found. [3]