Category Amazing Places

           If you are one who has seen a huge mountain in real life, there is little chance that you went away without appreciating its grandeur. Such is the glory that structures like mountains have. And if it is something like Mount Kenya, it cannot but leave a spectator spellbound.

           Located in Kenya, Mount Kenya is the second highest peak in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. It stands at a height of 5199 metres above sea level, making it one of the most beautiful sights in the world.

           Mount Kenya is an ancient extinct volcano which was active thousands of years ago. Currently, there are eleven small, shrinking glaciers on the mountain.

           There are three major peaks on the mountain- Batian, Nelion and Lenana. The first persons to climb Batian were Sir Halford John Mackinder, Josef Brocherel, and Cesar Oilier.

          Located in North Africa, the Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world.

           Geographically, the Sahara Desert covers as many as eleven different countries including Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, and Sudan, with an area of around 9.4 million square kilometres.

          The term ‘Sahara’ has its origin in the Arabic language, meaning ‘desert’. Predictably, it is one of the most consistently hottest places in the world.

          On the other hand, it can drop below freezing point rapidly at nights. In general, the climate is hot, dry, and windy. While it rarely rains in some parts, there are regions which do not see a drop of rain in years!

          All this makes Sahara an inhospitable place to live. It is estimated that only less than 2.5 million people live in the region, despite its vastness.

          The highest point in the desert is the volcano named Emi Koussi in Chad. Historians note that thousands of years ago, the Sahara Desert had enough water to let people live well.

          The Pyramids of Giza are something most of us are familiar with.

          The Great Pyramid is one of the oldest structures in the world today. The magnificent structure was built for the Pharaoh Khufu, around 2560 BC. In fact, it is part of a complex of three large pyramids in the Giza Necropolis located in modern Cairo, Egypt. The other two are the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure. Along with these, the complex also consists of a majestic Sphinx statue.

          There are various stories regarding the construction and completion of the pyramids and it is believed to have taken around 20 years to complete the works.

          Inside the Great Pyramid, there are three major rooms – the King’s Chamber, the Queen’s Chamber, and the Grand Gallery. There are also small tunnels and air shafts that lead to the chambers from outside. Incidentally, the Great Pyramid remained the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3800 years.

          The island nation of Madagascar is a place unique for its ecosystem and extraordinary wildlife. It is the fourth largest island in the world, and is located in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa.

          Experts have found out that approximately around 90 per cent of the reptiles, plants and mammals seen in the country exist nowhere else in the world! Due to its ecological diversity, Madagascar is sometimes referred to as the ‘eighth continent’ by ecologists.

          One of the unique animals found in the country is a lemur known as the silky sifaka, which is a critically threatened species. The island is also home to the rare ploughshare tortoise whose population today is just less than 1000. Similarly, there are more than 11000 endemic plant species, and a variety of mammals, and amphibians present on the island. Therefore, Madagascar is thought to be one of the most amazing places to visit across the world.

          The Serengeti is a world famous ecosystem in East-Central Africa, located in north 4100 Tanzania, and extending to southwestern Kenya. Its area is as vast as 30,000 square kilometres, giving rise to its name which means ‘endless plains’ in the Maasai language.

          Much of the Serengeti was known to outsiders as Maasai land. The Maasai are known as fierce warriors.

          The most important part of the Serengeti is the national park in it with the same name that is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. There are as well a number of other protected reserves and conservation areas in this region as well, like the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

          However, the spot is most famous for having the largest mammal migration in the world and, is a popular destination of African safaris.

          Some of the most commonly found mammals in Serengeti include gazelles, zebras, African buffaloes, waterbucks etc.