Mount Meru (Tanzania)

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Mount Meru
Mount Meru, October 2002
Elevation	4,566 metres (14,980 feet)
Location	Arusha Region, Tanzania
Coordinates	3°14′S 36°45′E
Type	Stratovolcano
Last eruption	1910
First ascent	1904 by Fritz Jäger
Easiest route	hike

Mount Meru is an active volcano located just 70 kilometres (44 miles) west of Mount Kilimanjaro. It reaches 4,566 metres (14,980 feet) in height but has lost much of its bulk due to an eastward volcanic blast sometime in its distant past, perhaps similar to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington. Mount Meru most recently had a minor eruption about a century ago. The several small cones and craters seen in the vicinity probably reflect numerous episodes of volcanic activity.

Mount Meru Summit, Dawn - To the right is an ash cone that has formed in the old crater.

Mount Meru is the topographic centerpiece of Arusha National Park. Its fertile slopes rise above the surrounding savanna and support a forest that hosts diverse wildlife, including nearly 400 species of birds, and also monkeys and leopards.

At the summit in 2006, one can find a 2m high flag of Tanzania in metal and also a milestone in concrete with "Pic Socialist 4562.13M" written.

[edit] External links

Topography of Mount Meru	Mount Meru and Ngurdoto Crater (image top) from space	View from Mt Meru towards Mt Kilimanjaro	View from Arusha Town
Mt Meru from Momella gate	Mt Meru from Machame Hut	Sunrise on Mt Kili from the summit of Mt Meru	Image of Mt. Meru taken from Kilimanjaro
Mount Meru