24-493: The Aberdare Range (formerly the Sattima Range , Kikuyu : Nyandarua ) is a 160 km (99 mi) long mountain range of upland , north of Kenya 's capital Nairobi with an average elevation of 3,500 metres (11,480 ft). It straddles the counties of Nyandarua , Nyeri , Murang'a , Kiambu and Laikipia . The mountain range is in west central Kenya , northeast of Naivasha and Gilgil and lies just south of
48-587: A Liberal politician who had served as Home Secretary from 1868 to 1873. He was later to become the first chancellor of the University of Wales . The area is well known as the headquarters of Dedan Kimathi , leader of the 1950s Mau Mau Uprising . Elizabeth II became Queen of the United Kingdom while staying at Treetops Hotel in the Aberdares. It was also the site where J.A. Hunter killed
72-572: Is also home to the endemic Aberdare cisticola . The Aberdares contain a rich diversity of vegetation. There are 778 vegetation and plant species, subspecies and varieties found in the Aberdare National Park , due to the park's altitude and rainfall. Hardwood trees include camphor, cedar , podo and hagenia . Much of the range has been protected within the Aberdare National Park since its creation in 1950. The range attracts large numbers of hikers and climbers operating out of
96-628: The Equator . The mountain range is called Nyandarua among the Agikuyu people in whose territory this forest and mountain range is located. The name Nyandarua comes from the Kikuyu word rwandarua meaning a drying hide, due to the distinctive fold of its silhouette. The Aberdare Range forms a section of the eastern rim of the Great Rift Valley running roughly north to south. On the west,
120-712: The Uganda Railway . In 2015, an extension of the new standard gauge railway to this town was approved. The Inland Container Depot was officially opened in 2022 in Naivasha, to handle transport of cargo to the Great Lakes Region , including Rwanda , Uganda , Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo . The main industry is agriculture, especially floriculture . Naivasha is also a popular tourist destination. Hell's Gate National Park (the main locations for The Lion King , including Pride Rock and
144-638: The rogue elephant of Aberdare Forest . Gikuyu language Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.151 via cp1112 cp1112, Varnish XID 918745442 Upstream caches: cp1112 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:42:08 GMT Naivasha Naivasha is a town in Nakuru County , Kenya , 92.8 km (57.7 mi) north west of Nairobi . From 1969,
168-407: The 1900s. In the late 1970s–1980s Lake Naivasha was overrun with poachers and foreign creatures were introduced into the lake to provide fishing. The migratory paths along Lake Naivasha were being destroyed by the local rose industry. The naturalist Joan Root (1936–2006), spent the last decade of her life trying to save the lake and its wildlife. A resort in Naivasha was the location for much of
192-519: The Gorge, are modelled after the park ),Olkaria Geothermal Spa, Mount Longonot National Park and Mount Longonot are nearby attractions. Tours also have included Lake Naivasha , to observe birdlife and hippopotamus behaviour, as well as other wild animals. It is also home to Sunderland AFC Navaisha - the Kenyan offshoot of the renowned English Championship football team, Sunderland AFC. Their nickname
216-550: The Kikuyu Escarpments runs 120 km (75 mi) northwards from Nairobi and about 40 km (25 mi) at its widest point. With a perimeter of 566 km (352 mi), the Aberdare Range varies in altitude from 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) on the forest boundary on the eastside and 4,001 metres (13,127 ft) towards the northern edge at the peak of Oldonyo Lesatima . The Range descend gradually from
240-461: The Maasai name. Literally, Lake Naivasha means "Lake Lake" and Naivasha Town means "Lake Town". Naivasha lies in a rift valley basin 92.8 km (57.7 mi) by road north west of Nairobi . The Maasai people were the first group to settle on the basin due to their quest for pasture and water for their livestock. This is rumored to have been around the 15th century when they moved down from
264-609: The River Malewa that drains into Lake Naivasha . The Aberdares also have several tributaries, and higher up are bog markings that are the source of the rivers on the moorlands and afro-alpine. The Athi, Lake Naivasha, Tana and Ewaso Nyiro river basins have their source in the Aberdare Forest Reserve. The mountains have four vegetation zones, including subalpine vegetation, xeromorphic evergreen forest, montane humid forest, and submontane forest. Plants endemic to
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#1732772528512288-516: The east side of the range. The region is also host to the valuable commercial species including Aningeria adolfi-friederici , Kuloa usambarensis , and Syzygium guineense , which are the most conspicuous forest in the Kikuyu escarpment. Located on the dry northern and western slopes of Aberdares, it has several species with the most notable being the olives ( Olea europaea , Olea capensis , Olea hochstetteri ), podo ( Podocarpus milanjianus ), and cedar ( Juniperus procera ). This forms
312-585: The forested gentle slopes to the east, which are home to a wide variety of wildlife. There are multitudes of elephants , buffalos , giant forest hogs , hyenas as well as the endangered black rhinos and bongos . A variety of cats including leopards , servals , civet , genet and the rare African golden cat . Other threatened species including the Jackson mongoose , the black and white colobus monkey and Sykes' monkey are plentiful, as are waterbuck , reedbuck , duikers , and bushbuck . The Aberdare Range
336-537: The main centers of Naivasha and Gilgil . The lower slopes are farmed, higher areas are known for their wildlife . The Rhino Charge is an annual event run by conservationists in Kenya to pay for fencing of the Aberdare National Park as a means of protecting East Africa's largest indigenous forest from destruction. Aberdare Ranges Forest are the host for the Aberdare Forest Reserve, which along with
360-448: The main vegetation in this region. Shrub communities consisting of Erica arborea and Hebenstretia angolensis are found between 3,000 and 3,300 metres (9,800 and 10,800 ft), while a belt of bamboo is common between 2,400 and 3,300 m (7,900 and 10,800 ft), and cover about 35,000 ha (135 square miles). This belt is mostly dominated by pioneer species Macaranga capensis and Neoboutonia macrocalyx and runs to
384-765: The negotiations of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement ending the Second Sudanese Civil War , commonly known as the "Naivasha Agreement". The town is home to the Isahakia community, descendants of Isaaq soldiers and traders that settled in Kenya in the 1900s. The town has a total population of 198,444 (2019 census). Naivasha is located on the shore of Lake Naivasha along the Nairobi – Nakuru highway ( A104 road ) and
408-755: The peak towards Nyahururu from the northern side, where incised river valleys and volcanic vents are evident. On the southern side, the range is steep southwards from IL Kinangop peak towards the northern part of Murang’a North District. The major rivers from the Aberdare Forest are the Athi and the Tana , which flow into the Indian Ocean , the Ewaso Nyiro that drains into the Lorian Swamp and
432-473: The population expanded by a factor of 17 times to over 198,000 at the 2019 census. It is situated on the shores of Lake Naivasha , from which it takes its name. The name Naivasha derives from the local Maasai word ɛnaɨpɔ́sha , meaning "that which heaves", a common Maasai word for bodies of water larger enough to have wave action when it is windy or stormy. Naivasha arose as the British attempted to pronounce
456-591: The present day Sudan. Later in the 16th century, the Bantu people including various tribes started their migration into the basin from the Central African forests. The most populous tribe in Naivasha is the Kikuyu . European settlers are also major settlers in Naivasha. They arrived in the 19th century. The town is home to the Isahakia community, descendants of Isaaq soldiers and traders that settled in Kenya in
480-600: The range falls off steeply into the Kinangop Plateau and then into the Great Rift Valley. On the east, the range slopes more gently. Lake Naivasha and the distant Mau Escarpment can be seen from peaks in the range. The range has a maximum elevation of 3,999 metres (13,120 ft) above sea level and is heavily forested. The former name of the range survives in Mount Satima ("the mountain of
504-399: The range include Alchemilla hagenia , Coelachne friesiorum , Dendrosenecio brassiciformis , Helichrysum gloria-dei , and Heracleum taylorii . Found at elevations above 3,300 metres (10,800 feet) is the moorlands. Alpine grass ( Deschampsia ), distinguished by giant groundsell ( Dendrosenecio johnstonii ), Lobelia deckenii , and heath ( Erica mannii ). Moorland communities are
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#1732772528512528-556: The seasonal forest cover on the north-east slopes with predominantly Ekebergia capensis , Nuxia congesta , Cassipourea malosana , and Calodendrum capense (Cape chestnut) species. The Aberdare Range was named by Joseph Thomson in 1884 in honour of Lord Aberdare , who at the time was president of the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Historical Society . Aberdare was also
552-576: The water for Nairobi. The mountain forests are catchment areas for the Tana River , the largest river in Kenya, supplying water to the Seven Forks hydroelectric power complex which generates over 55 percent of Kenya's total electricity output. The main ecosystems within the mountain range are rainforests giving way to dense bamboo forests and then moorland . The steep western edges of the hillside are sparsely inhabited by wildlife compared to
576-593: The young bull"), the highest peak in the Aberdare Range. The second-highest peak, at the southern end of the range, is Mount Kinangop at 3,906 metres (12,815 ft). Mount Kenya at 5,199 metres (17,057 ft) is the second highest mountain in Africa after Kilimanjaro and lies east of the Aberdare Range. The Aberdares are the water catchment area for the Sasumua dam and the Ndakaini dam , which provide most of
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