Mount Gahinga

Mount Gahinga is a dormant/extinct volcano in the Virunga Mountains on the Rwanda-Uganda border. Gahinga lies between Muhabura and Sabyinyo, but is the smallest of these three volcanoes. Mount Gahinga, also known in the local Kinyarwanda/Rufumbira dialect as "a small pile of stones", has a swampy caldera on its peak. The caldera is believed to be about 180 m (591 ft) wide. It is part of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, a protected area that is home to different kinds of wildlife. ^[2] Mgahinga Gorilla National Park got its name from this volcano. Mount Gahinga, whose elevation is 3,473 m (11,394 ft), is part of a chain of eight volcanic mountains of the Mufumbiro ranges. The volcano chain spans across Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mount Gahinga
Mts. Gahinga (left) and Muhabura (right)
Highest point
Elevation	3,474 m (11,398 ft)
Prominence	423 m (1,388 ft)
Coordinates	01°23′13″S 29°38′48″E[Notes 1]
Naming
English translation	A little pile of stones
Language of name	Kinyarwanda
Geography
Mount Gahanga Rwanda–Uganda Show map of Rwanda Mount Gahanga Mount Gahanga (Uganda) Show map of Uganda
Parent range	Virunga Mountains
Geology
Mountain type	Stratovolcano
Last eruption	unknown[1]
Climbing
Easiest route	Hike

The vegetation across the mountain can be described as afro-montane with bamboo composing the main vegetation. Like Muhabura and Sabyinyo, the bamboo forests on Mount Gahinga are a habitat of the endangered mountain gorilla. There are several other species of animals and birds that form part of the Mount Gahinga ecosystem. The golden monkeys are notable to these.

See also

• Mgahinga Gorilla National Park