Livingstone Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Kipengere Range, also known as the Livingstone Mountains, lies in southwest Tanzania
at the northern end of Lake Malawi
. From the town of Mbeya
the range runs south-east and forms part of the eastern escarpment
of the Great Rift Valley
, extending about 100 km down the north-eastern shore of the lake to the Ruhuhu River. At the north-western end of the range they are known as the Poroto Mountains. Where they tower above the lake they are also known as the Kinga Mountains.
In parts these highlands present rather the character of a plateau than of a true mountain range, but the latter name may be justified by the fact that they form a comparatively narrow belt of country, which falls considerably to the east as well as to the west. The northern end is well marked in 8 50 S by an escarpment falling to the Ruaha River valley, which is regarded as a north-eastern branch of the main rift valley. Southwards the Livingstone range terminates in the deep valley of the Ruhuhu in 10 30 S, the first decided break in the highlands that is reached from the north, on the east coast of Lake Malawi
. Geologically the range is formed on the side of the lake by a zone of gneiss running in a series of ridges and valleys generally parallel to its axis.
The ridge nearest the lake (Mount Jamimbi or Chamembe, at 9 41 S), rises to an absolute height of 7,870 ft, or 6,200 ft above falls almost sheer to the water, the same steep slope being continued beneath the surface. Towards the south the range appears to have a width of some 20 m only, but northwards it widens out to about 40 m, though broken here by the depression, drained towards the Ruaha, of Buanyi, on the south side of which is the highest known summit of the range (9,600 ft). North and east of Buanyi, as in the eastern half of the range generally, table-topped mountains occur, composed above of horizontally bedded quartz
ites, sandstone
s and conglomerates. The uplands are generally clothed in rich grass, forest occurring principally in the hollows, while the slopes towards the lake are covered with poor scrub. The climate is here healthy, and night frosts occur in the cold season. Temperate crops can be raised with success. At the foot of the mountains on Lake Malawi are the ports of Manda, near the mouth of the Ruhuhu, and Matema
, at the north-east corner of the lake.
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
at the northern end of Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi , is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the Great Rift Valley system of East Africa. This lake, the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania...
. From the town of Mbeya
Mbeya
Mbeya is a city located in southwest Tanzania, Africa. Mbeya's urban population was 280,000 in 2005. Mbeya is the capital of the surrounding rural Mbeya region ....
the range runs south-east and forms part of the eastern escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
of the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
, extending about 100 km down the north-eastern shore of the lake to the Ruhuhu River. At the north-western end of the range they are known as the Poroto Mountains. Where they tower above the lake they are also known as the Kinga Mountains.
In parts these highlands present rather the character of a plateau than of a true mountain range, but the latter name may be justified by the fact that they form a comparatively narrow belt of country, which falls considerably to the east as well as to the west. The northern end is well marked in 8 50 S by an escarpment falling to the Ruaha River valley, which is regarded as a north-eastern branch of the main rift valley. Southwards the Livingstone range terminates in the deep valley of the Ruhuhu in 10 30 S, the first decided break in the highlands that is reached from the north, on the east coast of Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi , is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the Great Rift Valley system of East Africa. This lake, the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania...
. Geologically the range is formed on the side of the lake by a zone of gneiss running in a series of ridges and valleys generally parallel to its axis.
The ridge nearest the lake (Mount Jamimbi or Chamembe, at 9 41 S), rises to an absolute height of 7,870 ft, or 6,200 ft above falls almost sheer to the water, the same steep slope being continued beneath the surface. Towards the south the range appears to have a width of some 20 m only, but northwards it widens out to about 40 m, though broken here by the depression, drained towards the Ruaha, of Buanyi, on the south side of which is the highest known summit of the range (9,600 ft). North and east of Buanyi, as in the eastern half of the range generally, table-topped mountains occur, composed above of horizontally bedded quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
ites, sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
s and conglomerates. The uplands are generally clothed in rich grass, forest occurring principally in the hollows, while the slopes towards the lake are covered with poor scrub. The climate is here healthy, and night frosts occur in the cold season. Temperate crops can be raised with success. At the foot of the mountains on Lake Malawi are the ports of Manda, near the mouth of the Ruhuhu, and Matema
Matema
Matema is a town in southwestern Tanzania. The town is primarily a fishing village with some agriculture. It is located on the northern tip of Lake Nyasa and is 90 kilometres south-east of Mbeya....
, at the north-east corner of the lake.