Volcanoes are the oldest giants of our planet. Fortunately, not all of them are active today and are considered to be active! In our TOP 10 highest volcanoes in the world.
Sangay
It belongs to young volcanoes, but it erupts in three craters at the same time. It has a height of 5230 meters and is located in Ecuador. At its foot is the National Park, where mulberry and laurel trees, lianas and palms, ferns and orchids grow - here you can identify eight high-altitude zones of vegetation. Among the inhabitants of the park you can see humped camels and llamas.
Popocatépetl
It has a height of 5426 meters and is located 70 km from Mexico City. Acting, constantly smokes and throws out columns of ash, ash or water vapor. It resembles a regular cone in shape, the lower part of which is covered with oak and coniferous forests, the middle part is stone, and the upper zone is covered with glaciers.
There are 14 monasteries on the slopes of the volcano, which are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Elbrus
It is the highest point in Russia and the highest peak in Europe. Its height is 5642 meters. Elbrus has two snow-covered peaks. At present, the volcano is inactive, scientists call it dormant, but emissions of chloride and sulphate gases from the famous Goryachiy Narzan mineral springs are observed. Below the glaciers, there are alpine meadows, and beneath them are coniferous forests.
Orizaba (Pico de Orizaba)
Stratovolcano 5610 meters high, located in Mexico (aka Sitlaltepetl). The crater of the volcano has the shape of an ellipse, the summit is constantly covered with glaciers. The vegetation is diverse: from thorny bushes at the very foot to subtropical forests and alpine meadows.
El Misti
An active volcano in South America, 5822 meters high, has the shape of an almost perfect cone. It is characterized by periodic ejections of lava masses and small eruptions. One of the craters is constantly smoking.
Kilimanjaro
The dormant volcano is located in northern Tanzania and has three peaks. The tallest is massive Kibo. The height of Kilimanjaro is 5895 meters. There are several climatic zones with different animals and plants, you can meet antelopes, elephants, giraffes, zebras.
Cotopaxi
Height - 5897 meters. Cotopaxi is located at the equator and is dormant. The last eruption was in 2015, but from time to time it emits water vapor and sulfur. The summit is covered with a thick layer of glaciers. Cotopaxi is the national symbol of Ecuador. Coniferous forests, bamboo and eucalyptus groves grow on the slopes of the volcano, wild horses, llamas, and deer can be found.
San Pedro
Located on the edge of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The height of the volcano is 6092 meters. It belongs to stratovolcanoes. There are coffee plantations on the slope of San Pedro.
Llullaillaco
Is in a dormant state. This amazing cone-shaped volcano in the Atacama Desert, on the border of Chile and Argentina, is 6,739 meters high. At the top of the volcano - eternal glaciation. The mummified bodies of three children were found in the ice column, which survived thanks to the cold and dry, thin air. Scientists believe that the children were sacrificed by the Inca tribes. Currently, the mummies are kept in a museum in Argentina.
On the eastern slope is the National Park, which is home to rare birds, donkeys and guanacos.
Ojos del Salado
The leader of our TOP is 6887 meters high. It is considered extinct, not a single eruption has been recorded since its discovery, but sometimes there are signs of activity in the form of emissions of water vapor, sulfur and ash. Located on the border of Argentina and Chile. On the eastern slope, at an altitude of 6390 meters, there is the highest lake in the world, where you can meet flocks of flamingos, ducks, and foxes.
