Semien Mountains
Sign in to saveAlso known as Simien Mountains, Samen Mountains
mountain range in northern Ethiopia
Key facts
- Location
- Amhara Region , Ethiopia
- Nearest city
- Debarq and Mekane Berhan
- Area
- 220 km (85 sq mi)
- Visitors
- 26,000 (in 2016)
- Official name
- Simien National Park
- Type
- Natural
- Criteria
- vii, x
- Designated
- 1978 (2nd session )
- Region
- Africa
- Endangered
- 1996–2017
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- mountain range
- Country
- Ethiopia
- Located in
- Semien Gondar Zone
- Elevation
- 4550
- Highest point
- Ras Dashen
- Image
- Simienské hory.jpg
Show 3 more facts
- native label
- ሰሜን ተራራ
- Commons category
- Simien Mountains
- mountain range
- Ethiopian Highlands
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~6 min read
Encyclopedic overview
The Simien Mountains (Amharic: ስሜን ተራራ or Səmen; also spelled Semain, Simeon and Semien), in northern Ethiopia, northeast of Gondar in Amhara Region, are part of the Ethiopian Highlands. They are a World Heritage Site (since 1978) and are part of the Simien Mountains National Park. The mountains consist of plateaus separated by valleys and rising to pinnacles. The highest Ethiopian mountain is Ras Dejen at 4,550 m with the second highest peak of Kidis Yared at 4,453 m; other peaks include Mount Biuat at 4,437 m.
The Simien Mountains are remarkable for being one of the few spots in tropical Africa where snow regularly falls. Because of their geological origins, the mountains are almost unique, with only South Africa's Drakensberg range having been formed in the same manner and thus appearing similar. Animals in the mountains include the walia ibex, gelada, and caracal. There are a few Ethiopian wolves.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Semien Mountains” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.