Ruwenzori Range

Ruwenzori Range, mountain range bordering Uganda and Congo (Kinshasa); the range is thought to be the “Mountains of the Moon” described by the 2nd-century-ce geographer Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemaeus). The mountains were long thought to be the source of the Nile.

Lying slightly north of the Equator, the Ruwenzori Range has a maximum breadth of 30 miles (50 km) and extends south-north for 80 miles (130 km) between Lake Edward and Lake Albert. The Ruwenzori Range falls steeply westward to the Western Rift Valley, while its descent to the east is more gradual, leading to the uplands of the western part of Uganda. Unlike most African snow peaks, the Ruwenzori is not of volcanic origin but is a gigantic horst of six separate glaciated masses, reaching a high point in Mount Stanley at Margherita Peak (16,795 feet [5,119 meters]). The Ruwenzori Range’s largest mountains are separated by passes and deeply cut river valleys that all eventually drain into the Semliki River. Glaciers and small lakes occur in the upper valleys. The permanent snow line stands at about 14,800 feet (4,511 meters) on the east and 15,900 feet (4,846 meters) on the west. The mountain summits are often hidden in cloud cover, created periodically by moist airstreams from the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Queen Elizabeth (Ruwenzori) National Park (established 1952) is located east of Lake Edward and south of the Ruwenzori Range in southwestern Uganda.

The Ruwenzori is economically important for copper and cobalt deposits, mined at Kilembe, Uganda. Hydropower for mining is provided by the Mubuku, the range’s largest river. The Amba and Konjo peoples of the lower eastern slopes are mainly cultivators of beans, sweet potatoes, and bananas.