Malaysia
Mount Kinabalu
Welcome to Malaysia! Mount Kinabalu is a huge granite mountain rising out of the rainforests of Borneo, so tall that its jagged, bare rock summit pokes up above the clouds.
Why is it famous?
Standing 13,435 feet tall, Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Malaysia and one of the tallest in Southeast Asia.
Its bare granite summit looks almost alien compared to the thick green rainforest that covers its lower slopes.
How was it formed?
The mountain is made of granite that pushed up from deep underground around 10 million years ago, making it fairly young in geological terms.
It's still slowly growing taller — about 0.2 inches every year — as the rock beneath continues to rise.
Amazing facts
Kinabalu Park, which surrounds the mountain, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with more plant species than all of North America.
It's home to the Rafflesia, the largest single flower in the world, which can grow over three feet wide.
Quick facts
- Kinabalu Park, which surrounds the mountain, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with more plant species than all of North America.
- It's home to the Rafflesia, the largest single flower in the world, which can grow over three feet wide.
- The mountain also hosts giant pitcher plants big enough to trap small animals for food.
- Climbers usually take two days to reach the summit, resting overnight partway up before a pre-dawn push to watch the sunrise.