Thursday, 14 August 2014

ARUSHA REGION

Arusha Region is one of Tanzania's 30 administrative regions. Its capital and largest city is the city of Arusha. The region is bordered by Kajiado County and Narok County in Kenya to the north, the Kilimanjaro Region to the east, the Manyara and Singida regions to the south, and the Mara and Simiyu regions to the west. Major towns include Monduli, Namanga, Longido, and Loliondo to the north, Mto wa Mbu and Karatu to the west, and Usa River to the east. The region is comparable in size to the combined land and water areas of the United States state of Maryland.[1]

The City of Arusha with Mount Meru in the background.
Arusha Region is a global tourist destination and is the center of the northern Tanzania safari circuit. The national parks and reserves in this region include Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha National Park, the Loliondo Game Controlled Area, and part of Lake Manyara National Park. Remains of 600-year old stone structures are found at Engaruka, just off the dirt road between Mto wa Mbu and Lake Natron.

History

Much of the present area of Arusha Region used to be Maasai land. The Maasai are still the dominant community in the region.[citation needed] Their influence is reflected in the present names of towns, regional culture, cuisine, and geographical features.
The administrative region of Arusha existed in 1922[2] while mainland Tanzania was a British mandate under the League of Nations and known as Tanganyika. In 1948, the area was in the Northern Province,[3] which includes the present day regions of Manyara and Kilimanjaro. In 1966, under the newly independent Tanzanian government, Arusha was given its own regional status.[2]
In 2002, Manyara Region was created and was split from Arusha Region. Portions of the former Arusha Region districts of Kiteto, Babati, Mbulu, Hanang, and a tiny piece of Monduli were incorporated into the Manyara Region.
Arusha was the largest region in Tanzania from 1966-2002.[citation needed]

Geography

The Great Rift Valley runs through the middle of the region north-to-south. Oldonyo Lengai (Mountain of God in the Maasai language) is an active volcano to the north of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Altitudes throughout the region vary widely, but much of it ranges from 900 to 1,600 metres (3,000 to 5,200 ft) in elevation.[citation needed]
Mount Meru, the second highest mountain in Tanzania after Mount Kilimanjaro, peaks at 4,655 metres (15,272 ft). Arusha Region has the highest number of craters and extinct volcanoes in Tanzania.[citation needed] Other geographical features include the Monduli Mountains, Mt. Longido, and the Olduvai Gorge.
The city of Arusha, the capital of the region, is located at the southern foot of Mount Meru. The majority of Arusha residents live in the city and the surrounding southeastern part of Arusha Region.

Western Arusha Region, Tanzania

Giraffes Arusha National Park, Arusha Region, Tanzania

Colobus guereza Mantelaffen at Arusha National Park, Arusha Region.

Uhuru Monument Aug 2011

National parks, national monuments, and other sites

Demographics

According to the 2012 national census, the Arusha Region had a population of 1,694,310.[4]
The region is inhabited by various ethnolinguistic groups and communities. Among these are the Iraqw, Arusha, Maasai, Wameru, Sonjo, Chagga, Pare, and Nguu.[5]

Culture and cuisine

Nyama Choma, northern Tanzanian barbecue, is a popular dish among some communities in the Arusha Region, particularly the Maasai.[citation needed] Nyama Choma is properly served with a side of Pili Pili sauce and cold local beer or soda.[citation needed]

Arusha cuisine

Administration

Districts

Arusha Region is divided into six districts.
Districts of Arusha Region
Map District Population (2012) Capital Area km²
Districts of Arusha
 Arumeru 268,144 Akheri 2,896
Arushaa 739,640 Arusha 93
Karatu 230,166 Karatu 3,300
Longido 123,153 Longido 7,782
Monduli 158,929 Monduli 6,419
Ngorongoro 174,278 Loliondo 14,036
Total 1,694,310
34,526
a includes Arusha City

Transportation

Main article: Transport in Tanzania

Roads

The A-23 Arusha-Himo road runs east-west and enters the region near Kilimanjaro International Airport. It connects Arusha with Moshi and then Himo at the Kenyan border. This roads ends at its junction with the A-104 road in the center of Arusha.

Lake Duluti
The A-104 runs northward, to the west of Mount Meru, from Arusha to Longido and Namanga at the Kenyan border before continuing to Nairobi. The A-104 also runs westward past Monduli to its junction at Makuyuni with the B-144 road that leads to Mto wa Mbu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. After that, the A-104 curves southward to the east of Lake Manyara and continues on to Babati and Dodoma.
Most overland travel is done by bus from the city of Arusha. Within the city and smaller towns, privately owned and operated dala-dalas (mini-buses) are used.

Waterways

The region is landlocked, and there are no navigable rivers. The larger lakes in the Rift Valley are not used for transportation. The region is home to Lake Eyasi, Lake Natron, Lake Duluti, Lake Empakaai, and the Momella lakes.

Arusha Airport circa 2012

Airports

Arusha Region is home to the Kilimanjaro International Airport, which serves the cities of Moshi and Arusha. Its international carriers are Airkenya Express, Air Uganda, Condor, Edelweiss Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, KLM, Precision Air, Qatar Airways, RwandAir, Safarilink Aviation, and Turkish Airlines. Also Arusha Airport (Kisongo Airport) which serves small,medium and personal planes most to the attractive areas such as Serengeti national park, Seronera, Ndutu,Zanzibar etc. Planes using Kisongo Airport include Coastal Air,Flying Doctors,AMREF,Precision Air and other personal Planes.

Notable people

Regional commissioners

The chief administrative officer of the region is the regional commissioner. Those who have served as regional commissioners for this region are:[6]
Name From To Comments
Edward Barongo 1962 1962 first after independence
Peter Walwa 1962 1963
Samuel Chamshama 1963 1964 first after union with Zanzibar
John Mhaville 1964 1964 second term
Wazir Juma 1964 1968
Aaron Mwakangata 1968 1973
Abdulanur Suleiman 1973 1978
Peter Siyovelwa 1978 1981
John Mhaville 1981 1982
Charles Kileo 1983 1985
Christopher Liundi 1985 1987
Augustine Mwingira 1987 1990
Anatoly Tarimo 1990 1992
Ahmed Kiwanuka 1992 1995
Daniel Ole Njoolay 1995 2003 longest serving commissioner
Mohammed Babu 2003 2006
Abbas Kandoro 2006 2006 less than six months
Samuel Ndomba 2006 2007 [7]
Isidore Leka Shirima 2007 2011 [8]
Magesa Stanslaus Mulongo 2011 date [9][10]
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