Iringa Region (Iringa Region)
The elevation of Iringa varies from 900 to 2,300 meters above sea level. A significant scarp that can reach 800 meters in height and is the eastern portion of the Great Rift Valley surrounds the area on all sides. Iringa is hence situated in Tanzania's southern highlands, bordering the Mbeya, Njombe, Morogoro, Dodoma, and Singida areas.
The region is drained by the Little Ruaha and the Great Ruaha rivers. The lake created by the Mtera Dam is the other significant water body here.
The region can be divided into three zones - highland, midland and lowland. The highland zone is towards the east of the region. This area experiences a rainy season between November and May with annual precipitation ranging from 500 - 1500 mm. The period between June and September is cold and dry. The midland zone, in the central part of the region, lies at a height of 1200 - 1600 m above sea level and faces between 600 - 1000 mm of rain every year. Finally, the lowland zone, at a height of 900 - 1200 m gets between 500 - 600 mm of rain per annum.
About 16% of the land in Iringa Region is forested. The region is host to the Ruaha National Park, famous for its large herd of elephants and over 400 species of birds. Other animals include lions, sable antelopes and kudu. A second park, Udzungwa Mountains National Park in Iringa Rural District, is less visited.
Map - Iringa Region (Iringa Region)
Map
Country - Tanzania
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| Flag of Tanzania | |
Many important hominid fossils have been found in Tanzania, such as 6-million-year-old Pliocene hominid fossils. The genus Australopithecus ranged across Africa between 4 and 2 million years ago, and the oldest remains of the genus Homo are found near Lake Olduvai. Following the rise of Homo erectus 1.8 million years ago, humanity spread all over the Old World, and later in the New World and Australia under the species Homo sapiens. H. sapiens also overtook Africa and absorbed the older species of humanity. Later in the Stone and Bronze Age, prehistoric migrations into Tanzania included Southern Cushitic speakers who moved south from present-day Ethiopia; Eastern Cushitic people who moved into Tanzania from north of Lake Turkana about 2,000 and 4,000 years ago; and the Southern Nilotes, including the Datoog, who originated from the present-day South Sudan–Ethiopia border region between 2,900 and 2,400 years ago. These movements took place at about the same time as the settlement of the Mashariki Bantu from West Africa in the Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika areas. They subsequently migrated across the rest of Tanzania between 2,300 and 1,700 years ago.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| TZS | Tanzanian shilling | Sh | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| AR | Arabic language |
| EN | English language |