Kilimanjaro Region | General information
Kilimanjaro Region is one of Tanzania’s 31 administrative regions. The regional capital and largest city is the municipality of Moshi. With a HDI of 0.613, Kilimajaro is one among the most developed regions of Tanzania. Kilimanjaro Region is located in the north-eastern part of Tanzania and borders with Kenya to the north.
Geography
The areas in Kilimanjaro Region fall into two extremes. One part of the area is located in the lee ward side of the mountain hence it is dry and semi–arid. The lowlands are warm, dry and less densely populated. They receive an annual rainfall of less than 800mm deep.
The largest part of the region is mountainous, surrounded by Pare Mountains that range from the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, which is the highest mountain in Africa. This zone has increasingly become, and has always been, the most densely populated – even up to an altitude of 2,400m.
A smaller part of the lowlands in the west comprises of marshland, which goes along Pangani river. Contrary to the dry Maasai plains, this part of the lowlands can be cultivated. Thanks to water irrigation, many crops can be grown, namely maize, onions, tomatoes, rice, watermelons and cucumbers.
Moshi - Kilimanjaro & Tourism
The Tourist Attractions in Moshi are many considering that it is located at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro close to the border with Kenya. Moshi stands out because of the remarkable scenery and striking views of the mountain from every corner. Moshi sits on an altitude of about 890 meters and hence has cool weather for most the year.
The volcanic soils on the mountain slopes is very fertile allowing for coffee and bananas to thrive. Moshi is one of the two leading coffee producing towns in Tanzania and you will know this from the sweet smelling air coming from the main coffee processing factory.
Kilimanjaro Region Ethnic Groups
There are two main ethnic groups in Kilimanjaro region. These are Chagga, who are the majority, and Pare. There are other small ethnic groups who reside in the region, like Wakahe and Wakwavi. Within these two main ethnic groups there are sub ethnic groups sometimes identified by their different dialects. For example, Wagweno among the Pare who speak Kipare and Kigweno reside in the northen part of Pare.
The different dialects among the Chagga which are identified according to the geographical identity. For example, Kichagga Kimachame may be differentiated From Kichagga Kibosho through their way ofspeaking and other linguistic characteristics. However, Kiswahili is the main language for communication among the various groups. Socially there is little separation between the two main tribes and inter marriage is a common phenomenon. Invariably both tribes are energetic, industrious, thrifty and enterprising
Kilimanjaro Region Gorvenance
Administratively, the Kilimanjaro region is divided into 6 districts. Each of these districts has a solitary local government council save Moshi District that has two, one of which functions as the region’s capital.
Hai District
Hai is one of the seven districts of the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. The district covers approximately 1,217 square kilometres (470 sq mi). It is bordered to the southwest by the Meru District of Arusha Region, to the west by the Siha District, and to the east by the Moshi Urban District and Moshi Rural District and the Rombo District to the far north.
Moshi District & Rural
Moshi Urban District (officially known as Moshi City Council) is an administrative district in Kilimanjaro Region. The district is home to regional capital of Kilimanjaro Region, namely Moshi. The district covers an area of 63 km2 (24 sq mi). The district is surrounded on the west by Moshi Rural District. According to the 2012 Census, it had the population of 184,292.
Mwanga District
Mwanga is one of the seven districts of the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. The district covers an area of 1,831 km2 (707 sq mi), It is bordered to the northeast by Kenya, to the northwest by the Moshi Rural District, to the southwest by Simanjiro District of Manyara Region, and to the south by the Same District. Its administrative seat is the town of Mwanga.
Rombo District
Rombo is one of the seven districts of the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. The district covers an area of 1,471 km2 (568 sq mi).[1] It is bordered to the north and east by Kenya, to the west by the Siha District and Hai District, and to the south by the Moshi Rural District. The Rombo District contains a large portion of Kilimanjaro National Park.[2] According to the 2012 census, the population of the Rombo District was 260,963
Same District
Same is one of the seven districts of the Kilimanjaro Region. It is bordered to the north by the Mwanga District, to the northeast by Kenya, to the south and southeast by the Korogwe and Lushoto District of Tanga Region, and to the west by Simanjiro District. The district capital is the town of Same, Tanzania. The south Pare Mountains are located within the district's boundaries and so is a part of Mkomazi National Park.
Siha Distrtict
Siha is one of the seven administrative districts of Kilimanjaro Region. The district covers approximately 1,217 square kilometres. It is bordered to the west by Meru District in Arusha Region and to the northeast by Rombo District and the southeast Hai District. The western part of Mount Kilimanjaro is located within the district's boundaries. According to the 2012 Tanzania Census, the population of Siha District was 116,313
Social Economy Context
Kilimanjaro region ranks higher than many parts of the country in terms of socio-economic indicators. According to 2017 Tanzania Human Development Report, the region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was Tshs 3,606,689 in 2016 and its GDP per capita was Tshs 2,123,528. In terms of income poverty, data collected by Household Budget Survey in 2012, the proportion of people living below basic needs poverty line for Tanzania Mainland is 28.8 percent; the same statistic for Kilimanjaro region is 14.3 percent. With regard to Multi Dimensional Poverty Index (MPI)1, the proportion of poor people in Kilimanjaro region is 22 , which is relatively very low compared to national average of 47.4 percent. On the other hand, with Human Development Index (HDI) score of 0.75, Kilimanjaro region ranks at 1st position among the 26 regions of Tanzania Mainland. The average HDI score for Tanzania Mainland is 0.61 (source: Kilimanjaro region investment guide).