Manyara Region

Manyara Region (Mkoa wa Manyara in Swahili) is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The regional capital is the town of Babati. According to the 2012 national census, the region had a population of 1,425,131, which was lower than the pre-census projection of 1,497,555.^{[3]: page 2} For 2002–2012, the region's 3.2 percent average annual population growth rate was tied for the third highest in the country.^{[3]: page 4} It was also the 22nd most densely populated region with 32 people per square kilometre.^{[3]: page 6}

Manyara Region Mkoa wa Manyara (Swahili)
Region
From top to bottom: Mount Hanang from Mogitu Ward, Lake Babati and Mountain views in Arri Ward
Nickname(s):  The Tanzanite region; Home of Tanzanite [1]
Location in Tanzania
Coordinates: 4°18′54″S 36°57′14.76″E
Country	Tanzania
Zone	Northern
Named after	Lake Manyara
Capital	Babati
Districts	List Babati Urban Mbulu Urban Babati District Hanang District Kiteto District Mbulu District Simanjiro District
Government
• Regional Commissioner	Charles Makongoro Nyerere
Area
• Total	44,522 km2 (17,190 sq mi)
• Rank	7th of 31
Highest elevation (Mount Hanang)	3,418 m (11,214 ft)
Population  (2022)
• Total	1,892,502
• Rank	17th of 31
• Density	43/km2 (110/sq mi)
Demonym	Manyaran
Ethnic groups
• Settler	Swahili & Maasai
• Native	Iraqw, Mbugwe, Assa, Barabaig & Gorowa
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)
Postcode	27xxx
Area code	027
ISO 3166 code	TZ-26
HDI (2021)	0.568[2] medium · 9th of 25
Website	Official website
Symbols of Tanzania
Bird	Ostrich
Butterfly	Colotis aurigineus
Fish	Oreochromis amphimelas
Mammal	Oryx
Tree	Yellow fever acacia
Mineral	Tanzanite

Lake Manyara is in the northern part of the region. It is bordered to the north by the Arusha Region, to the northeast by the Kilimanjaro Region, to the east by the Tanga Region, to the south by the Dodoma Region, to the southeast by the Morogoro Region, to the southwest by the Singida Region, and to the northwest by the Simiyu Region. The highest mountain in the Manyara Region is Mount Hanang.

Demographics

Squirrel eats a fruit in Manyara National Park, Tanzania.

Manyara Region is inhabited by various ethnolinguistic groups and communities. The latter include the Assa, Gorowa, Kw'adza, Mbugwe, Datooga, Maasai and Barabaig and Irakw,^[4] which is the largest ethnic group in the region.

Administration

The regional commissioner of the Manyara Region is Queen Curthbet Sendiga .^[5]

Economy

Residents of the Manyara Region are mostly farmers. The region's economy is based on the mining of Tanzanite gems on the Mererani Hills in the north on the border with the Arusha Region. Other sources of income are from tourism in the Tarangire National Park, which is entirely located in the region, and Lake Manyara National Park.

Transport

Road

One paved road passes through the western part of Manyara Region. Paved trunk road T14 from Singida connects with trunk road T5 in Babati town. Trunk road T5 from Dodoma to Arusha passes through the region; it is paved from Arusha up to Dodoma.^[6]

Administrative divisions

Districts

Manyara Region is divided into six districts, each administered by a council:

Districts of Manyara Region
Map	District	Population (2012 Census)
	Babati District	312,392
	Babati Town	93,108
	Hanang District	275,990
	Kiteto District	244,669
	Mbulu District	320,279
	Simanjiro District	178,693
	Total	1,425,131

Notable people

• Gabriel Geay, Long distance runner, national record in Marathon from Babati District
• John Stephen Akhwari, Athlete from Mbulu District, Manyara
• Zakayo Malekwa, Athlete, Javelin national record holder
• Fabiano Joseph Nassi, Athlete from Babati, Manyara.
• Gidamis Shahanga, Athlete from Katesh, Hanang District, Manyara
• Frederick Sumaye, 7th Tanzanian Prime Minister

See also

• List of protected areas of Tanzania