Mara Region
Encyclopedia
Mara is one of the 26 regions
of Tanzania
. The region is named after the Mara River
. Musoma
serves as the Region's capital.
The neighbouring regions are Mwanza
and Shinyanga
(to the south), Arusha
(to the south east) and Kagera
(through Lake Victoria
). To the north east, it borders the Republic of Kenya
. Mara region is occupied by various tribal groups including the Luo
, Jita
, Ruri, Zanaki, Kuria, Kabwa, Kiroba, Simbiti, Ngoreme, Kwaya, Ikoma, Nata, Isenye, Ikizu, Sizaki, Sukuma and Taturu (Datooga). Under British
rule, the Mara region was a district in the Lake Province, which became the Lake Region after independence in 1961.
Serengeti National Park
, one of the world's most famous game sanctuaries, is within the Mara region. Listed as a World Heritage Site
, the national park occupies a vast area of grasslands and woodlands and is home to diverse range of wildlife. It attracts close to 150,000 tourists every yearhttp://www.serengeti.org. The sanctuary is home to more than a million wildebeest, 200,000 zebras and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelles. Apart from conventional tourism in the Serengeti there is also a range of Ecotourism opportunities available in Mara region.
According to the 2002 Tanzania National Census, the population of the Mara Region was 1,368,602.
The regional commissioner of the Mara Region is Isidori Shirima.
(to the south west), Serengeti
(to the south east), Tarime and Rorya
(to the North), and Musoma Urban
(the municipal) and Musoma Rural
.
Regions of Tanzania
Tanzania is divided into 26 regions.-See also:* list of Tanzanian regions by area ranks the regions by their total area, land area, and water area.* Districts of Tanzania* ISO 3166-2:TZ-External links:*...
of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. The region is named after the Mara River
Mara River
The Mara River is a river in Africa, flowing through Kenya and Tanzania, and lies across the migration path of ungulates in the Serengeti/Masai Mara game reserves....
. Musoma
Musoma
Musoma is a city located in northern Tanzania. It is the capital of Mara Region. It has a population of 103,497 . Musoma sits on the eastern edge of Lake Victoria not far from the Kenyan border. There are boats that take you across Lake Victoria from Musoma.- Geography :The town is sited in a...
serves as the Region's capital.
The neighbouring regions are Mwanza
Mwanza Region
Mwanza Region is one of the regions of Tanzania. Its capital is Mwanza, which is also Tanzania's second city.The neighbouring regions are Kagera to the west, Shinyanga to the south, and Mara to the east...
and Shinyanga
Shinyanga Region
Shinyanga Region is one of the regions of Tanzania. Its capital is Shinyanga. It is bordered to the north by the Mwanza, Mara, and Kagera Regions, and to the south by the Tabora Region...
(to the south), Arusha
Arusha Region
Arusha is one of Tanzania's 26 administrative regions. The regional capital and largest city is Arusha. Other towns include Monduli, just west of Arusha, Longido and Loliondo to the north, Mto Wa Mbu and Karatu to the west and Usa River to the east...
(to the south east) and Kagera
Kagera Region
Kagera Region is located in the northwestern corner of Tanzania. Bukoba, Kagera Region's capital, is a fast growing town situated on the shore of Lake Victoria. Bukoba lies only 1 degree south of the Equator and is Tanzania's second largest port on the lake. The region neighbors Uganda, Rwanda and...
(through Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
). To the north east, it borders the Republic of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Mara region is occupied by various tribal groups including the Luo
Luo (family of ethnic groups)
The Luo are an ethnic linguistic group located in an area that stretches from South Sudan and Ethiopia through northern Uganda and eastern Congo , into western Kenya, and ending in the upper tip of Tanzania. These people speak an Eastern Sudanic language, a branch of the Nilo-Saharan language...
, Jita
Jita
The Jita are an ethnic and linguistic group based in Mara Region in northern Tanzania, on the southeastern shore of Lake Victoria. In 1987 the Jita population was estimated to number 217,000 .-References:...
, Ruri, Zanaki, Kuria, Kabwa, Kiroba, Simbiti, Ngoreme, Kwaya, Ikoma, Nata, Isenye, Ikizu, Sizaki, Sukuma and Taturu (Datooga). Under British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rule, the Mara region was a district in the Lake Province, which became the Lake Region after independence in 1961.
Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in Serengeti area, Tanzania. It is most famous for its annual migration of over one and a half million white bearded wildebeest and 250,000 zebra...
, one of the world's most famous game sanctuaries, is within the Mara region. Listed as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, the national park occupies a vast area of grasslands and woodlands and is home to diverse range of wildlife. It attracts close to 150,000 tourists every yearhttp://www.serengeti.org. The sanctuary is home to more than a million wildebeest, 200,000 zebras and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelles. Apart from conventional tourism in the Serengeti there is also a range of Ecotourism opportunities available in Mara region.
According to the 2002 Tanzania National Census, the population of the Mara Region was 1,368,602.
The regional commissioner of the Mara Region is Isidori Shirima.
Districts
The districts in Mara Region are BundaBunda District
Bunda is one of the five districts of Mara Region in the United Republic of Tanzania, East Africa. It is bordered to the North by the Musoma Rural District, to the South by Lake Victoria and the Mwanza Region, to the East by the Serengeti District, and to the West by Lake Victoria.The district...
(to the south west), Serengeti
Serengeti District
The Serengeti District is one of the five districts in the Mara Region of Tanzania. It is home to part of the world-famous Serengeti National Park and contains the Western Gate to the park...
(to the south east), Tarime and Rorya
Rorya
Rorya is a district in Mara Region, United Republic of Tanzania. The capital of Rorya District is Ingri Juu town. It is a newly-created district previously being part of Tarime district. It is bordered by Tarime district to the east, Musoma Rural district to the south, Lake Victoria to the west,...
(to the North), and Musoma Urban
Musoma Urban
Musoma Urban is one of the five districts of the Mara Region of Tanzania. The district seat and regional capitol is Musoma. The district is bordered by the Tarime District to the North, Lake Victoria to the West, and the Musoma Rural District to the South and East.According to the 2002 Tanzania...
(the municipal) and Musoma Rural
Musoma Rural
Musoma Rural is one of the six districts of the Mara Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the North by the Tarime and Musoma Urban Districts, to the East by the Serengeti District, to the South by the Bunda District and to the West by Lake Victoria....
.