Kilimanjaro Region
| Kilimanjaro | |
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| — Region — | |
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 Kilimanjaro
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| Coordinates: 3°20′05.58″S 37°20′25.37″E / 3.3348833°S 37.3403806°ECoordinates: 3°20′05.58″S 37°20′25.37″E / 3.3348833°S 37.3403806°E | |
| Country | Tanzania |
| Districts |
List
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| Government | |
| • Regional Commissioner | M. O. Babu |
| AreaRegion/Province | |
| • Total | 13,209 km2 (5,100 sq mi) |
| • Land | 13,209 km2 (5,100 sq mi) |
| • Water | 0 km2 (0 sq mi) |
| Population (2012) | |
| • Total | 1,640,087 |
| • Density | 124.2/km2 (322/sq mi) |
| Time zone | GMT +3 |
| Area code(s) | +255 |
Kilimanjaro is one of the 30 administrative regions of Tanzania. The capital of the region is Moshi. The region is home to a portion of Kilimanjaro National Park. The region is bordered to the north and east by Kenya, to the south by the Tanga Region, to the southwest by the Manyara Region, and to the west by the Arusha Region.
According to the 2012 census, the population of the region was 1,640,087.[1]
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Districts [edit]
The Kilimanjaro Region is administratively divided into seven districts: Rombo, Hai, Moshi Rural, Moshi Urban, Mwanga, Siha, and Same.
History [edit]
The Kilimanjaro Region borrowed its name from the tallest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro.
Of the region's six districts, four traditionally had the Chagga settlements which are Hai, Moshi urban, Moshi rural, and Rombo, and the other two which have historically been of Pare settlements, namely Mwanga and Same. However, during colonial rule, in the late 19th century and to the mid of 20th century, the region was divided into two main districts: Moshi district, which was composed of all the areas settled by the Chagga people on the slopes of the mountain, and Pare district, which was a Pare tribe settlement. The region, from earlier times, had been settled by the people collectively called the Chagga, the Maasai, Wakwavi and Waarush (in the lower parts of Mount Kilimanjaro), and the Pare on the Pare mountains. These have been intermingling, trading, and even fighting from time to time for various socio-political reasons. Later, other tribes also migrated to the land.
Geology [edit]
Kilimanjaro lies on a tectonic line intersection 80 kilometres (50 mi) east of the tectonically active Rift Valley. The activity that created this stratovolcano dates back less than a million years, and the central ash pit on Kibo, the highest volcanic centre, may be only several hundred years old. Steam and sulphur fumaroles here are indicative of residual activity.
Shira and Mawenzi were two other areas of volcanic activity. Both became inactive before Kibo. The Shira volcanic cone collapsed leaving the Shira Ridge as part of its Caldera Rim. Mawenzi has been heavily eroded to leave a mass of steep-sided ridges and summits, particularly dramatic on the infrequently-seen eastern side. Kibo is the best preserved centre; it has three concentric craters and the outer crater rim rises to Uhuru Point – the chief summit. The middle, Reusch crater contains the main fumaroles and in its centre the 130 metres (430 ft) deep and 400 metres (1,300 ft) wide Ash Pit. The outer crater has been breached by lava flows in several places, the most dramatic of these being the Western Breach.
The ash and lava covered slopes of Kibo are mainly gentle-angled from the steep, glaciated precipices which defend its southern and south-western flanks. The impressive rock walls on Kilimanjaro and Mawenzi are generally composed of lavas and ashes. Deep gorges (barrancos) have been carved into the soft rocks and ashes of Kilimanjaro. The most impressive of these is the Great Barranco below the Western Breach and the two Barrancos on the east side of Mawenzi.
Numerous parasitic cones extend east-west across Kilimanjaro; some are located near the Mandara Hut (Maundi Crater offers a fine view point), while others lie just north of the Shira Route. At one stage most of the summit of Kilimanjaro was covered by an ice cap, probably more than 100 metres (330 ft) deep. Glaciers extended well down the mountain forming moraine ridges, clearly visible now on the southern flanks down to about 4,000 metres (13,000 ft). At present only a small fraction of the glacial cover remains. The remnants of the ice cap can be seen as the spectacular ice cliffs of the Northern and Eastern Icefields, and the longest glaciers are found on the precipitous southern and south-western flanks. If the present rate of recession continues the majority of the glaciers on Kilimanjaro could vanish altogether in the next 20 years.[2]
See also [edit]
External links [edit]
- (Swahili) Kilimanjaro Official page
References [edit]
- ^ Population Distribution by Administrative Units, United Republic of Tanzania, 2013
- ^ Kilimanjaro: Geology at Private Kilimanjaro (adventure tourism website)
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