Iringa Region

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Iringa Region
Mkoa wa Iringa  (Swahili)
Region
The Tea fields in Mufindi.
The Tea fields in Mufindi.
Regional map after partition in 2012
Regional map after partition in 2012
Country Tanzania
ZoneSouthern Highlands
CapitalIringa
Government
 • Regional CommissionerAlly Hapi[1]
Area
 • Region35,503 km2 (13,708 sq mi)
Population
 (2019 Project)[2]
 • Region1,122,100
 • Density32/km2 (82/sq mi)
 • Urban
256,348
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
Postcode
51xxx
Area code(s)026
HDI (2018)0.554[3]
medium · 7th of 25
WebsiteRegional website

Iringa is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The regional capital is Iringa. The region's population is 1,122,100 (2019 projection).[2] It is primarily agricultural and boasts the second-highest per-capita GDP in the country.

Iringa Region is home to Ruaha National Park, Tanzania's second largest park, which has an abundance of wildlife.

The Regional Commissioner of the Iringa Region is Ally Hapi.

Geography[]

Iringa region has a total area of 35,743 square kilometres (13,800 sq mi).[4] It is surrounded by Singida and Dodoma in the north, Morogoro to its east, Mbeya to its west and Njombe towards the south.[4]

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.[4]

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 500–1,500 mm (20–59 in). 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 1,200–1,600 m (3,900–5,200 ft) above sea level and faces between 600–1,000 mm (24–39 in) of rain every year. Finally, the lowland zone, at a height of 900–1,200 m (3,000–3,900 ft) gets between 500–600 mm (20–24 in) of rain per annum.[4]

About 16% of the land in Iringa region is forested.[4] 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.[4] A second park, Udzungwa Mountains National Park in Iringa Rural District, is less visited.[5]

Demographics[]

Iringa region has a total population of 941,238.[6]

Hehe people are the largest ethnic group living in the region. Other major populations are those of Bena and Kinga groups. Pangwa, Chaga, and Ngoni can be found in urban areas primarily engaged in business. Maasai and , sukuma and groups are mostly engaged in animal herding.[4]

The region has one of the lowest growing populations in Tanzania.[4] A major reason for this is persistent emigration from this region to more urban areas such as Dar es Salaam.[4]

Administration and politics[]

The region is administratively divided into three districts namely Iringa, Kilolo and Mufindi. The districts have local authorities operating under their supervision, these are three district councils, one municipal council, and one town council as listed in the table:[6]

Districts of Iringa Region
District Population
(2012)
Iringa District 254,032
Kilolo District 218,130
Mufindi District 265,829
Iringa Municipal 151,345
Mafinga Town 51,902
Total 941,238

Iringa region elects seven representatives to the National Assembly of Tanzania. In the 2015 general election, six candidates from the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi and one from CHADEMA won their respective seats.[7] William Lukuvi, the MP for Ismani is the Cabinet Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development.[1]

Ally Hapi is the Regional Commissioner of the region as of 2018.[1]

Njombe Region was split off from Iringa in March 2012.[8]

Economy[]

Iringa region has the fifth largest GDP out of the 30 regions in Tanzania. On a per-capita basis, Iringa's 2012 figure of about TSh 1,400,000 ranks it second only to Dar es Salaam Region which includes the capital of Tanzania.[9]

Agriculture[]

Agriculture is the mainstay of Iringa's economy accounting for 85% of its GDP.[4] Between 2008 and 2011, an average 345,000 hectares (1,330 sq mi) of land was planted with food crops annually. Maize is the dominant cereal with about 245,000 hectares (950 sq mi) of land devoted to it. Beans are second most important food crop being grown on 56,000 hectares (220 sq mi). Cash crops take about 56,000.00 hectares with sunflower being the major output.[4]

Industry[]

The industry in Iringa region is mostly small scaled and largely located in the Iringa municipality.

The food industry consists of tomatoes and chili processing, milk processing, grain milling. There is also carpentry and oil processing which comprise the bulk of industrial units found within the Iringa region.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Tanzania: New Roads to Boost Local Economies in Dodoma, Iringa". allAfrica.com. June 5, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Citypopulation.de Population of regions in Tanzania
  3. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Iringa region socio-economic profile, 2013". National Bureau of Statistics and Iringa Regional Secretariat. 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  5. ^ "Focus: Iringa Region" (PDF). Focus on Tanzania. 2005. pp. 16–21.
  6. ^ a b "2012 population and housing census: population distribution by administrative areas" (PDF). National Bureau of Statistics. p. 103. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2013.
  7. ^ "Wabunge wa Kuchaguliwa 2015-2020" (PDF). p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 8, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  8. ^ Staff (9 March 2012). "Tanzania: State Gazettes New Regions, Districts". Daily News. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Archived from the original on August 23, 2012.
  9. ^ Tanzania Human Development Report 2014 (PDF). UNDP. 2015. p. 9. ISBN 978-9987-770-00-7. Retrieved October 17, 2016.

Coordinates: 9°00′S 35°00′E / 9.000°S 35.000°E / -9.000; 35.000

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