Mbeya Region

Mbeya Region is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. It is located in the country's southwest. The regional capital is the city of Mbeya. According to the 2012 national census, the region had a population of 2,707,410, which was lower than the pre-census projection of 2,822,396.[3]:page 2 For 2002-2012, the region's 2.7 percent average annual population growth rate was tied for the tenth highest in the country.[3]:page 4 It was also tied for the eighteenth most densely populated region with 45 people per square kilometre.[3]:page 6 In 2016, the town of Tunduma and the districts of Ileje, Mbozi, Momba and Songwe (created from the western part of Chunya District[4]) were split from Mbeya Region to create Songwe Region.[5][6] Mbeya Region is now bordered to the northwest by Tabora Region, to the northeast by Singida Region, to the east by Iringa Region, to the south by Songwe Region and Malawi, and to the west by Songwe Region.[7] Prior to the creation of Songwe Region, Mbeya Region covered an area of 62,420 square kilometres (24,100 sq mi).[8] It now covers an area of 35,954 square kilometres (13,882 sq mi).[1]

Mbeya Region

Mkoa wa Mbeya  (Swahili)
Region
Tea fields in Tukuyu
Location in Tanzania
CountryTanzania
ZoneSouthern Highlands
CapitalMbeya
Government
 • Regional CommissionerAlbert Chalamila
Area
 • Total35,954 km2 (13,882 sq mi)
 • Land35,493 km2 (13,704 sq mi)
 • Water461 km2 (178 sq mi)
Population
 (2012)
 • Total2,707,410
 • Density75/km2 (200/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
Postcode
53xxx
Area code(s)025
HDI (2018)0.523[2]
low · 14th of 25
WebsiteRegional website

Districts

2012

In 2012, the region was administratively divided into eight districts:

Districts of Mbeya Region in 2012
Map District Population
(2012 Census)
Chunya District 290,478
Ileje District 124,451
Kyela District 221,490
Mbarali District 300,517
Mbeya District 690,598
Mbozi District 446,339
Momba District 294,380
Rungwe District 339,157
Total 2,707,410

2016

After the 2016 reorganization, Mbeya now comprises seven districts:[7]

Districts of Mbeya Region in 2016
Map District Population
(2012 Census)
Busokelo District n/a
Chunya District 156,786
Kyela District 221,490
Mbarali District 300,517
Mbeya District 305,319
Mbeya City 385,279
Rungwe District 339,157
Total 1,708,638

National Parks and other sites.
  1. Ruaha National Park
  2. Kitulo National Park
  3. Mount Rungwe Forest Reserve
  4. Lake Ngosi (Crater lake)
  5. Matema Beach

Transport

Mbeya region is accessible by Roads, rail, air and water through Lake Nyasa.

Airports

Mbeya region is served by Songwe International Airport which is located in Mbeya district at Songwe area. Currently the only carrier which have scheduled flights is Air Tanzania with daily flights to Dar es salaam. There are also other chartered flights to other places such as Ruaha National Park.

Roads

TANZAM Highway (T1) which is part of the Great North road (A 104) pass through the region, it connect the region with Njombe region to the East and Songwe region to the West. The B - 345 road connect the region with Malawi to the south from Uyole.Chunya road connect the region with Singida and Tabora to the North-East and North-West respectively.

Water

Mbeya region is bordered by Lake Nyasa to the South East. The lake is used for transport by Mbeya region and the neighboring regions of Njombe, Ruvuma and the country of Malawi. Three ships of which two are cargo ships MV Njombe and MV Ruvuma and one for passengers MV Mbeya II are on final stages of construction and are expected to start operations at the end of 2019.

Railway

The TAZARA rail pass through the region and connects which connects it to the Port city of Dar es salaam and Zambia.

Geology

It was announced in February 2012 that the collapsed volcano approximately 200 km north of Mbeya, Mount Ngualla, contained one of the largest rare earth oxide deposits in the world.[9]

Writers from Mbeya Region
  1. Godfrey Mwakikagile
  2. Mark Mwandosya
  3. Christopher Mwashinga
  4. Fadhy Mtanga
  5. Clement Nyamunura Mweya

References
  1. "Mbeya Regional Profile" (PDF). Mbeya Regional Commissioner's Office. 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  2. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  3. Population Distribution by Administrative Units, United Republic of Tanzania, 2013 Archived 2 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "History". Songwe District Council. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  5. "History". Songwe Regional Commissioner's Office. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  6. Mwakyusa, Alvar (4 February 2016). "Songwe is new region - with four districts". Daily News. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  7. "Welcome to Mbeya Region". Mbeya Regional Commissioner Office. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  8. Statistical Abstract 2011, Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics Archived 5 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Peak Resources - Maiden Resource, Ngualla Rare Earth Project, ASX Announcement, 29 February 2012

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