The Rukwa Valley is a valley located in Rukwa Region, Songwe Region and Katavi Region in southwestern Tanzania. The valley is a part of the Great Rift Valley. [1] Sparsely populated because of its harsh environment, [2] its grassland biodiversity includes thousands of species.
The valley lies at an elevation of 2,600 feet (790 m) above sea level. It is located between Lake Nyasa and Lake Tanganyika. Its low southeastern edge includes the shallow, alkaline Lake Rukwa, which is fringed by the North and Central Rukwa plains. The valley is to the northwest of Mbeya, and stretches as far as Karema and the Luakuga Gap. [3] It is bounded to the east and west by high escarpments, [4] 25–30 miles (40–48 km) apart. The Rukwa Rift is 30 miles (48 km) wide and 200 miles (320 km) in length. [5] The valley also includes the Kafufu, the Myakaliza, the Magamba, the Ambala and the Luhumuka Rivers. [6]
Seasonal differences are extreme. [7] The Rukwa's location within the tropics accounts for its one rainy season. [5] Rainfall occurs during the months of November through April, and can vary between 20–40 inches (510–1,020 mm). Because of the only slight variations in grade, flooding is common. Conversely, the dry months of May through October are arid, and in comparison to the cooler Ufipa Plateau, the valley is hot. [8]
There are three main flora zones in the Rukwa Valley: the treeless grass plains, a belt of open woodland, and the escarpment area. [5] Valley grassland and wooded grassland are differentiated by the illuvial soil of the former and the colluvial soil of the latter. [7] The woodland is partly covered by acacia. [9] The northern end of Lake Rukwa encompasses a wetland of papyrus and reed. [10]
The grasslands are inhabited by a rich biodiversity of thousands of species and a rich variety of birds. [4] [11] It has a significant population of topi in particular and some groups of some 1500 have been reported in clusters in the valley. [12] Estimates in the 1950s were that some 3000-4000 topi roamed the land around Lake Rukwa. [12] The abundant grassland in the valley has been described a "mecca for grazers". [13] Several mutations have been reported in the valley including an albino giraffe and a dark coloured zebra "marked with spots instead of stripes". [14] Other game animals include eland, reedbuck, and buffalo. [5] The valley is home to some rare animals, including poku and Shoebill. [1] In 1939, A. Lea and Dirk van Velden Webb noted a relationship between locusts and the valley's grassland. [7] Lake Rukwa, which has no outlet, contains a large crocodile population. [15] The Uwanda Game Reserve, Rukwa Game Reserve and Lukwati Game Reserve are amongst the protected areas in the valley.
The Rukwa is sparsely populated, with an economy revolving around agriculture, cattle keeping and fishing. An important rice-producing area, the main crops are maize and paddy. Garden crops include beans, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes; bananas, mangoes, lemons, pineapples, sesame, and sugar cane are grown as well. [5] There is an influx of Sukuma cattle. [9] Human cases of anthrax was noted in 1985 to be a "persistent problem" stemming from cattle consumption. [16]
Tanzania comprises many lakes, national parks, and Africa's highest point, Mount Kilimanjaro. Northeast Tanzania is mountainous, while the central area is part of a large plateau covered in grasslands. The country also contains the southern portion of Lake Victoria on its northern border with Uganda and Kenya.
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is the second-oldest freshwater lake in the world, the second-largest by volume, and the second-deepest, in all cases after Lake Baikal in Siberia. It is the world's longest freshwater lake. The lake is shared among four countries—Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, and Zambia, with Tanzania (46%) and DRC (40%) possessing the majority of the lake. It drains into the Congo River system and ultimately into the Atlantic Ocean.
The African Great Lakes are a series of lakes constituting the part of the Rift Valley lakes in and around the East African Rift. They include Lake Victoria, the second-largest fresh water lake in the world by area, Lake Tanganyika, the world's second-largest freshwater lake by volume and depth, and Lake Malawi, the world's eighth-largest fresh water lake by area. Collectively, they contain 31,000 km3 (7,400 cu mi) of water, which is more than either Lake Baikal or the North American Great Lakes. This total constitutes about 25% of the planet's unfrozen surface fresh water. The large rift lakes of Africa are the ancient home of great biodiversity, and 10% of the world's fish species live in this region.
The Rift Valley lakes are a series of lakes in the East African Rift valley that runs through eastern Africa from Ethiopia in the north to Malawi in the south, and includes the African Great Lakes in the south. These include some of the world's oldest lakes, deepest lakes, largest lakes by area, and largest lakes by volume. Many are freshwater ecoregions of great biodiversity, while others are alkaline "soda lakes" supporting highly specialised organisms.
The waterbuck is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is placed in the genus Kobus of the family Bovidae. It was first described by Irish naturalist William Ogilby in 1833. Its 13 subspecies are grouped under two varieties: the common or ellipsiprymnus waterbuck and the defassa waterbuck. The head-and-body length is typically between 177 and 235 cm and the typical height is between 120 and 136 cm. In this sexually dimorphic antelope, males are taller and heavier than females. Males reach roughly 127 cm (50 in) at the shoulder, while females reach 119 cm (47 in). Males typically weigh 198–262 kg (437–578 lb) and females 161–214 kg (355–472 lb). Their coat colour varies from brown to grey. The long, spiral horns, present only on males, curve backward, then forward, and are 55–99 cm (22–39 in) long.
The Ruzizi is a river, 117 kilometres (73 mi) long, that flows from Lake Kivu to Lake Tanganyika in Central Africa, descending from about 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) to about 770 metres (2,530 ft) above sea level over its length. The steepest gradients occur over the first 40 kilometres (25 mi), where hydroelectric dams have been built. Further downstream, the Ruzizi Plain, the floor of the Western Rift Valley, has gentle hills, and the river flows into Lake Tanganyika through a delta, with one or two small channels splitting off from the main channel.
Lake Rukwa is an endorheic lake located the Rukwa Valley of Rukwa Region, Songwe Region and Katavi Region in southwestern Tanzania. The lake is the third largest inland body of water in the country.
Northern Province is one of Zambia's ten provinces. It covers approximately one sixth of Zambia in land area. The provincial capital is Kasama. The province is made up of 12 districts, namely Kasama District, Chilubi District, Kaputa District, Luwingu District, Mbala District, Mporokoso District, Mpulungu District, Mungwi District, Nsama District, Lupososhi District, Lunte District and Senga Hill District. Currently, only Kasama and Mbala have attained municipal council status, while the rest are still district councils. It is widely considered to be the heartland of the Bemba, one of the largest tribes in Zambia.
Rukwa Region(Mkoa wa Rukwa in Swahili) is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions The region covers a land area of 27,765 km2 (10,720 sq mi). The region is comparable in size to the combined land area of the nation state of Haiti. Rukwa Region is bordered to the north by Katavi Region, to the east by Songwe Region, to the south by the nation of Zambia and to the west by Lake Tanganyika, which forms a border between Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The regional capital is the municipality of Sumbawanga. According to the 2012 national census, the region had a population of 1,004,539.
Lake Manyara National Park is a protected area in Tanzania's Arusha and Manyara Regions, situated between Lake Manyara and the Great Rift Valley. It is administered by the Tanzania National Parks Authority, and covers an area of 325 km2 (125 sq mi) including about 230 km2 (89 sq mi) lake surface. More than 350 bird species have been observed on the lake.
Mount Rungwe is a volcanic mountain in Mbeya Region, in Tanzania's Southern Highlands. At an altitude of 2,981 metres (9,780 ft), it is southern Tanzania's second-highest peak. Rungwe's volcano is currently inactive.
The Malagarasi River is a river in western Tanzania, flowing through Kigoma Region, although one of its tributaries comes from southeastern Burundi. The river also forms the western border of Tabora Region, the southern border of Kagera Region and the southwestern border of Geita Region. It is the second-longest river in Tanzania behind the Rufiji—Great Ruaha, and has the largest watershed of any river flowing into Lake Tanganyika. The Malagarasi-Muyovozi Wetlands are a designated a Ramsar site. Local tribes have nicknamed the Malagarasi as "the river of bad spirits".
Damaliscus lunatus jimela is a subspecies of topi, and is usually just called a topi. It is a highly social and fast type of antelope found in the savannas, semi-deserts, and floodplains of sub-Saharan Africa.
The Southern Highlands is a highland region in southwestern Tanzania, at the northern end of Lake Malawi. The highlands include portions of Mbeya, Njombe, Rukwa, Ruvuma, and Songwe regions, bordering Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia. Mbeya is the largest city in the highlands.
Tanzania contains some 20 percent of the species of Africa's large mammal population, found across its reserves, conservation areas, marine parks, and 17 national parks, spread over an area of more than 42,000 square kilometres (16,000 sq mi) and forming approximately 38 percent of the country's territory. Wildlife resources of Tanzania are described as "without parallel in Africa" and "the prime game viewing country". Serengeti National Park, the country's second largest national park area at 14,763 square kilometres (5,700 sq mi), is located in northern Tanzania and is famous for its extensive migratory herds of wildebeests and zebra while also having the reputation as one of the great natural wonders of the world. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, established in 1959, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and inhabited by the Maasai people. Its Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact caldera in the world.
Katavi Region is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The region covers an area of 45,843 km2 (17,700 sq mi). The region is comparable in size to the combined land area of the nation state of Estonia. Kagera Region is bordered to the east by Tabora Region. The region is bordered to the south by Rukwa Region and Songwe Region. Lastly, Katavi borders DRC on Lake Tanganyika to the west. The region derives its name from Katavi, the spirit of lake Tanganyika. The regional capital city is Mpanda. According to the 2012 national census, the region had a population of 564,604.
The geology of Tanzania began to form in the Precambrian, in the Archean and Proterozoic eons, in some cases more than 2.5 billion years ago. Igneous and metamorphic crystalline basement rock forms the Archean Tanzania Craton, which is surrounded by the Proterozoic Ubendian belt, Mozambique Belt and Karagwe-Ankole Belt. The region experienced downwarping of the crust during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic, as the massive Karoo Supergroup deposited. Within the past 100 million years, Tanzania has experienced marine sedimentary rock deposition along the coast and rift formation inland, which has produced large rift lakes. Tanzania has extensive, but poorly explored and exploited natural resources, including coal, gold, diamonds, graphite and clays.
The geology of Africa is varied and complex, and gives rise to the wide variety of landscapes found across the continent.
The Ufipa Plateau is a highland in southwestern Tanzania. It lies mostly in Rukwa Region, near the border with Zambia. The plateau is named for the Fipa people who inhabit it.