Kagera

Kagera is the northern province of Tanzania.

Idi Amin tried to annex it in 1979.

Kagera Region is located in the northwestern corner of Tanzania. Bukoba, Kagera Region's capital, is a fast growing town with an attractive waterside setting. 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. Kagera comprises of five administrative districts: Bukoba, Muleba, Karagwe, Ngara and Biharamulo. The region neighbors Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi and lies across the lake from Kenya. This location makes Kagera an ideal place for business and a perfect stop for tourists traveling between any of these nations and Tanzania. You may arrive in Kagera by air from Mwanza, road from Rwanda or Uganda or by ferry from Mwanza.

About Kagera

Kagera - Bukoba - the offical webguide (http://www.kagera.org)

Kagera Region is located in the northwestern corner of Tanzania. Bukoba, Kagera Region's capital, is a fast growing town with an attractive waterside setting. 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. Kagera comprises of five administrative districts: Bukoba, Muleba, Karagwe, Ngara and Biharamulo. The region neighbors Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi and lies across the lake from Kenya. This location makes Kagera an ideal place for business and a perfect stop for tourists traveling between any of these nations and Tanzania. You may arrive in Kagera by air from Mwanza, road from Rwanda or Uganda or by ferry from Mwanza.

Location
Kagera Region is situated in the northwestern corner of Tanzania. The regional capital is Bukoba Town, which is about 1,500 km from Dar es Salaam by road. Kagera Region shares borders with Uganda to the North, Rwanda and Burundi to the West, the Kigoma and Mwanza Regions to the South and Lake Victoria to the East.

Kagera Region lies just South of the equator between 1o00’ and 2o45’ South latitudes. Longitudinally it lies between 30o25’ and 32o40’ East of Greenwich. This includes a large part of the waters of Lake Victoria. Kagera Region covers a total area of 40,838 sq. km. Out of the total area, 28,953 sq. km. is land and 11,885 sq. km. is covered by waters of Lake Victoria, Lakes Ikimba, Burigi, and Ngono and Kagera rivers. Kagera region is Tanzania’s 15th largest region and accounts for approximately 3.2% of the total 883,749 sq. km. land area of Tanzania. Kagera lies at 3,750 feet above Sea level. It has reasonably fertile old soils but over used in some parts of the region has lead to soil exhaustion and a need for the use of fertilizer.

Historical background<strong>
Kagera region was formally known as West Lake region. It was renamed Kagera region after the war between Tanzania and Idd Amin of Uganda. The region takes its name from the Kagera River, which flows from Rwanda through northern Tanzania before it penetrates the waters of Lake Victoria, to emerge as the river Nile, the second longest river in the World. This makes Kagera River to be the real source of the river Nile.

<strong>Cultural history
For a period of about five centuries Kagera Region had 9 different Kingdoms and a highly hierarchical society. It was during this time that coffee was introduced as a cash crop and bananas were introduced as a staple food. Women of the time were thought to be inferior to men and were treated as virtual slaves. Kings lived in elaborate palaces and were respected as the direct link to god of their kingdoms. The demise of these kingdoms came after Tanzania gained its independence and president Nyerere saw them detrimental to creating National unity. These kingdoms are Kihanja, Karagwe, Kiziba, Misenye, Bugabo, Kyamtwara, Ihangiro, Bukara and Biharamulo. The regimes of these kingdoms were blended into the Germans who colonized Tanganyika in 1890 who are reported to have liked the Haya, the ethnic group of Bukoba and Muleba Districts. Later the British took over from the Germans. Kagera region is considered to be the first area where Lutheran missionaries settled. Roman Catholic and other denominations also now enjoy a large following in the region, which is evidenced by the physical presence of the impressive cathedrals, mosques, jamats and churches found everywhere in the region.

Population
Kagera Region comprises of five Administrative Districts: Bukoba, Muleba, Karagwe, Biharamulo and Ngara. It has six Councils, which include Bukoba Town, Bukoba Rural, Karagwe, Muleba, Biharamulo and Ngara. According to the 2003 National Census, the population is at 2,003,888 with an annual growth rate of 3.1%.

Tourism
Kagera is considered to be one of the loveliest parts of Tanzania given its staggering scenic beauty, variety of nature, friendly inhabitants and strong cultural history. Bukoba is located in the heart of Africa just next to the equator on the Tanzania western shore of Lake Victoria. It is the major commercial center of Kagera Region.

Lake Victoria
The first foreigner to discover lake Victoria was explorer John Speke, after months of braving dense forests and tropical diseases in his search for the source of the Nile. Lake Victoria, shared by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, was named after the Queen of England and is the world's largest tropical lake and the second largest freshwater lake. Covering a total of 69,000 square kilometers, the lake is as large as Ireland. Despite its huge size, the murky lake is not that deep - only 100 meters at its deepest. The lake lies in the Rift Valley of East Africa, a 3,500- mile system of deep cracks in the earth's crust running from the Red Sea south to Mozambique. Although this region of Africa is better known for its large cats and the herds of wildebeests, zebras and giraffes that roam the savanna plains, its most diverse and endangered ecosystems are to be found under water.

Lake Victoria’s vastness (400 km long and 280 km wide), blue waters and extensive white sand shores are awe-inspiring. It has a number of Islands, each with its unique beauty and enchantment.

National Parks
Kagera Region hosts Biharamulo, Burigi, Ibanda and Rumanyika and Orugundu Game Reserves, a National Park situated on Rubondo Island and a wildlife sanctuary based on Saa Nane Island.

External links

• Kagera - Bukoba - the offical webguide (http://www.kagera.org)
• - Tourist Office Bukoba / Kagera (http://www.kiroyeratours.com)
• United Republic of Tanzania: Kagera Region (http://www.tanzania.go.tz/regions/kagera/index.html)