Kigoma Region

Kigoma Region resides in the northwestern corner of Tanzania, on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. The region lies at about 5° south and 30° east of Greenwich and is bordered to the north by both Burundi and the Kagera Region. To the east, it is bordered by the Geita Region and Tabora Regions, to the south by the Katavi Region, and to the west by Lake Tanganyika, which forms a border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.^[6]

Uvinza Salt mined in Uvinza District.

Nyerere's house marker in Kitongoni.

Swahili home in Kigoma.

Kigoma harbor from Kibirizi

Lake Tanganyika view from Kigoma Ward

The region's total area is 45,066 square kilometres (17,400 sq mi),^[7] of which 37,037 square kilometres (14,300 sq mi) is land and 8,029 square kilometres (3,100 sq mi) is water.^[6] The region's total area is just 161 square kilometres (62 sq mi) less than that of Estonia. As of 1998^[update], approximately 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi) was in forests and 12,000 square kilometres (4,600 sq mi) was suitable for grazing or farming.^[6]

Kigoma Region is on a plateau that slopes from the northeast at about 1,750 metres (5,740 ft) down to 800 metres (2,600 ft) at the shore of lake Tanganyika.^[8] The topography in the north and east is gently rolling hills that gradually become steeper as they get closer to the Albertine Rift margin.^[8] The most important river is the Malagarasi, with the Luiche and the Ruchugi being the two other major rivers draining the region.^[8]

In precolonial Africa the region was a source of ivory and slaves.^[9] Tabora and Ujiji were Arab staging areas for shipments to the coast.^[10] It was visited by the early European explorers Richard Burton, John Speke, David Livingstone, and Henry Morton Stanley. In fact, Stanley met Livingstone in Ujiji on the shores of Lake Tanganyika on 27 October 1871.^[11] In colonial times, the Kigoma area was known as the Western Region and the capital was Tabora.^[9]

Kigoma Region has a total population of 2,127,930.^[12]

Ha people are the largest ethnic group living here, alongside other significant populations are of the Wabembe, Wamanyema, Watongwe and Wavinza, Sukuma and Haya. Approximately 150,000 refugees from Burundi and almost another 80,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo reside in three refugee camps in the Kigoma Region, named Nyarugusu, Mtendeli and Nduta.

• Godfrey Mwakikagile, writer
• Ali Kiba, musician