Ngara District
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Ngara District
Wilaya ya Ngara | |
|---|---|
 Ngara District of Kagera Region | |
| Coordinates: 2°38′00″S 30°41′00″E / 2.633333°S 30.683333°E | |
| Country |  Tanzania |
| Region | Kagera Region |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council |
| • Body | Ngara District Council |
| • District Commissioner | Mathias Julius Kahabi (TPDF) |
| • District Secretary | Vedastus Tibaijuka |
| • Chairman of Council | Wilbard Bambala |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,305 km2 (1,276 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,800 m (5,900 ft) |
| Population (2022) | |
• Total | 383,092 |
| • Density | 115.9/km2 (300.2/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| Area code | 028 |
| Website | District Website |
Ngara District is one of the eight districts of the Kagera Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the north by Karagwe District, to the east by Biharamulo District, to the south by the Kigoma Region, to the northeast by Muleba District and to the west by the countries of Rwanda and Burundi.[1]
According to the 2012 Tanzania National Census, the population of the Ngara District was 320,056, from 334,409 in 2002, and 159,546 in 1988, with an estimated population of 365,661 in 2017. The population density is 110 inhabitants per square kilometre (280/sq mi). There are 22 wards, 75 villages, and 389 suburbs in Ngara.[2][3]
Ngara is located in northwestern Tanzania near the borders of Rwanda and Burundi. Its elevation is approximately 6,000 feet (1,800 m) and is considered to be in the highlands of Tanzania. The district covers and area of 3,305 square kilometres (1,276 sq mi).[4]
Ngara has four seasons: two dry seasons from June to September and January to February with two rainy seasons from October to December and from March to May. During dry seasons there are sometimes strong winds/hazy air and temperatures vary between 18 and 30 °C (64 and 86 °F), depending on the time of day or night. During the rainy seasons, sudden and heavy downpours may occur daily, lasting from a few minutes to several hours. The rain is sometimes associated with strong winds, floods, mud, fog and temperatures may range between 12 and 26 °C (54 and 79 °F).
Language
The local language in Ngara is Kihangaza, which is very similar to Rundi and Kinyarwanda, the languages of Rwanda and Burundi. Although Tanzania’s national and official languages are Swahili and English, usage in Ngara District is, however, rather limited to official functions, offices, institutions of higher learning and a few other places. Generally, English is understood on a limited scale in the market, and Swahili much more so.
Economy
The primary occupation is subsistence farming and livestock rearing. Local crops include bananas, passion fruit, papaya, groundnuts, beans, coffee, maize, cassava and a variety of vegetables. The local population's livestock is mostly cattle, goats and chickens.