tourist attractions

Ruvuma is a region in Tanzania. It is named after the Ruvuma River which forms most of its southern boundary with Mozambique. It is also bordered to the North by the Morogoro Region, to the Northeast by the Lindi Region, to the East by the Mtwara Region and to the Northwest by the Iringa Region.

Ruvuma has five districts, which are Songea Urban, Songea Rural, Tunduru, Namtumbo, and Mbinga. Visit Bunge website for MP's

http://www.bunge.go.tz/bunge/Mp_ByRegion.asp

Population:

Male Population	545,547
Female Population	571,619
Total Population	1,117,166
Total Household Number	232,340
Average Household Size	4.8
Intercensal Growth Rate 1988 - 2002 (%)	2.5

Source: http://www.tanzania.go.tz/census/census/ruvuma.htm

Traditions, and Culture: (NGONI TRIBE)

SONGEA: Was named after one of the chiefs, "Songea". The Wagoni is a group of Bantu people who migrated from Swaziland from about 1840, forcing their way northwards by fighting the other tribes up to the area of the great lakes in Southern Tanzania.

When the German colonists came to East Africa, this was one of the few areas where they experienced resistance from the local chiefs (See Maji Maji War/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maji_Maji). So, in 1907 the German killed (by hanging) all the Ngoni chiefs, including Songea. The tree which was used to hang the chiefs is still alive, and a museum is built close to the tree).  

The Ngoni tribe (like most other tribes in Southern Tanzania) are more rich of culture than the tribes of Northern Tanzania. Ngoni people are not nomades. They are hunters and farmers, activities that envolves a lot of rituals and dance performances.

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