The Mbulu Highlands is a plateau in north-central Tanzania.
15-399: The Mbulu Highlands lie between the basins of Lake Eyasi to the west and Lake Manyara to the east. The plateau ranges from 1500 to 2300 meters in elevation. The highlands extend northeast-southwest. A steep northeast-southwest-running escarpment bounds the highlands on the east, overlooking the basins of Lake Manyara, and further south, Lake Balangida . The plateau descends less steeply in
30-554: A series of ridges and valleys to Lake Eyasi to the west and the Yaeda Valley to the southwest. To the north lies the volcanic Ngorongoro Highlands . The volcanic peak of Mount Hanang rises south of Lake Balangida. The highlands lie mostly in Mbulu District of Manyara Region , extending northwards into Karatu District of Arusha Region . The principal town on the plateau is Mbulu . Tanzania's B141 highway crosses
45-431: A series of ridges and valleys to Lake Eyasi to the west and the Yaeda Valley to the southwest. To the north lies the volcanic Ngorongoro Highlands . The volcanic peak of Mount Hanang rises south of Lake Balangida. The highlands lie mostly in Mbulu District of Manyara Region , extending northwards into Karatu District of Arusha Region . The principal town on the plateau is Mbulu . Tanzania's B141 highway crosses
60-442: Is a plateau in north-central Tanzania. The Mbulu Highlands lie between the basins of Lake Eyasi to the west and Lake Manyara to the east. The plateau ranges from 1500 to 2300 meters in elevation. The highlands extend northeast-southwest. A steep northeast-southwest-running escarpment bounds the highlands on the east, overlooking the basins of Lake Manyara, and further south, Lake Balangida . The plateau descends less steeply in
75-884: Is a seasonal shallow endorheic salt lake on the floor of the Great Rift Valley at the base of the Serengeti Plateau , just south of the Serengeti National Park and immediately southwest of the Ngorongoro Crater in the Crater Highlands of Tanzania . The lake is elongated, orientated southwest to northeast, and lies in the Eyasi- Wembere branch of the Great Rift Valley. The principal inflow
90-667: Is the Sibiti River , which enters the southwestern end. The river may continue to flow somewhat year round, at least in wetter years; the other inflows are all seasonal. The second largest inflow is the Baray, at the northeast. The water carried by the Baray has increased in recent years due to deforestation of the Crater Highlands. The southwest flank of Mount Oldeani , one of the Ngorongoro volcanos, drains directly into
105-602: The Eyasi and Manyara lowlands. 3°51′20″S 35°32′40″E / 3.8556°S 35.5444°E / -3.8556; 35.5444 Lake Eyasi Lake Eyasi ( Swahili : Ziwa Eyasi ; formerly German : Njarasasee , "Njarasa Lake", and Hohenlohesee , " Hohenlohe Lake") is a lake located in Karatu District of Arusha Region in north Tanzania . Lake Eyasi is the largest body of water in Arusha region. It
120-485: The Sibiti River in the southwest. The Iraqw traditionally lived on the other side of Yaeda, but have come in increasing numbers to the Baray, which is now the primary onion-growing region of East Africa. Mumba Cave is an archaeological site that is located by the shores of Lake Eyasi. The site has yielded a number of Middle Stone Age and Late Stone Age artifacts. Mbulu Highlands The Mbulu Highlands
135-626: The cliffs of the Serengeti Plateau. During the dry season the lake may dry up almost entirely, especially in drier years, so that Datooga herders and Hadza foragers will cross the lake on foot, but in El Niño years it may flood its banks and attract hippopotamus from the Serengeti. It is a seasonal stop for migrating flamingos . The lake supports minor local fishing in wet years, but more often catfish and lungfish are taken from
150-441: The highlands, running through Mbulu on its way from Madukani east of the highlands to Singida in the southwest. Mean annual rainfall is 1000 mm or more in the highlands, higher than in the surrounding lowlands. Rainfall can vary greatly from year to year. June to September are the driest months, with little or no rainfall. Cool, foggy conditions often prevail, particularly in the mornings, which reduce evaporation and help sustain
165-441: The highlands, running through Mbulu on its way from Madukani east of the highlands to Singida in the southwest. Mean annual rainfall is 1000 mm or more in the highlands, higher than in the surrounding lowlands. Rainfall can vary greatly from year to year. June to September are the driest months, with little or no rainfall. Cool, foggy conditions often prevail, particularly in the mornings, which reduce evaporation and help sustain
SECTION 10
#1732780285255180-632: The northeast end of the lake. Flow from the Budahaya / Udahaya River, which drains into the Yaeda Swamp to the southeast of the lake, was once second, but has decreased due to water diversion in the Mbulu Highlands . Water flow from the Serengeti is minor; the largest stream is the Sayu. Seasonal water level fluctuations in the lake are dramatic, though the northwestern shore is constrained by
195-639: The plateau's farms and forests. The plateau is home to the Iraqw people , who practice intensive agriculture using a broad variety of crops and agricultural terraces. The cultivated areas are mostly above 1800 meters elevation. The natural vegetation of the plateau is mostly miombo woodland . In the northern highlands, volcanic grasslands occur on soils formed from volcanic ash. Montane evergreen forests occur at higher elevations. The plateau has two forest reserves, Nou (305.19 km²) and Hassama (49.01 km²). Drier Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets occupy
210-583: The plateau's farms and forests. The plateau is home to the Iraqw people , who practice intensive agriculture using a broad variety of crops and agricultural terraces. The cultivated areas are mostly above 1800 meters elevation. The natural vegetation of the plateau is mostly miombo woodland . In the northern highlands, volcanic grasslands occur on soils formed from volcanic ash. Montane evergreen forests occur at higher elevations. The plateau has two forest reserves, Nou (305.19 km²) and Hassama (49.01 km²). Drier Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets occupy
225-512: The streams and springs that feed the lake. Even during wet periods, lake depths typically remain less than one metre. The Hadza are the indigenous inhabitants of the lake. They are found along most of the perimeter, though camps are few along most of the Serengeti, which is Maasai territory. The Datooga inhabit the Yaeda Valley to the southeast, the Isanzu the south, and the Sukuma across
#254745