Arusha Region

Arusha Region
Mkoa wa Arusha (Swahili)
Nickname(s): 
Cradle of Humankind; Land of Volcanoes; The Craters Region
Location in Tanzania
Coordinates: 3°23′12.84″S 36°40′58.8″E / 3.3869000°S 36.683000°E / -3.3869000; 36.683000
Country Tanzania
ZoneNorthern
Named afterArusha people
CapitalArusha City
Districts
Government
  Regional CommissionerJohn Mongella
Area
  Total
37,576 km2 (14,508 sq mi)
  Land33,809 km2 (13,054 sq mi)
  Water707 km2 (273 sq mi)
  Rank9th of 31
Highest elevation
(Socialist Peak, Mount Meru)
4,562 m (14,967 ft)
Population
 (2022)
  Total
2,356,255
  Rank11th of 31
  Density63/km2 (160/sq mi)
DemonymArushan
Ethnic groups
  SettlerSwahili & Maasai
  NativeChaga
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
Postcode
23xxx
Area code027
ISO 3166 codeTZ-01
HDI (2021)0.568
medium · 9th of 25
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols of Tanzania
BirdYellow-collard lovebird
ButterflyColotis danae
Fish Natron tilapia
MammalLion
TreeUmbrella thorn
MineralGregoryite

Arusha Region (Swahili: Mkoa wa Arusha) is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions and is located in the northeast of the country. The region's capital and largest city is the city of Arusha. The region is bordered by Kajiado County and Narok County in Kenya to the north, the Kilimanjaro Region to the east, the Manyara and Singida Regions to the south, and the Mara and Simiyu regions to the west. Arusha Region is home to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region is comparable in size to the combined land and water areas of the state of Maryland in the United States.

Arusha Region is a tourist destination in Africa and is the hub of the northern Tanzania safari circuit. The national parks and nature reserves in this region include Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha National Park, the Loliondo Game Controlled Area, and part of Lake Manyara National Park. Remains of 600-year-old stone structures are found at Engaruka, just off the dirt road between Mto wa Mbu and Lake Natron. With a HDI of 0.721, Arusha is among the most developed regions of Tanzania being Tanzania's top 3 most resourceful region.