Kitulo National Park

Kitulo National Park is a protected area of montane grassland on the Kitulo Plateau in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The park is at an elevation of 2,600 metres (8,500 ft) between the peaks of the Kipengere and Poroto mountains and covers an area of 412.9 square kilometres (159.4 sq mi), lying partly in Mbeya Region and mostly in Njombe Region.

The park is administered by Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) and is the first national park in tropical Africa to be established primarily to protect its flora.

Locals refer to the Kitulo Plateau as "Bustani ya Mungu" ("The Garden of God"), while botanists have referred to it as the "Serengeti of Flowers".

Protection of the Kitulo Plateau's unique flora was first proposed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), in response to the growing international trade in orchid tubers and increased hunting and logging activities in the surrounding forests.

In 2002, President Benjamin Mkapa announced the establishment of the park. The park was formally gazetted in 2005, becoming Tanzania's fourteenth national park.

TANAPA has stated that the park could be expanded in the future to include the neighbouring Mount Rungwe forest.

In 2005, field scientists from the WCS discovered a new species of primate on and around Mount Rungwe and in the Livingstone Forest area of the park. Initially known as the Highland Mangabey, later changed to its Tanzanian name of Kipunji, it is one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world.

Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania is a unitary republic composed of 30 regions and bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south. The country’s eastern border lie on the Indian Ocean.

The Capital City is Dodoma and the major commercial centre is the harbour city of Dar es Salaam.

The name Tanzania is a combination of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The two states united in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which later the same year was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania.

With 49.3 million people – according to a 2013 census – Tanzania has the 26th largest population in the world and was last year the country with the eight fastest population growth in the world. Like many other African countries, Tanzania has a large diversity of cultures and almost 100 tribes, including the colourful Maasai peoples. There are more than 158 local languages with Swahili the national language but English the official language of education, administration and business.

Tanzania takes conservation of its wildlife extremely seriously and boasts the largest concentration of wildlife animals per square kilometre, with more than 4 million wild animals representing 430 species and subspecies.

CURRENCY

The Tanzanian Shilling (currency code TZS) stands at around 2190 to the US dollar.

THE BREW

Tanzania ranks 6th in Africa for beer consumption. While 90% of the consumption is home made or bought from the informal sector, the commercial market leader is Kilimanjaro Premium Lager from Tanzania Breweries.

Tanzania has its very own ‘7 Natural Wonders’. They are:

Mount Kilimanjaro – The tallest mountain in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. Mount Kilimanjaro is 19,340 feet (5,895 m) high at Uhuru Peak, only one of Kilimanjaro’s seven peaks.

Selous Game Reserve – This is the largest game reserve in the world and extends across Tanzania’s borders. The reserve expands 21,100 square miles (54,600 sq km). With no permanent human residents, it is one of the most natural places on Earth.

Ngorongoro Crater – This is the world’s largest unbroken caldera. Referred to as “Africa’s Garden of Eden,” the crater is home to over 30,000 animals including elephants, lions, cheetahs, wildebeests, buffaloes, and rare black rhinos.

Gombe Stream National Park – This is the smallest of Tanzania’s national parks but one of the most famous because of the chimpanzee conservation work done by the late Jane Goodall. The park covers only 20 square miles (52 sq km).

Ruaha National Park – This is the largest national park within Tanzania’s borders. The park extends across 5,000 square miles (13,000 sq km) and sits in the heart of Tanzania. It is famous for the large 10,000 plus herd of roaming elephants and over 430 species of birds.

Kitulo National Park – This park is unique because of the flora. It covers 159 square miles (413, sq km) and is known as the the “Serengeti of Flowers.”

The Serengeti migration – This is the longest and largest overland migration of animals in the world. The Serengeti plains account for over 18,641 square miles and the migration itself see animals ravel 500 miles on the path from Tanzania to the Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya.