The Ugalla River National Park (Hifadhi ya Taifa ya Mto Ugalla, In Swahili) is a Tanzanian national park in Tabora Region, of west-central Tanzania.[1] The park covers 3,865 square kilometres (1,492.28 sq mi).[2] It is bounded on the south by the Ugalla River.
| Ugalla River National Park | |
|---|---|
 Satellite view of Ugalla River system taken from ISS | |
  Location of Ugalla River National Park in Tanzania | |
| Location | Tabora Region  Tanzania |
| Nearest city | Mpanda |
| Coordinates | 5°48′37.3″S 31°54′6.5″E / 5.810361°S 31.901806°E |
| Area | 3,865 km2 (1,492 sq mi) |
| Designation | National Park |
| Established | 2019 |
| Named for | Ugalla River |
| Governing body | Tanzania National Parks Authority under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism |
| Website | Official Page |
Etymology
editThe Ugalla River, which during the dry season is the only source of permanent water for wildlife, inspired the park's name. The river gently meanders westward outside of the national park's boundaries into the intricate network of marshes and rivers known as the Moyowosi Swamps, which finally empty into Lake Tanganyika.[2]
History and Attractions
editThe National Park was established in 2019 after the Tanzanian parliament separated part of the Ugalla River Game reserve to form a national park.[3] It is located in the central-western part of Tanzania, in the eastern part of Lake Tanganyika.[4]
The whole area is a spacious landscape dominated by Miombo forests and high grassy savannas inhabited by buffaloes, elephants, leopards, giraffes, zebras, etc.[5] The average amount of rainfall is 600–750 mm per annum.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Ugalla North Forest Reserve". World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA).
- ^ a b "Tanzania National parks Brochure 2020" (PDF). Tanzania National Parks.
- ^ Masare, Alawi. "Tanzania clinches 'top position' as more parks are approved". The Citizen. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "Ugalla River Game Reserve". Tanzania Zalendo. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ^ "Ugalla River National Park". Ratel Adventures. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ^ "BirdLife Data Zone". datazone.birdlife.org. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
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