Ugweno (or Vughonu to its inhabitants) is located within the Mwanga District , Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania, Africa. It is situated at 3° 39' 0" South and 37° 39' 0" East in the Pare Mountains . The people who live in Ugweno are known as Wagweno (or Vaghonu to its inhabitants) and their common language is Kigweno (or Kighonu to its inhabitants).
19-521: The original inhabitants of this area are the Shana clan (or clan of blacksmiths). Even the name Ugweno is derived from a notably popular Shana ruler, known as Mghonu , who ruled somewhere between the 13th and 15th century. A precise date is hard to establish given 'the great Shana disruption' when they were deposed of their rule. During his rule, the area was known as the Mountains of Mghonu as far afield as
38-738: A chain of mountains found in Kenya and Tanzania . The chain runs from northeast to southwest, with the Taita Hills being in Kenya and the other ranges being in Tanzania. They are delimited on the southwest by the fault complex represented by the Makambako Gap that separates them from the Kipengere Range . To the northeast, they are delimited by more recent volcanism represented by Mount Kilimanjaro . The chain
57-554: A great deal of endemism , and a very diverse flora and fauna. Some of the other mountain ranges are well-forested, but the Taita Hills retain just 6 km (2.3 sq mi) of forest. The Taita Hills rise steeply from the Tsavo West National Park . The hills are known for their moist forests with a unique fauna and flora. More than 20 endemic species of African violets (e.g., Streptocarpus teitensis ) occur exclusively in that region. Known endemic bird species are
76-673: A mixture of all those who came to make the beautiful mountains of Ugweno their home. Historically, their ancestors came from Taita , Voi , Chaga , as well as Southern Pare tribes. This is why present-day Gweno families trace their roots from various areas, such as the Suya , Sangi and Nzava families. A good example are the Odongo (and others) who were called by the Suya from the Nguru mountain region of Tanzania to prevent conflicts in Ugweno . Kirembwe
95-536: A mountain range located in the Taita-Taveta County in south-eastern Kenya . The hills consist of three massifs: Dawida , Sagalla in the southern side of Voi township and Kasigau in the south near the border of Tanzania. The Dawida massif is the largest and tallest of the three, with an altitude of 2,228 metres (7,310 ft) above sea level at its highest peak, Vuria. Dawida has three other main peaks: Iyale, Wesu, and Susu. The Taita Hills, with others in
114-577: Is considered a tentative World Heritage Site . The Eastern Arc Mountains form a roughly crescent-shaped arc and consist of: These mountain ranges are the oldest in East Africa, and though physically separated from each other, share a similar geomorphology and ecology . They were formed at least 100 million years ago along a fault lying to the east of the East African Rift , which is a more recent structure. About 30 million years ago, all this area
133-671: Is grown in the swampy plains. Ugweno is situated in the Pare Mountains with a clear picture of Mount Kilimanjaro and the beautiful Lake Jipe . This lake is an inter-territorial lake straddling the borders of Tanzania and Kenya. On the Tanzanian side, it is situated within Ugweno while on the Kenyan side, it is located south of the village of Nghonji . The lake receives water from North Pare mountain streams as well as Lumi River , which descends from Mount Kilimanjaro . The lake's outlet forms
152-438: Is their main dish - a mixture of banana and beans. The mixture is cooked using a clay port. It can be crushed to create a hard porridge that looks like a cake when it cools. Kirembwe is normally prepared for breakfast. Sometimes the mixture is ground and water added to it, making it porridge-like, this is what is commonly eaten as Kiumbo . The area's chief produce is coffee and banana. The area also produces maize and rice which
171-473: The Eastern Arc Mountains , were formed more than one hundred million years ago. About thirty million years ago, the area was covered by extensive rainforest . During a cooler and drier period some ten million years ago, the lowland forests were converted to savanna , leaving the mountain ranges as "islands" where the tropical forests continued to flourish. The isolation of each mountain range has led to
190-543: The Ruvu River . The lake's shores are protected by the Tsavo West National Park and Mkomazi Game Reserve nearby. The lake is known for its endemic fish, as well as water birds, mammals, wetland plants and lake-edge swamps, which can extend for about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Lake Jipe's shore. 3°39′S 37°39′E / 3.650°S 37.650°E / -3.650; 37.650 Taita Hills The Taita Hills , sometimes also spelled as Teita Hills , are
209-590: The Taita region in Kenya . When the Suya clan migrated to the region; ambushed and wiped out almost all of the Shana clan, the origins of the name Ugweno was either less known or purposely forgotten by the new rulers. This led to various theories that claimed origins of this name. Some have claimed it was derived from Taita and Voi tribes from Kenya during the migration to the Pare Mountains due to tribal wars in their Kenyan homelands. Before they established settlements in
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#1732884436231228-406: The Taita thrush ( Turdus helleri ) and the Taita apalis ( Apalis fuscigularis ). The Taita falcon ( Falco fasciinucha ) and the Taita fiscal ( Lanius dorsalis ) were first discovered at the hills but occur elsewhere, too. An amphibian in the genus Boulengerula occurs only in the Taita Hills. The Sagala caecilian ( Boulengerula niedeni ) is an endangered worm-like amphibian that lives in
247-621: The Pare mountains, they first sent explorers. When the explorers returned to give feedback, they said Mringa ua khona , meaning the rivers produce thunder when flowing, and the name Ugweno was allegedly born. The Suya clan was responsible for the expansion of the state of Ugweno . Post 16th century, this state stretched as far south as Lembeni at its peak and is known as one of the great centralized political administration systems for indigenous communities in Tanzania . The present day Gweno people are
266-493: The Taita Hills. The native Taita people are living at the edge of the forests and farming the soil, which is very productive. Fifty percent of indigenous forests were replaced by exotic tree plantations between 1955 and 2004. The region was severely logged in the past and the remaining indigenous forest is now part of a nature reserve, the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. On the plains and foothills surrounding
285-514: The eastern Usambara Mountains have the greatest degree of biodiversity. Many endemic species are found on a single mountain range. Four of the endemic birds are similar to Asian species, and may have evolved at a time when the Arabian Peninsula had a coastal fringe of vegetation to act as a passageway; the Udzungwa forest partridge ( Xenoperdix udzungwensis ) is a relict and example of this, it
304-463: The hills, the land is predominantly used for cropping and grazing. The largest fragments of forest are located in the most inaccessible areas. The land is being degraded by deforestation, the lowering of the water table, and soil erosion. The annual rainfall varies from 500 mm (20 in) in the lowlands to more than three times this amount in the mountain zone. This area experiences two rainy seasons: March to May or June, and October to December, but
323-527: The precipitation is very variable. Remaining forests are amazingly abundant with all forms of life Taita Hills are home to Small-Eared Greater Galago ( Otolemur garnettii ) and rare (but locally abundant) tree hyrax ( Dendrohyrax sp.). Dwarf galago ( Paragalago cocos ) are still also found in the Taita Hills, although its numbers are dangerously low. 3°25′S 38°20′E / 3.417°S 38.333°E / -3.417; 38.333 Eastern Arc Mountains The Eastern Arc Mountains are
342-584: The world's top-20 biodiversity hotspots. Seventy-five species of vertebrate are endemic to the Eastern Arc, as well as thousands of species of invertebrates. About 15 plant genera are endemic to these mountains, as well as Streptocarpus sect. Saintpaulia , the African violet, now used as a houseplant around the world. Many of these endemics have evolved recently, but some are remnants of populations that were at one time more widespread. The Uluguru Mountains and
361-522: Was covered by extensive rainforest . During a period some 10 million years ago, when the climate was cooler and drier, the lowland forests were converted to savanna , leaving the mountain ranges as "islands" where the tropical forests continued to flourish, fed by moisture-laden winds from the Indian Ocean. This isolation of each mountain range has led to a great deal of endemism , and a very diverse flora and fauna. The Eastern Arc has become known as one of
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