- TURY.CLUB
- Tourist Objects
- Tanzania
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is located in northern Tanzania, 180 km from the city of Arusha, covers an area of 8,292 square kilometers, stretching from the plains of the Serengeti National Park (in the northwest) to the Great Rift Valley (in the east). Ngorongoro is called one of the seven natural wonders of Africa, it was created in 1959, and in 1979 was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The main attraction of the reserve is the Ngorongoro Crater, formed about 2.5 million years ago on the site of an extinct volcano. This is one of the largest calderas in the world, the diameter of the crater is 16-19 km, the depth is 610 meters, the total area is 260 square kilometers. In the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, there are also Olmoti and Empakai craters, the Serengeti and Sale plateaus, the Ndutu and Masek lakes. The Olduvai Gorge, which is located on the border with the Great Rift Valley, is one of the most significant paleoanthropological monuments in the world. Here were found the skull of a zinjanthropus (fossil primacy), the remains of hominids, Australopithecus and skilled man, as well as the skeletons of many extinct prehistoric animals. Near the Olduvai Gorge, the Nazar Rock rock is located, on which ancient cave paintings were discovered. Since 1840, Ngorongoro Crater has become the "official" home of the warlike Masai tribe. Nomadic people migrated from North Africa as early as the XIV century; in the XVII century, settled on the fertile plains of Tanzania. Colonial authorities deprived the tribe of many territories, allowing them to live on the territory of the Ngorongoro crater. Today, one of the objectives of the reserve is to protect the interests and preserve the traditional lifestyle of the Masai tribe, which still grazes herds of cattle, sheep and goats here. The flora and fauna of Ngorongoro is diverse and unique. Vast mountain plains, savannahs, light forests, areas of evergreen mountain forests, lakes and swamps serve as habitats for more than 25,000 species of animals. Elephants, black rhinos, lions, cheetahs, leopards, serval, spotted hyena, jackals, hippos, buffalos, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, gazelles live in Ngorongoro. More than 500 species of birds are registered in the reserve - white storks, cranes, ibises, yellow wagtail, swallows, waders, ducks, herons, ostriches, bustards, eagles, vultures and many others. The Empakaya Crater and Lake Magami, filled with water, became home to a huge population of pink flamingos. Fascinating tourist routes are developed for visitors to the reserve, camping and lodges are equipped. Tourists can go on a safari by car, take walks, visit the Olduvai Gorge - the "cradle of human civilization", in the Ngorongoro Crater and get acquainted with the culture and life of the Masai tribe.
