Mara Region is one of the 31 administrative Region in Tanzania. The capital of the region is Musoma municipality. According to the 2012 national census, the area had a population of 1,743,830, which is lower than the pre-census forecast of 1,963,460. In 2002-2012, the region’s average annual population growth rate of 2.5 percent was the thirteenth highest in the country. It was also the 12th most densely populated region with a population of 80 people per square kilometer.
The neighboring Region are Mwanza Region, Simeu Region (to the south), Arusha Region (to the southeast) and Kagera Region (across Lake Victoria). The Mara region borders Kenya’s Narok County and Megure County (to the northeast). The Mara Region is home to the first president of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere. The Mara region was also the birthplace of Benga music.
