Physical Environment: Ziwa

DATE Africa > Ziwa > Physical Environment: Ziwa ←You are here

Physical Map of Ziwa

Ziwa is a relatively small country located in central Africa. It is a completely landlocked country that encompasses a portion of Lake Victoria, Lake Natron, and Lake Eyasi. The country’s terrain varies from significant a rift valley and lakes in East.  Arid desert lowlands and open savannah comprise a majority of the country.  Climates range from semiarid and in the west, warm desert and arid climate with increased humidity near Lake Victoria.  

Table of Physical Environment Data

Measure	Data	Remarks
Total Area (sq. miles)	43,116	Includes inland water
Land Area (sq. miles)	34,216	Excludes inland water
Inland Water (sq. miles)	8,900	Includes Lake Victoria
Inland Border (miles)	924	Amari (437), Kujunga (437)
Coastline (miles)	884	Lake Victoria (884)
Highest Elevation (ft.)	10,613	Jaeger Summit
Lowest Elevation (ft.)	1,913	Lake Natron
Arable (cultivated) Land (%)
Permanent Crops (%)
Permanent Pasture (%)
Irrigated Land (%)
Forested Land (%)
Urban Area (%)

Terrain

DATE Africa Terrain Regions

Most of Ziwa sits at the center of the East Africa's Western Plateau, which is mostly savanna extending south of Lake Victoria. The Eastern Highlands make up Ziwa's eastern border with Amari and is home to the Olduvai Gorge and Ngorogoro Crater, historical anthropological and wildlife sites. The border lakes, Eyasi and Natron, form the southern portion of East Africa's Eastern Rift Valley, extending northward through Amari and into Nyumba's Lake Turkana.

Border Disputes

Ziwa is on good terms with both Amari and Kujenga with respect to border agreements. However, the southern and western borders with Kujenga are extremely remote and rarely patrolled by either country.

Bodies of Water

Lake Victoria comprises the northwest corner of Ziwa which it shares with Amari and Kujenga. It is the largest tropical freshwater lake in the world. Over half a million Ziwans live on the lake's large islands. Lakes Eyasi and Natron, by contrast, are shallow salt-water lakes with extreme seasonal variance in water levels. No significant rivers flow through Ziwa. The Mbalangeti River flows from the Eastern Highlands into Lake Victoria's Speke Gulf, 100 km northeast of Mwanza. Even smaller rivers flow into Ziwa's two other gulfs on the southern shore Lake Victoria. Major wetlands and swamps characterize all of these river-lake boundary zones.

Mobility Classification

Since most of Ziwa sits on the fairly accessible Western Plateau, the main factor on mobility would be road quality rather than terrain for the majority of the country.

Movement in Ziwa is most restricted along the Eastern Rift Valley and Eastern Highlands. Steep escarpments separate the two Rift Valleys from their surrounding terrain; both valleys contain active volcanoes. Mountainous terrain and rough roads make it hard to transport troops and equipment overland. Rivers, streams, and wetlands also challenge mechanized and motorized movement in this region. Roads can become flooded during the rainy season, making them impassable. These rains also greatly affect visibility for reconnaissance and air operations. Foot movement is also limited in the Eastern Highlands by the negative effects of the high altitudes.

Natural Hazards

Both natural disasters and manmade hazards exist in Ziwa. Natural disasters include flooding, earthquakes, limited volcanic activity in the Rift Valleys, landslides, windstorms, and hailstorms. Frequent droughts can lead to famine. Violent thunderstorms with gusty winds are common on and around Lake Victoria. Water pollution is an issue, caused by urban waste, industrial waste, and contamination by pesticides and fertilizer. Dangerous wildlife include disease-carrying mosquitoes and tsetse flies, as well as more traditional threats from African big game animals.

Subterranean Environment

Negligible. Though Ziwa has many gold and gem mines, these are mostly open pits.

Vegetation

The Western Plateau is mostly open savanna and grassland. Ziwa's densest vegetation is along the southern shores and islands of Lake Victoria and in small deciduous forests in the Eastern Highlands.

Agriculture

Ziwan farmland is almost entirely irrigated by rainfall and cultivated by subsistence farmers. Crops on the Western Plateau are cassava and other root vegetables. A small but growing aquaculture industry is developing along the southern shore of Lake Victoria.

Livestock and Wildlife

To be published

Climate and Weather

To be published

Seasons

To be published

Precipitation

Monthly Average Rainfall (In)

Location	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mwanza	val1	val2	val3	val4	val5	val6	val7	val8	val9	val10	val11	val12
Shinyanga	val1	val2	val3	val4	val5	val6	val7	val8	val9	val10	val11	val12
Ngorongoro (Serengeti)	val1	val2	val3	val4	val5	val6	val7	val8	val9	val10	val11	val12

Temperature-Heat Index

Monthly Average High Temperature (F)

Location	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mwanza	val1	val2	val3	val4	val5	val6	val7	val8	val9	val10	val11	val12
Shinyanga	val1	val2	val3	val4	val5	val6	val7	val8	val9	val10	val11	val12
Ngorongoro (Serengeti)	val1	val2	val3	val4	val5	val6	val7	val8	val9	val10	val11	val12

Relative Humidity

Monthly Average Maximum Relative Humidity (%)

Location	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mwanza	val1	val2	val3	val4	val5	val6	val7	val8	val9	val10	val11	val12
Shinyanga	val1	val2	val3	val4	val5	val6	val7	val8	val9	val10	val11	val12
Ngorongoro (Serengeti)	val1	val2	val3	val4	val5	val6	val7	val8	val9	val10	val11	val12

Wind

Monthly Average Prevailing Wind Speed (Knots)

Location	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mwanza	val1	val2	val3	val4	val5	val6	val7	val8	val9	val10	val11	val12
Shinyanga	val1	val2	val3	val4	val5	val6	val7	val8	val9	val10	val11	val12
Ngorongoro (Serengeti)	val1	val2	val3	val4	val5	val6	val7	val8	val9	val10	val11	val12

Summary

To be published