Region · Tanzania
# Songwe Region

Songwe Region is a region of Tanzania. It had an estimated 1,203,926 people in 2020 on 21,720 km² (about 55 per km²). Its main town is Vwawa. It is divided into 5 districts. 199 named villages and localities are recorded here, and 601 mapped services such as hospitals, banks and schools.
- 1,203,926 people (2020)
- 21,720 km²
- 5 districts
- 601 mapped services

## How many people live in Songwe Region?

Songwe Region had an estimated 1,203,926 people in 2020 — 2.1% of Tanzania, 22nd of 31 regions. There are 1,043 women for every 1,000 men (above the Tanzania figure of 1,003). Spread over 21,720 km², that is about 55 people per km², 21st of 31 regions.

44.8% of people are children under 15 and 2.9% are 65 or older; the median age is about 17 years (it is 18 across Tanzania). For every 100 people of working age (15–64) there are 91 children and older people.
- 0–4 200,985
- 5–9 179,116
- 10–14 159,499
- 15–19 133,593
- 20–24 109,426
- 25–29 93,433
- 30–34 76,641
- 35–39 64,431
- 40–44 50,051
- 45–49 40,550
- 50–54 25,057
- 55–59 20,627
- 60–64 16,097
- 65–69 14,069
- 70–74 9,210
- 75–79 6,635
- 80+ 4,506

Source: UNFPA via OCHA HDX, population 2020 (COD-PS, CC BY-IGO).

## Where is Songwe Region?

Songwe Region lies in Tanzania. It borders 4 other regions: Katavi Region, Mbeya Region, Rukwa Region and Tabora Region. By area it is the 18th largest of 31 regions in Tanzania. It covers 2.5% of Tanzania. The centre of Songwe Region is about 394 km in a straight line from Dodoma, the capital. The centre point is at 8.2748° S, 32.8607° E.

Source: Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics / UN OCHA ROSA via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO).

## Things to see in and around Songwe Region

OpenStreetMap lists 4 named sights in Songwe Region: 2 attractions; 1 viewpoint; 1 nature reserve.
- Lukwati & Piti Game Reserve · nature reserve
- Karubi Mountain · viewpoint
- GEOFREY GARDENS · attraction
- Mbozi Meteorit · attraction

Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements.

Named attractions, museums, viewpoints, historic sites and natural features mapped in OpenStreetMap. Places of worship are not listed.

## Know before you go: Songwe Region
- Time zone UTC+3, no daylight saving · Africa/Dar_es_Salaam
- Currency Shilling (TZS)
- Country calling code +255
- Languages Swahili, English, Arabic
- Plug types Type G · 230 V
- Driving side Left
- Postcode format 5 digits (#####)

### Nearest airports
- Songwe Airport (MBI) · Mbeya 85 km

### Daylight

Days are longest in Dec (about 12.6 hours, sunrise around 06:25) and shortest in Jun (about 11.6 hours, sunrise around 06:59, sunset around 18:37).
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
| Jan | 06:40 | 19:13 | 12.6 h |
| Feb | 06:51 | 19:13 | 12.4 h |
| Mar | 06:53 | 19:02 | 12.2 h |
| Apr | 06:50 | 18:46 | 11.9 h |
| May | 06:52 | 18:36 | 11.7 h |
| Jun | 06:59 | 18:37 | 11.6 h |
| Jul | 07:03 | 18:44 | 11.7 h |
| Aug | 06:58 | 18:48 | 11.8 h |
| Sep | 06:42 | 18:45 | 12.0 h |
| Oct | 06:25 | 18:42 | 12.3 h |
| Nov | 06:18 | 18:47 | 12.5 h |
| Dec | 06:25 | 19:01 | 12.6 h |

Source: GeoNames country and time-zone files (CC BY 4.0); Wikidata (CC0) — plug types, mains voltage, driving side; retrieved 2026-11-03; OurAirports (public domain).

Airports with scheduled passenger flights; straight-line distances. Daylight is calculated for the 15th of each month in local standard time. Check entry and visa rules with official government sources before travelling.

## Districts of Songwe Region
| District | Area km² | Wards | Services |
| Ileje District | 1,882 | 18 | 101 |
| Mbozi District | 3,860 | 18 | 264 |
| Momba District | 4,712 | 13 | 118 |
| Songwe District | 11,171 | 14 | 67 |
| Tunduma District | 88 | 1 | 51 |

Source: Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics / UN OCHA ROSA via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO); GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features; Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

## Largest towns in Songwe Region
- Tunduma 219,309
- Vwawa 85,000
- Mlowo 40,000
- Itumba 13,438

Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features.

Populations as recorded in GeoNames, which may be older than the estimates above.

## Landscape and landmarks of Songwe Region

Named natural and historic features inside Songwe Region, from the GeoNames gazetteer.

### Water

57 rivers and streams.
- Chipoka
- Chiwanda
- Isenga
- Itela
- Itete River
- Itumba
- Izu
- Kalongwe
- Kalungu
- Kasinde
- Katende
- Kawandi
- Khonto
- Kipaka
- Kipanda
- Kisaruko
- Luswiswi
- Luwanda
- Mafumbo
- Mangwa
- Mbarwa
- Mbowu
- Mfafia
- Mkana

…and 33 more.

### Hills and mountains

72 hills; 1 mountain.
- Kasenge · 2,183 m
- Iyondo Mountain · 1,971 m
- Wuma · 1,892 m
- Ileje Mountain · 1,802 m
- Ntazu · 1,752 m
- Mganga · 1,710 m
- Nantumbi · 1,695 m
- Chikola · 1,688 m
- Sahala West · 1,668 m
- Kipanga · 1,648 m
- Mbelesani · 1,646 m
- Shangwa · 1,640 m
- Musensi · 1,635 m
- Chipande Hill · 1,616 m
- Litumbi · 1,604 m
- Kiwinga · 1,599 m
- Toto · 1,588 m
- Isonge · 1,580 m
- Temania · 1,569 m
- Mwenefulu · 1,568 m
- Kalakawa · 1,566 m
- Nsangira · 1,564 m
- Haseketwa · 1,552 m
- Kope · 1,547 m

…and 49 more.

### Forests and nature

9 forest reserves.
- Chumwa Range Forest Reserve
- Fonera Local Authority Forest Reserve
- Isalala Forest Reserve
- Ivuna Forest Reserve
- Ivuna South Forest Reserve
- Iyondo Forest Reserve
- Longisonti Local Authority Forest Reserve
- Muswima Forest Reserve
- Ntazu Local Authority Forest Reserve

Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features.

Places of worship are not listed. Elevations are from the GeoNames terrain model and are approximate.

## Weather in Songwe Region and the best time to visit

In Songwe Region, the warmest month is Oct (average 26 °C) and the coolest is Jul (20 °C). About 1,081 mm of rain falls in a year; the wettest month is Dec (251 mm) and the driest Aug (1 mm). The most comfortable months for a visit are April to November.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
| Month | Average °C | Rain mm |
| Jan | 22 | 215 |
| Feb | 22 | 178 |
| Mar | 22 | 183 |
| Apr | 22 | 104 |
| May | 21 | 16 |
| Jun | 20 | 4 |
| Jul | 20 | 2 |
| Aug | 21 | 1 |
| Sep | 24 | 2 |
| Oct | 26 | 22 |
| Nov | 25 | 105 |
| Dec | 23 | 251 |

Source: NASA POWER climatology, retrieved 2026-10-29.

## Hospitals, banks and other services in Songwe Region

Places mapped inside Songwe Region in open map data, by type — each number opens the full list with locations.
- Hospitals 14
- Banks 8
- Petrol pumps 5
- Hotels 27
- Schools 538
- Colleges and universities 3
- Pharmacies 3
- Restaurants 3

Source: Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Coverage depends on what has been mapped; contact details are not shown.

## Quick answers
- Where is Songwe Region? In Tanzania
- What is the population of Songwe Region? 1,203,926 (2020 estimate)
- What is the median age in Songwe Region? About 17 years (2020 estimate)
- What is the population density of Songwe Region? About 55 people per km²
- What borders Songwe Region? Katavi Region, Mbeya Region, Rukwa Region and Tabora Region
- What is there to see in Songwe Region? GEOFREY GARDENS, Karubi Mountain, Lukwati & Piti Game Reserve, Mbozi Meteorit
- What time zone is Songwe Region in? UTC+3
- What currency is used in Songwe Region? Shilling (TZS)
- What language is spoken in Songwe Region? Swahili, English, Arabic (main languages nationally)
- What is the largest town in Songwe Region? Tunduma
- What is the highest point in Songwe Region? Kasenge (2,183 m, GeoNames elevation model)
- What is the best time to visit Songwe Region? April to November
- How many hospitals are in Songwe Region? 14 mapped
- How many banks are in Songwe Region? 8 mapped
- How many petrol pumps are in Songwe Region? 5 mapped
- What is the P-code of Songwe Region? TZ26 (OCHA common operational dataset)

At a glance
- Type: Region
- Area: 21,719.9 km²
- P-code: TZ26
- Main town: Vwawa

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Canonical: https://wherepedia.org/tanzania/songwe/ · Updated 2026-11-03 · Data: national censuses and statistics offices (sources named in each section); © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); Overture Maps; GeoNames; NASA POWER.