Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
300
0
300
600
Kilometres
N
Note:
Rainfall upper limit of 900mm per annum, equivalent to the FAO
agroclimatological classii cation of semi-arid regions; growing period 75-119 days. (Seasons
are dei ned on the basis of climatic l uctuations in Tanzania and take into account the long
rains and short rains.)
Source:
Quinn (2005).
Figure 9.2
The extent of semi-arid regions in Tanzania based on a
restricted dei nition
i nds in Kenya and especially Tanzania suggest that modern humans
originated in this region (Leakey, 1972). However, it is not a simple task to
decipher the origins and history of current ethnic groups in Tanzania. This
is because membership of and division into tribes was not and had never
been as clear-cut as often believed. Society in East Africa was pluralist
(Shorter, 1974), meaning that society was made up of heterogeneous and
often fragmented groups of people, rel ecting the heterogeneous nature
of the environment. However, this did not mean that there were static
