Chagga

The Chagga (or Chaga) are the third largest ethnic group in Tanzania. They live on the northeastern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro around Mount Meru, and in the Moshi area.

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The Chagga population is estimated at about 2 million. They live under the rule of the Mangi, chiefs that govern small, clan-based states. The current Paramount chief (chief of all chiefs) is Mangi Marealle. The Chagga are known as cultivators and traders. They are also known for their adaptability. They were one of the first tribes in the area to become converted to Christianity. This may have given them an advantage over other ethnic groups, as they had access to education and health care as Christians.

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Many Chagga are wage earners in large cities and entrepreneurs in the tourist indursy. Chagga villages around Mount Kilimanjaro allocate a Shamba, a plot of land for each family. There are no streets of houses as in Europe. Walking around a Chagga village like Njaro is like walking though a farm of banana trees and coffee along dirt tracks. As farmers, the Chagga can grow five crops together on their shambas: coffee, bananas, yams, beans and tomatoes are common. The Chagga are also famous for a traditional brew known as mbege. It is made from a special variety of bananas and millet.

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A kihamba is a Chagga family plot of land, usually passed down from generation to generation.

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Tanzania: The United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania in Swahili), or Tanzania, is a country on the east coast of east Africa. It is bordered by Kenya and Uganda on the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique on the so...

Mount Meru: REDIRECT Mount Meru (mythology)...

Moshi: Moshi is a Tanzanian city with a population of 144,336 (2002 census). Many residents have banana groves (migombani) and coffee small-holdings (vihamba) on the fertile slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro....