Iringa

The town stretches along a hilltop overlooking the Little Ruaha River to the south, and spreads along ridges and valleys to the north. Iringa is in the Udzungwa Mountains, and the altitude of the town's environs is more than {{convert|1550|m|ft}} above sea level. The months of June, July, and August can see low temperatures near freezing. The Tanzam Highway passes through the valley below the town; the highway distance from Iringa's limits to Dar es Salaam is {{convert|502|km|mi|sp=us}}, via Morogoro.

Iringa has a fairly dry climate with mild-to-warm temperatures year round. Iringa has a wet season from December to April, and a nearly rainless period from June to September. Its climate is classified by Köppen as a hot semi-arid climate (BSh).

{{Weather box

|location = Iringa (1991–2020)

|single line = Yes

|metric first = Yes

|Jan high C = 26.7

|Feb high C = 26.9

|Mar high C = 27.0

|Apr high C = 26.4

|May high C = 26.2

|Jun high C = 25.4

|Jul high C = 24.7

|Aug high C = 25.7

|Sep high C = 27.5

|Oct high C = 28.8

|Nov high C = 29.4

|Dec high C = 28.0

|year high C = 26.9

|Jan low C = 16.7

|Feb low C = 16.2

|Mar low C = 15.9

|Apr low C = 15.7

|May low C = 14.6

|Jun low C = 13.0

|Jul low C = 12.4

|Aug low C = 12.6

|Sep low C = 13.5

|Oct low C = 15.0

|Nov low C = 16.2

|Dec low C = 16.6

|year low C = 14.9

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm = 147.3

|Feb rain mm = 130.2

|Mar rain mm = 128.0

|Apr rain mm = 57.7

|May rain mm = 13.1

|Jun rain mm = 0.5

|Jul rain mm = 0.0

|Aug rain mm = 0.0

|Sep rain mm = 0.6

|Oct rain mm = 4.8

|Nov rain mm = 28.0

|Dec rain mm = 121.8

|year rain mm = 632.0

| unit rain days = 1.0 mm

| Jan rain days = 13.3

| Feb rain days = 10.9

| Mar rain days = 11.7

| Apr rain days = 7.5

| May rain days = 2.0

| Jun rain days = 0.1

| Jul rain days = 0.0

| Aug rain days = 0.0

| Sep rain days = 0.1

| Oct rain days = 0.5

| Nov rain days = 2.8

| Dec rain days = 10.4

| year rain days = 59.3

|source = NOAA{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230916044549/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Tanzania/CSV/IRINGA_63887.csv

| archive-date = 16 September 2023

| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Tanzania/CSV/IRINGA_63887.csv

| title = Iringa Climate Normals 1991–2020

| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = 16 September 2023}}

|date=November 2011

}}

The Isimila Stone Age site, which lies about {{convert|20|km|mi|abbr=on}} to the southwest, contains archeological artifacts, particularly stone tools, from human habitation about 70,000 years ago.{{Cite journal|last=Howell|first=F. Clark|date=1961|title=Isimila: A Paleolithic Site in Africa|journal=Scientific American|volume=205|issue=4|pages=118–131|issn=0036-8733|jstor=24937108|doi=10.1038/scientificamerican1061-118|bibcode=1961SciAm.205d.118H}}

Iringa Region is home to the Hehe people. After their defeat at Lugalo by the Hehe, led by Chief Mkwawa, the Germans built a military station at 'Neu Iringa' to avenge the death of their commander Emil von Zelewski and to teach the Hehe respect for German authority. The fortress and headquarters of Chief Mkwawa was in the nearby village of Kalenga, Alt Iringa.

File:University of Iringa Library.jpg]]

Iringa has several institutions of higher education, including Tumaini University, Iringa University College, Mkwawa University College of Education (a constituent college of the University of Dar es Salaam), and Ruaha Catholic University (RUCU)). There are also secondary schools like Tosamaganga high school, Malangali high school, Iringa girls' secondary school, Ifunda technical school and Ruaha Secondary School.

file:Main road, Iringa.jpg

The trans-African automobile route — the Cairo-Cape Town Highway passes through Iringa. Iringa has a well-established industrial base, including food processing and logistics industries. Most of its electricity comes from the nearby Mtera Dam. Iringa is a minor transport hub for regular bus travelers. It is a center for trucking services to Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, Songea, and Dodoma and other regions of Tanzania. It is also a servicing town for trucks going to neighboring countries such as Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Burundi and other EAC countries.

Iringa is known for its woven baskets, made from local reeds. The baskets are used across Tanzania and exported internationally.{{Cite web|url=http://csditz.org/index.php?pg=nws|title=CSDI TANZANIA|website=csditz.org|access-date=2019-10-29}} The city is also known for the award-winning [http://www.neemacrafts.com Neema Crafts Centre.]

File:Iringa Cemetery.jpg

{{unreferenced section|date=May 2013}}

Iringa municipality has seven FM radio stations: Trap Gang Radio, Ebony FM, Shamba FM Radio, Nuru FM (youth entertainment and commercial radios), Overcomers Radio and Radio Furaha (Christian stations), Kibra Ten Radio (a Muslim station). There are other radio stations elsewhere in Iringa region, such as Kitulo community radio in Makete and another FM radio station in Njombe.{{Cite web|url=https://tcra.go.tz/index.php/licensing/licensed-operators/2-tcra/46-radio|title=Radio|website=tcra.go.tz|access-date=2019-10-29}}

Iringa has one TV station: Municipal Television, a multi-age TV station with diversified programmes.{{Cite web|url=http://tanzania.misa.org/media-directory/|title=Media directory|last=Tanzania|first=MISA|website=MISA Tanzania|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-29}}

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{{wikivoyage|Iringa}}

{{Coord|7.77|S|35.69|E|display=title}}

{{Cities in Tanzania}}

{{Districts of Iringa}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Populated places in Iringa Region

Category:Regional capitals in Tanzania