Ngorongoro District: History and geography
The district's name has an onomatopoeic origin; it was named by Maasai pastoralists after the sound created by the cowbell ("enkorkor"). Various hominid species have occupied the area for 3 million years, according to fossil evidence discovered at the Olduvai Gorge. A few thousand years ago, early hunter-gatherers were displaced by pastoralists. The Mbulu pastoralists arrived in the area some 2,000 years ago and were joined by the Datooga in the year 1700. Both clans were forced out of the area by the Maasai in the 1800s, making the Masai the district's most recent settlers.
The NCA covers an area of 8,292 km2 in Ngorongoro District (59% of the district's total area). The NCA has 14 settlements divided into 6 wards, with a total population of around 42,000 people. On 1 July 1959, the NCA was established as a pioneering experiment in multiple land use, and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Ordnance No. 14 of 1959 went into effect. The Maasai, who had previously lived in what is now the Serengeti National Park (SENAPA), agreed to relocate to the newly constituted NCA at this time. Several years were spent prior to the establishment of the NCA negotiating the terms and conditions for the Maasai to move out of the Serengeti and into the NCA.
According to the British colonial government, the compensation would be paid in two installments, according to agreements with the colonial authority at the time. Phase I would see the construction of water sources (by dam, bore hole, or pipeline) in agreed-upon places. Phase II would see the establishment of veterinary centers in strategically selected locations, as well as the supply of veterinary medications. This pay was deemed appropriate by the Maasai leadership at the time since it ensured the health of their cattle, their principal economic asset and a focal element of their culture.
The compensation was never fully paid. Phase I saw the completion of 75% of the agreed-upon work. Phase II saw the completion of half of the agreed-upon work.
In general, the Ngorongoro District has a tropical savannah climate, especially in the Sale Division. The Ngorongoro District has an average rainfall of 800mm to 1,000mm and strong winds blowing from the East to the West. Large areas of the District of natural vegetation, the Acacia savannah, especially in the Central, Eastern and Western portions of the district. On the East and West side there is the Great Rift Valley and Mkubwa forests. The climate is more temperate and moorland in the Crater Highlands. The Southern part of the District is the Ngorongoro Conservation Area which occupies 59 percent of the district which is in one of the Ngorongoro Divisions.