Babati, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is a town in Babati Urban District of

Manyara Region Manyara Region (''Mkoa wa Manyara'' in Swahili language, Swahili) is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative Regions of Tanzania, regions. The regional capital is the town of Babati. According to the 2012 national census, the region had a population ...

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

. It is the administrative capital of Babati Urban District and Babati Rural District and also the administrative capital of Manyara Region. AFRICAN TRACTOR

Babati town has developed from a mere village since Babati District was established in 1985. The new status boosted the town into rapid growth. The town is located at an altitude of near the end of

Tarangire National Park Tarangire National Park is a national park in Tanzania's Manyara Region. The name of the park originates from the Tarangire River that crosses the park. The Tarangire River is the primary source of fresh water for wild animals in the Tarangire ...

and the base of Lake Babati, nestling under Mount Kwaraha.

History

The story is told that the town's name resulted from misunderstanding a Gorowa boy by a German roadwork supervisor. The boy did not understand the question about the location's name asked by the German. He pointed at an older man and said "Baba ti", meaning in his language "this is my father". The German noted down the name "Babati" as he thought this was the township's name. It is claimed in the book ''Tanganyikan Guerilla: East African Campaign 1914-1918,'' that Napoleon's son, then a colonel in the British Cavalry, died and was interred in Babati.

Transport

The trans-African automobile route — the Cairo-Cape Town Highway passes through Babati.

References

{{Authority control Babati District Populated places in Manyara Region Regional capitals in Tanzania

History

Transport

See also

References