Serengeti

An umbrella thorn silhouetted by the setting sun near Seronera Camp.
Map of Tanzania showing the country's national parks, including the Serengeti National Park.

The Serengeti (/ˌsɛrənˈɡɛti/ SERR-ən-GHET-ee) ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning the Mara and Arusha Regions of Tanzania.[1] The protected area within the region includes approximately 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi) of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game reserves.[2] The Serengeti hosts the world's most massive[3] land animal migration (in terms of total body weight), which helps secure it as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa.[4]

The Serengeti is also renowned for its large lion population and is one of the best places to observe prides in their natural environment.[5] Approximately 70 large mammal and 500 bird species are found there. This high diversity is a function of diverse habitats, including riverine forests, swamps, kopjes, grasslands, and woodlands. Blue wildebeest, gazelles, zebras, and buffalos are some of the commonly found large mammals in the region. [6]

The Serengeti also contains the Serengeti District of Tanzania.

The name "Serengeti" is often said to be derived from the word "seringit" in the Maasai language, Maa, meaning "endless plains".[1][7][dubiousdiscuss] However, this etymology does not appear in Maa dictionaries.[8][9]

  1. ^ a b Zimmermann, Kim Ann (23 June 2017). "The Serengeti: Plain Facts about National Park & Animals". Live Science.
  2. ^ Schmaltz, Jeff (9 January 2006). "Serengeti". NASA: Visible Earth.
  3. ^ "14 of the Greatest Animal Migrations".
  4. ^ Sharaf, Yasir (4 June 2017). "The Serengeti Migration | Seven Natural Wonders of Africa". XPATS International. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  5. ^ Nolting, Mark (2012). Africa's Top Wildlife Countries. Global Travel Publishers Inc. p. 356. ISBN 978-0939895151.
  6. ^ "serengeti". rutastanzania.viajes - ES (in European Spanish).
  7. ^ Briggs, Phillip (2006), Northern Tanzania: The Bradt Safari Guide with Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar, Bradt Travel Guides, p. 198, ISBN 978-1-84162-146-3
  8. ^ Richmond, Charles (1940). "Maasai Dictionary". Archives & Reprint Series (Imprint).
  9. ^ Payne, Doris L.; Ole-Kotikash, Leonard (eds.). "Maa (Maasai) Dictionary".