**3. Study area**

The Republic of Tanzania is located south of the equator at 6°000 S 35°000 E bordering the Indian Ocean and eight eastern and southern African countries. The country is bordered on the south by Mozambique, Malawi, and Zambia; on the west by Zaire, Burundi, and Rwanda; on the north by Uganda and Kenya; and on the east by

**Figure 1.**

*Study area relative location.*

*Spatial Analysis of Climate Driver Impacts on Sub-Saharan African Migration Patterns… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106067*

the Indian Ocean (**Figure 1**). The country's total area is 947,300 km<sup>2</sup> , with 885,800 km2 covered by land surface, and 61,500 km<sup>2</sup> of water.

According to the Tanzania Bureau of Statistics [44], the country has a total population of 45 million with a population density of 51 persons/km<sup>2</sup> . Tanzania has 30 geographic regions, 25 on the mainland and 5 islands (**Figure 2**). Administratively, the country is divided into regions, districts, wards, and villages.

Agriculture remains the economy's largest sector. According to The World Bank's economic outlook [45], the agricultural sector contributes almost one quarter of

**Figure 2.** *Tanzanian administrative regions.*

Tanzania's overall gross domestic product (GDP), accounting for 85% of country's exports, and employing about 80% of the work force. The majority of the country has a tropical climate with variations across regions. Except for the eastern coastal strip, most of the country is highland or a central plateau approximately 900–1800 m above sea level, with mountain ranges including Mount Kilimanjaro at 5895 m [26].

Tanzania's regions exhibit topographic and seasonal variations in temperature. Accordingly, highland temperatures vary between 10 and 20°C during cold and hot seasons respectively. In the other parts of the country, temperatures rarely fall below 20°C. November through February is the hottest period, ranging between 25 and 31°C, whereas the coldest period occurs between May and August with temperature ranges of 15–20°C [13].

Seasonal Tanzanian rainfall is heavily influenced by Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) migrations. The ITCZ moves southwards through Tanzania from October to December, reaching the south of the country in January and February, and returning northwards in March, April, and May. This migration brings northern and eastern Tanzania two diverse wet periods with short rains in October to December, and long rains in March to May. Conversely, the southern, western, and central parts of the country experience only one wet season that extends from October through to April or May. Seasonal rainfall varies regionally between 50 and 200 mm per month, with some regions receiving up to 300 mm per month in the wettest season [26].
