Machame

Machame lies on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, where the great mountain rises above the dry plains of East Africa. Streams descend through deep valleys, watering the cultivated belt below the forest. The Chagga communities of the mountain established numerous small chiefdoms, while people speaking Ongamo and other languages also inhabited its slopes. Bananas and grain grew alongside the livestock kept by households in this varied upland environment.