Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Ukerewe Island

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Location
  
Lake Victoria

Population
  
150,000

Largest settlement
  
Nansio

Area
  
530 km²

Ukerewe Island wwwtanzaniatourismcomimagesfeaturedukewereis

Pop. density
  
283.02 /km (733.02 /sq mi)

Albinos look for safety on tanzania s ukerewe island


Ukerewe is the largest island in Lake Victoria and the largest inland island in Africa, with an area of approximately 530 km². Ukerewe Island is situated in the Ukerewe District of Tanzania, 45 km (25 nautical miles / 3½ hours) north of Mwanza to which it is linked by ferry, but a shorter vehicle ferry crossing of only 3.8 km also links the island across the Rugezi Channel to a dirt road on the eastern lake shore, which runs to Kibara and Musoma. The shoreline of Ukerewe Island is carved into numerous bays and it is surrounded by at least a dozen smaller islands. Its largest community is Nansio.

Contents

Map of Ukerewe Island, Tanzania

Ukerewe is known for having a large population of Africans with albinism. Many of the first of them to live there were taken to and abandoned on the island by their families as children. Despite comprising an exceptionally high percentage of the island's population, they are still, as throughout Tanzania, an oppressed minority although on Ukerewe safer than elsewhere in Africa.

References

Ukerewe Island Wikipedia