[2]: page 2  For 2002-2012, the region's 1.2 percent average annual population growth rate was the 26th highest in the country.

[2]: page 4  It was also the fourteenth most densely populated region with 76 people per square kilometer.

The second-largest group in terms of the territory is the Makua people, who are native to Nanyumbu and Masasi Districts.

[3] Since 1988, the region has been facing mass migration as younger people seek economic opportunities in Dar es Salaam creating a vibrant Makonde community in Temeke District of Dar es Dalaam especially in Mbagala, which is named after the Mbagala River located in Mtwara Region.

Mikindani is recognized as a significant Swahili trading port, playing an essential role in maritime commerce along the East African coast.

Its historical importance is linked to the broader context of trade and cultural exchange that characterized the Swahili coast.

[4] In 1948, the British Government formulated the "Tanganyika groundnut scheme" through the Overseas Food Corporation (OFC).

However, inadequate research and adverse environmental conditions due to poor planning resulted in the complete and disastrous failure of the scheme.

In comparison, Mtwara is slightly smaller than the African nation of Eswatini at 17,230 square kilometers.

The first zone is the coastal sedimentary deposit, which stretches 31-125 kilometers from the Indian Ocean to the tip of Newala's Makonde Plateau.

Deep, well-drained, sandy soils with poor fertility and moisture holding capacity are produced in this zone.

The western part, which is beyond the Makonde Plateau, flows to the south via the Ruvuma River's tributaries.

Agribusiness employs over 92 percent of the population, in addition to other rural activities such as fishing, beekeeping, and small-scale manufacturing.

Cassava, millet, and sorghum are all important food crops, with maize only recently gaining popularity.

Because livestock rearing is not a common practice among the people of the region, its economic contribution is negligible.

The cashew nut crop, which accounts for about 25% of the region's GDP, is one of Mtwara's significant contributors.

Tanzanian cashew nut production is mostly for export and predictably, only a small portion of the yield is consumed.