[1] The main portion of the Uluguru mountains is a ridge running roughly north-south and rising to 2,630 metres (8,600 ft) altitude at its highest point.

Climatically, the Uluguru mountains capture moisture passing inland from the Indian Ocean making the east facing slopes especially wet, with rainfall estimated at over 3,000 millimetres (120 in) per annum, and some rain falling in every month.

Most of the neighboring population, around 3 million people, and the major industries in Tanzania rely on this water supply for their continued survival.

[4] The loss of the Uluguru forests and any reduction in the water supply potential of the mountains could therefore have a drastic impact on the human well-being and industrial capacity of Tanzania.

Endemic species include African violets, Impatiens and Begonias which are popular pot-plants in the rest of the world.