The Ngorongoro Crater

A large volcanic caldera within the Crater Highlands of Tanzania, the Ngorongoro Crater formed when a massive volcano exploded and collapsed about two to three million years ago. The largest natural feature in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, this crater is 2,000 feet deep and covers 100 square miles. It’s thought of as a ‘natural enclosure’ for a wide variety of wildlife including wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, rhinoceros, lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo. An estimated 25,000 animals live within it. One side receives heavy rainfall throughout the year and is covered in trees, while the west wall is grassland and bushland. The variety of animals present makes the Ngorongoro Crater a very popular tourist site. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is a conservation area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated 180 km (112 miles) west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. The conservation area is administered by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, an arm of the Tanzanian government, and its boundaries follow the boundary of the Ngorongoro Division of Ngorongoro District.