Karatu District
Karatu District is one of the seven districts in the Arusha Region of Tanzania. It is bordered by the Ngorongoro District to the north, the Shinyanga Region to the west, the Monduli District to the east, and the Manyara Region to the south and southeast. Karatu district is home to the famous Hadza people. Also Karatu is known agriculturally as the onion capital of Tanzania. According to the 2002 Tanzania National Census, the population of the Karatu District was 178,434. By 2012, the population of the district was 230,166. Geography. Karatu district is located between three major natural  features in Arusha region. It is bordered to the east by Lake Manyara and to the south west the district is bordered by Lake Eyasi. In the north east the district is bordered by the Ngorongoro Crater rim. Northern Karatu district is very fertile due to the many streams and volcanic soil from the Ngorongoro highlands. The south west side of the district in the Eyasi basi is semi arid. Karatu district is the fourth largest district in Arusha region at 3,300 square kilometers, slightly larger than the island country of Samoa. Demographics. According to the census of 2012 the  population if the district is 256,838 with a population density of 73.4 people per square kilometer. The largest ethnic population in the district is the Iraqw people, followed by the Datooga and the Hadza people. Transport. Paved trunk road T17 from Arusha to the Ngorongoro National Park passes through the district. Administrative subdivisions. Wards. As of 2012, Karatu District is administratively divided into 14 wards: