Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam, also called Daresalaam, is the largest city and main financial center of Tanzania. It is on the Swahili coast and has over 7 million people. This makes it the biggest city in East Africa and the fifth-largest in all of Africa. Experts think the city will grow to more than 10 million people before the year 2030.

The city started in the middle of the 19th century. It became important for trade and government when Germany ruled the area. Later, it was the main city for Tanganyika and then for Tanzania. In 1974, leaders decided to move the capital to Dodoma. This move was finished in 1996.

Today, Dar es Salaam is a busy place for arts, fashion, movies, and money. It is divided into five parts, or districts: Kinondoni, Ilala, Ubungo, Temeke, and Kigamboni. The city remains a key spot for business and culture in East Africa.

History

Further information: History of Zanzibar

In the 1800s, a small fishing village called Mzizima was near important trade routes along the Indian Ocean. In about 1865, Sultan Majid bin Said of Zanzibar started building a new city close to Mzizima, naming it Dar es Salaam, which means "abode of peace." After the sultan died, the city declined but grew again in 1887 when German traders came. The Germans helped Dar es Salaam become an important place for trade and government.

During World War I, British forces took control of the area from Germany. Later, after Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania) became independent, Dar es Salaam became its capital. Although plans were made to move the capital to Dodoma in the 1970s, many government offices remained in Dar es Salaam. By the 2000s, the city grew quickly with new buildings, businesses, and a busy port serving nearby countries.

Many old buildings from when Germans and British ruled the area still stand today, including the Old Boma, the National Museum, and several churches and hospitals.

Geography

Dar es Salaam is found at 6°48' S, 39°17' E, sitting on a natural harbor along the coast of East Africa. Some parts of the city have sandy beaches.

The Dar es Salaam Region has five main districts. Four of these districts are led by city councils linked to the city's neighborhoods.

Districts of Dar es Salaam region

Further information: Regions of Tanzania and Districts of Tanzania

Kinondoni

Kinondoni is the most crowded district, holding about half of the city's people. It includes many wealthy neighborhoods.

• Masaki, Oyster Bay and Ada Estate are rich areas along the central beach. These areas now house diplomats and people living temporary. Oyster Bay Beach, also called Coco Beach, is the only white sandy beach east of Kinondoni.
• Mikocheni and Regent Estate are also neighborhoods in this district. These are areas for both wealthy and middle-income families.
• Msasani is a peninsula north-east of the city center, where many people from the United Kingdom and other western countries live. It has both old shops and modern resorts.
• Mbezi Beach is a beach area with tourist hotels, homes, and a place for kite-surfing.
• Sinza, Kijitonyama, Magomeni, Kinondoni and Mwenge are more mixed neighborhoods west of the city's main business area.

Ilala

Ilala holds most government offices and ministries, and it is the city's transport center. Julius Nyerere International Airport, the Central Railway Station and Tazara Railway Station are all here. Homes here are mostly for middle- to high-income families.

• Upanga and Kisutu have many people from India and Arabia. These areas have old houses built in many different styles.
• Kariakoo is the main shopping area, with markets selling all kinds of goods. Kariakoo Market has the city's only underground section and is where most food for the city comes from.
• Tabata, Segerea and Ukonga lie further west from the city center.
• Ilala, close to the city center, is noted for the Askari Monument.

Temeke

Temeke is where most of the city's factories are located, both big and small. To the east is the Port of Dar es Salaam, the country's biggest port. Temeke has many people with lower incomes due to the industries. It is also where many military and police officers, and port workers live.

• Kurasini, near the harbor, has the Dar es Salaam Port, a police college, and trade fair grounds. People who work for the police or at the port live here.

• Chang'ombe is one of the richer areas in Temeke. It has schools, a big sports stadium, and another stadium called Uhuru Stadium.

• Temeke, Mtoni, Tandika, Kijichi, and Mbagala are neighborhoods for middle to lower-income families, with Mbagala being the largest.

Ubungo

Ubungo is a key transport point for the city. The narrow-gauge train runs from here to the city center.

This area has many chances for growth, with factories, a big bus station, and schools such as the National Institute of Transport.

Kigamboni

Kigamboni, also called South Beach, is a beach area on a peninsula. People there have different jobs and ways to live. Most travel to Kigamboni by ferry, but the Kigamboni Bridge is another way.

Climate

Dar es Salaam has a hot and humid climate most of the year because it is close to the equator and the warm Indian Ocean. It has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen: Aw/As).

The city gets about 1,150 millimeters or 45 inches of rain each year, with two wet seasons: the "long rains" in April and May, and the "short rains" in November and December.

Climate change

Research suggests that by 2050, Dar es Salaam's weather may feel like the current climate of Barquisimeto in Venezuela. Temperatures could rise, and the city is expected to face serious problems from sea level rise in the future.

Government

Dar es Salaam has had a city government for many years. In 1949, it became a municipality with town councillors who chose a mayor. Until 1996, the city was managed by the Dar es Salaam City Council, which made important decisions. As of 2017, Paul Makonda serves as the commissioner of Dar es Salaam Region.

See also: List of mayors of Dar es Salaam

Demographics

Dar es Salaam is the biggest city in Tanzania and the fifth biggest in Africa. In 2020, about 8 million people lived there. Most people in Dar es Salaam are Muslim.

Most of the city's people live in informal settlements. In 2018, Dar es Salaam scored 0.699 on the Human Development Index (HDI). This score has gotten better each year since 1992. The city ranked higher than any other area in the country except one.

The city is growing fast and might have as many as 15.9 million people by 2030. Long ago, the city was much smaller, with only 20,000 people in 1900, 93,000 in 1957 and 273,000 in 1967.

Economy and infrastructure

Dar es Salaam is the most important city in Tanzania for business and government. It has many shops, offices, and factories, even though most people in the country live in the countryside. Many small businesses are run by families from the Middle East and India.

The main business area of Dar es Salaam is the largest in Tanzania and includes the areas of Kisutu, Kivukoni, Upanga, and Kariakoo. The downtown part is in the Ilala district. Kivukoni has important buildings like the Tanzania Central Bank, the Bank of Tanzania, the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, and a big fish market. Kisutu has the main train station and some tall buildings.

Dar es Salaam is growing quickly with new buildings going up. One tall building there is the PSPF Twin Towers. The city sometimes has problems with old roads and power cuts.

Financial services

The Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) is the first stock market in Tanzania. The Natural Gas Revenue Fund also has its main office here.

Retail

Dar es Salaam has many big shopping places like the Mlimani City shopping mall, City Mall in Kisutu, Quality Center Mall, GSM Pugu Shopping Mall, GSM Msasani Mall, and Dar Free Market Mall.

Transportation

Dar es Salaam has many ways to get around. The city has special minibus taxis called dala dala. Many people use motorcycle services called "bodaboda" to move faster through traffic.

The city has a busy port on the Indian Ocean. Ferries, like the MV Kigamboni, help people travel across the city. Dar es Salaam has railway services, including local trains and a line that goes west to Kigoma. There is also an international railway station for the TAZARA line to Zambia.

The main airport is Julius Nyerere International Airport, with three terminals for travelers.

Port activities at Port of Dar es Salaam

The MV Kigamboni ferries run between southeast Kivukoni to northwest Kigamboni.

TAZARA Dar es Salaam Station

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SGR station (blue), as well as the old station, and the new SGR channel

Culture

See also: Culture of Tanzania

Art

The Tingatinga painting style began in Dar es Salaam. The Nyumba ya sanaa ("House of Art") is a special place for Tanzanian art. It shows and sells local crafts and has works by famous sculptor George Lilanga.

Music

Dar es Salaam has many kinds of music. Live dance music (muziki wa dansi) has been popular for a long time. Taarab music from Zanzibar is also enjoyed. The most popular music today is "Bongo Flava", which mixes hip hop and rhythm and blues. Traditional tribal music is still performed at family events.

Tourism

Dar es Salaam has two important museums: the National Museum and the Makumbusho Cultural Centre & Village Museum. The National Museum shows history, including special bones found by scientist Louis Leakey at Olduvai. The Makumbusho Museum shows traditional huts from different Tanzanian groups, along with farming tools and music and dance shows. There are also beautiful botanical gardens nearby with tropical plants.

The city has lovely beaches on the Msasani peninsula and in Kigamboni. You can take a boat to Bongoyo Island from the Msasani Slipway.

Places of worship

Dar es Salaam has many places where people can worship, including churches and mosques. Most people in the city practice Islam. Some well-known mosques are the Mohammed VI mosque, Masjid Mamuur Mosque, Qiblatein Mosque, Ngazija Mosque, and Manyema Mosque. The city also has churches from different Christian groups, such as the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, Anglican Church of Tanzania, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, Baptist Convention of Tanzania, Ilala Seventh Day Adventist Church, and Assemblies of God. There are also a few Hindu temples.

Sports

Dar es Salaam is a big city for sports in Tanzania. It has the second-largest stadium in East and Central Africa, the National Stadium, which can hold many people.

The city is home to famous football clubs like Young Africans and Simba, who play at the National Stadium. There are also other stadiums such as Uhuru Stadium, Karume Memorial Stadium, and Chamazi Stadium.

People in Dar es Salaam enjoy golf, with courses in different parts of the city. Boxing is also popular, with many events each year. One famous boxer from the city is Francis Checka.

Media

Newspapers

In Dar es Salaam, you can see people selling newspapers at busy street corners. Some popular English newspapers like The Citizen and The Guardian have online versions. There are also Swahili newspapers such as Tanzania Daima and Mwananchi. The Business Times is a newspaper about money and business news. It started in 1988 and was the first private newspaper in Tanzania. It also publishes a Swahili newspaper called Majira.

Television stations

Dar es Salaam has several TV stations including ITV, Sibuka, Channel Ten Television Station (which used to be called Dar es Salaam Television), and Azam TV. Azam TV is a paid service from the Azam group. Ayo TV is located in Ubungo, and the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation is also based there.

Internet access

In 2009, a big underwater cable was installed, which should make the Internet easier to get in Dar es Salaam and all of East Africa. But it is still not easy for everyone to connect. There are Internet cafés in the city centre, and you can find free Wi‑Fi in some government buildings and on public transport. Mobile Internet using 4G is still costly, but 5G is starting to appear in big cities.

Radio

The first radio station in Dar es Salaam started in the early 1950s with very basic equipment. It was managed by Edward Twining.

Environment

Since the 1990s, Dar es Salaam has often faced flooding because of heavy rains. The city is at risk because it is near the coast and has the Msimbazi River. This problem has grown because of climate change and more paved areas in the city.

In 2019, flooding made many families leave their homes. Between 2017 and 2018, the city had seven big floods. The World Bank says that about 2 million people were affected. Flooding can damage bridges and roads, make travel hard, and increase the chance of some illnesses. It can also make fighting poverty more difficult.

Education

Dar es Salaam has a high rate of people who can read and write. The city has several important universities.

• The University of Dar es Salaam is the oldest and second largest public university in Tanzania. Many students study there.
• Ardhi University focuses on land and building studies.
• The Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences studies health-related subjects.
• The Open University of Tanzania allows people to study from home.
• Hubert Kairuki Memorial University is a private university near the city centre.
• International Medical and Technological University focuses on medical and technology studies.
• Kampala International University started in 2009 and is near an international airport.

Notable people

Dar es Salaam has been home to many famous people from around the world. Some well-known individuals include Sir David Frank Adjaye, a London-based architect born there, and Joaquim Chissano, who was the second President of Mozambique. Roald Dahl, the famous British writer, lived in Dar es Salaam during his early years. Other notable figures include Jane Goodall, the famous scientist, and Yoweri Museveni, the president of Uganda.

The city has also seen actors like Marin Hinkle from the TV show Two and a Half Men and Rachel Luttrell from Stargate Atlantis, as well as athletes such as Nairn McEwan, a Scotland rugby player, and Hasheem Thabeet, a basketball player in the US. Many leaders, writers, and thinkers have made Dar es Salaam their home at some point in their lives.

International relations

Dar es Salaam has friendly connections with several cities around the world. These include Hamburg in Germany, Mumbai in India, Samsun in Turkey, Changzhou in Jiangsu, China, Sari in Iran, and Dallas in Texas, United States. These partnerships help the cities work together and share ideas.