Dar es Salaam

This article is about the city. For the region, see Dar es Salaam (region). For the 2000 Chadian film, see Daresalam. For the 'Divisions of the world in Islam', see Divisions of the world in Islam.
Dar es Salaam
City
City of Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam city skyline
Dar es Salaam

Location of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania

Coordinates: 6°48′S 39°17′E / 6.800°S 39.283°ECoordinates: 6°48′S 39°17′E / 6.800°S 39.283°E
Country Tanzania
Districts
Government
 • Mayor Dr Didas Massaburi
AreaRegion/Province
 • City 1,590.5 km2 (614.1 sq mi)
 • Water 0 km2 (0 sq mi)
Population (2012)
 • Metro 4,364,541
Time zone GMT +3
Climate Aw

Dar es Salaam (Arabic: دار السلام‎ Dār as-Salām, literally "The residence of peace"), formerly Mzizima, is Tanzania's largest and richest city, the largest city in eastern Africa by population, and is a regionally important economic centre.[1] It is the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region administrative province and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: northern Kinondoni, central Ilala, and southern Temeke. The region had a population of 4,364,541 as of the official 2012 census.[2]:page: 2 Although Dar es Salaam lost its status as the nation's capital to Dodoma in 1974 (not completed until 1996), it remains the focus of the permanent central government bureaucracy.

History

Dar es Salaam Cenotaph


In the 19th century, Mzizima (Kiswahili for "healthy town") was a coastal fishing village on the periphery of Indian Ocean trade routes.[3][4] In 1865 or 1866, Sultan Majid bin Said of Zanzibar began building a new city very close to Mzizima[4] and named it Dar es Salaam. The name is commonly translated as "abode/home of peace", based on the Arabic dar ("house"), and the Arabic es salaam ("of peace").[4] Dar es Salaam fell into decline after Majid's death in 1870, but was revived in 1887 when the German East Africa Company established a station there. The town's growth was facilitated by its role as the administrative and commercial centre of German East Africa and industrial expansion resulting from the construction of the Central Railway Line in the early 1900s.

German East Africa was captured by the British during World War I and became Tanganyika, with Dar es Salaam the administrative and commercial centre. Under British indirect rule, separate European (e.g., Oyster Bay) and African (e.g., Kariakoo and Ilala) areas developed at a distance from the city centre. The city's population also included a large number of south Asians. After World War II, Dar es Salaam experienced a period of rapid growth.

Political developments, including the formation and growth of the Tanganyika African National Union, led to Tanganyika attaining independence from colonial rule in December 1961. Dar es Salaam continued to serve as its capital, even when in 1964 Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form Tanzania. In 1973, however, provisions were made to relocate the capital to Dodoma, a more centrally located city in the interior. The relocation process has not yet been completed, and Dar es Salaam remains Tanzania's primary city.

Geography

Dar es Salaam is located at 6°48' South, 39°17' East (−6.8000, 39.2833),[5] on a natural harbour on the eastern coast of Africa, with sandy beaches in some areas.

Administratively, the Dar es Salaam region is divided into three districts: Ilala, Kinondoni, and Temeke.

Population

Year Population
1925: 30,000
1948: 69,000
1957: 129,000
1972: 396,000
2005: 2,456,100
2012: 4,364,541

Dar es Salaam is the largest city in Tanzania. With a population increase of 5.6 percent per year from 2002 to 2012, the city is the third fastest growing in Africa (ninth fastest in the world), after Bamako and Lagos. The metro population is expected to reach 5.12 million by 2020.[6]

Economy and infrastructure

Bank of Tanzania

Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's most important city for both business and government. The city contains high concentrations of trade and other services and manufacturing compared to other parts of Tanzania, which has about 80 percent of its population in rural areas. Downtown includes many small businesses, many of which are run by traders and proprietors whose families originated from the Middle East and Indian sub-continent—areas of the world with which the settlements of the Tanzanian coast have had long-standing trading relations.

An aerial view of Dar es Salaam Port

Dar es Salaam has a problem with slums. According to a United Nations estimate, 70 percent of the city's population lives in informal settlements.[7] The poorer residents crowd into downtown areas or large slums, many without running water or basic services.[7] The more wealthy live in beachside mansions in the city's northern districts.[7]

On a natural harbour on the Indian Ocean, it is the hub of the Tanzanian transportation system as the main railways and several highways originate in or near the city.

Dar es Salaam has had, in the past few years, a major construction boom. The PSPF Twin Towers with more than 35 storeys is the tallest building in the city and the country.[8] Dar es Salaam has major infrastructural problems, including an outdated transport system and occasional power rationing.

Climate

Due to close proximity to the equator and the warm Indian Ocean, the city experiences tropical climatic conditions, typified by hot and humid weather throughout much of the year. It has a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen: Aw). Annual rainfall is approximately 1,100 mm (43 in), and in a normal year there are two rainy seasons: "the long rains" in April and May and "the short rains" in November and December.

Climate data for Dar es Salaam
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 31
(88)		 31
(88)		 31
(88)		 30
(86)		 29
(84)		 29
(84)		 28
(82)		 28
(82)		 28
(82)		 29
(84)		 30
(86)		 31
(88)		 29.6
(85.2)
Average low °C (°F) 25
(77)		 25
(77)		 24
(75)		 23
(73)		 22
(72)		 20
(68)		 19
(66)		 19
(66)		 19
(66)		 21
(70)		 22
(72)		 24
(75)		 21.9
(71.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 66
(2.6)		 66
(2.6)		 130
(5.12)		 290
(11.42)		 188
(7.4)		 33
(1.3)		 31
(1.22)		 25
(0.98)		 31
(1.22)		 41
(1.61)		 74
(2.91)		 91
(3.58)		 1,066
(41.96)
Avg. rainy days 8 6 12 19 15 6 6 7 7 7 9 11 113
Mean monthly sunshine hours 248 196 217 150 217 210 217 279 270 279 240 248 2,771
Source: BBC Weather [9]

Transportation

The Julius Nyerere International Airport is the principal airport serving the country. Tanzania Railways operates the Central Line from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma. The TAZARA Railway connects Dar es Salaam to Zambia.

View of Dar es Salaam showing the city center, Posta, and the slums

Most intracity transport is by the dala dala (minibus) or Dar es Salaam commuter rail.

The bus rapid transit system under construction will be operated by the Dar Rapid Transit Agency (DART),[10] a government entity, and is expected to open at the end of 2014.[11] DART is being sponsored by the World Bank.[12]

Dala dala minibuses are involved in many road accidents, accounting for a large percentage of the 4000+ yearly road deaths.

Dala dalas are cheap and often overcrowded. They are operated by a driver and a conductor: the conductor collects the fare and signals the driver to leave. They tend to be overcrowded, with passengers sometimes hanging outside the door.

Port

A new cargo port 60 km north of Dar es Salam is proposed at Bagamoyo.[13]

Culture

Dar es Salaam has heavy traffic during the daytime, but after sunset the area is relatively quiet as much of the city's nightlife is located in more residential districts away from the city's mainly commercial centre.

The sprawling suburbs furthest from the city centre are generally populated by Tanzanians of African descent, with the exception of Oyster Bay, where there is a large population of foreign expatriates. The edges of Dar es Salaam are spreading rapidly, severely taxing the transportation network (which aside from ferries, lacks any kind of mass transit facilities)[14] and raising the prospect of future urban overcrowding.

Food

Ugali with beef and sauce

Due in part to the growth of the expatriate community and the increasing importance of tourism, the number of international restaurants has risen very rapidly over recent years. The city now offers a rich and internationalized diversity of cuisine, ranging from traditional Tanzanian Barbecue style options such as Nyama Choma (Roasted meat—served with rice or ugali) and Mishkaki (Shish kebab—usually barbecued and served with salt, hot peppers, chapati, fries, and rice on the side), and the long-established traditional Indian and Zanzibari cuisine, to options from all corners of the globe including Chinese, Thai, Turkish, Italian, and Japanese food. People who prefer neither fast food nor traditional restaurants buy their food from street vendors, who usually sell food at low prices. Samosas are common street food items within the city.

Music

The African tranditional dance in Dar es Salaam

There is also a lively music scene in Dar es Salaam which is divided between several styles. The longest standing segment is live dance music (muziki wa dansi) bands such as DDC Mlimani Park Orchestra. Taarab which was traditionally strong in Zanzibar has also found a niche but remains small compared both to dance music and "Bongo Flava", a broad category that represents the Tanzanian take on Hip Hop and R&B, which has quickly become the most popular locally produced music. Traditional music, which locally is used to refer to tribal music is still performed but typically only on family oriented occasions such as weddings.

This rap scene has been present and growing for the past ten years as city life has drawn much of the youth in surrounding areas have made the trek into a more urban lifestyle in search of a new better beginning.[15]

In the 1970s, the Ministry of National Youth Culture aimed to create a national culture, which stressed the importance of music. Dar es Salaam became the new music center in Tanzania, with the local radio exposing new bands and dominating the music and cultural scene. With this ujamaa, or family, mentality governing culture and music a unified people’s culture was created. Dar es Salaam became a center of city crime, gangs, and violence, which led to the rise of hip hop music.[16] Throughout the years, the radio in Dar es Salaam has played a major role in the dissemination of music because many people don’t have televisions and cassettes are used over CDs.

Tourism

A traditional Tanzanian hut in the Village Museum

Dar es Salaam has two of the five museums comprising the National Museum of Tanzania consortium, namely the National Museum proper and the Village Museum. The National Museum is dedicated to the history of Tanzania; most notably, it exhibits some of the bones of Paranthropus boisei that were among the findings of Louis Leakey at Olduvai. The Village Museum, located in the outskirts of the city on the road to Bagamoyo, showcases traditional huts from 16 different Tanzanian ethnic groups. There are also examples of traditional cultivations, and traditional music and dance shows are held daily.

Close to the National Museum are also the botanical gardens, with some specimens of tropical plants and trees.

There are beaches on the Msasani peninsula north of Dar es Salaam and in Kigamboni to the south where residents and tourists alike frequently visit. Trips to the nearby islands of the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve are a popular daytrip from the city and a favourite spot for snorkeling, swimming and sunbathing. In addition to that, Bongoyo Island can be reached by boat from the Msasani Slipway.

Art

The main gate of Nyumba ya Sanaa, with decorations by Tanzanian sculptor George Lilanga

Dar es Salaam (and specifically the area of Oyster Bay) is home to the popular Tingatinga painting style. The Nyumba ya sanaa ("House of Art") is a well-known cultural centre, workshop and shop dedicated to Tanzanian art, showcasing and promoting Tanzanian craftmanship. Prominent Tanzania sculptor George Lilanga has contributed to the centre some of his works, including decorations of the building's main entrance.

Sports

The National Stadium hosts Dar es Salaam's Young Africans Football Club, Simba Sports Club, other Tanzanian football clubs, and many other international matches.

Dar es Salaam's Mama Africa school, founded in 2003, is known for training some of Africa's finest acrobats.[17]

Newspapers

Dar has a considerable number of newspapers available, particularly from sellers prowling through stationary traffic at road intersections. English-language ones, with online presences, include The Citizen and The Guardian and the leading Kiswahili daily, Mwananchi.

Internet access

Installation of a trans-Indian Ocean backbone cable in 2009 has, in theory, made Internet access much more readily available in Dar in particular and in East Africa in general. However, roll-out to end-users is slow, partly because of spotty telephone line coverage, partly due to the substantial prices and long contracts demanded for purchase of bandwidth for small ISPs. Mobile-telephone access to the Internet via 3G and 3.75G is still relatively expensive.

Internet cafes are fairly well distributed in the city centre.

The expressed aim of the SEACOM cable is to enable East Africa to develop economically through increased online trading.

Globalization

Globalization has affected many of the cultural expressions in Dar es Salaam, in particular, hip hop music and culture. The hip hop scene in Dar es Salaam articulates a blending of local cultural struggles and the indigenization of global influences.[16] Hip hop music and culture arrived in Tanzania, taking its cues from various African American styling.

Dar es Salaam, a city projected to have over 5 million inhabitants within the next decade, continues to be the one city in Tanzania to which villagers flock for better opportunities. Westerners and Asians are also settling in Dar es Salaam, and the surge of foreigners has put pressure on Dar es Salaam officials to implement laws better accommodating the growing diverse population of Dar es Salaam and its suburbs.

Safety

Safety has become a noticeable issue in Dar es Salaam and many other Tanzanian cities. Although Dar es Salaam is one of the safest large cities in East Africa, violent crimes and homicides are becoming more frequent in Dar es Salaam. Chain snatching is relatively common in the Kariakoo area. Although pickpockets frequent the City Centre and dala-dalas and prey especially on foreigners, in the last couple of years, reports of violent crimes in Dar es Salaam have become more and more frequent.

Education

Nkrumah Hall at the University of Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam is also the educational centre of Tanzania. The city is home to many Educational Institutions.

Universities

Suburbs

Dar es Salaam is divided into three districts: Ilala, Kinondoni, and Temeke. All three are governed as municipal councils, and so all of the city's suburbs or wards are affiliated with them.

Kinondoni

Kinondoni is the most populated amongst the districts, with half of the city's population residing within it. It is also home to many of the high-income suburbs. These include:

Ilala

The Askari Monument marks the exact center of Dar es Salaam, in the Ilala district

Ilala is the administrative district of Dar es Salaam where almost all government offices and ministries are housed. The Central Business District (locally called "Posta") is also located in this district. Furthermore, it is the transportation hub of the city, as the Julius Nyerere International Airport, Central Railway Station and Tazara Railway Station are all within the district boundaries. The residential areas are mainly middle to high-income, and some of these are:

Temeke

Temeke is the industrial district of the city, where the main manufacturing centers (with both heavy and light industries) are located. The Port of Dar es Salaam, which is the largest in the country, is also found here. Temeke is believed to have the largest concentration of low-income residents due to industry. Also, many port officials, military and police officers live here.

Sports


Dar es Salaam is the sports center of Tanzania. Dar es Salaam hosts the second largest stadium in East and Central Africa (National Stadium), which can accommodate up to 60,000 people. The city is home of the most famous and rival soccer clubs, The Simba Sports Club (Simba) and Young Africans Sports Club (Yanga). Apart from the National Stadium, Dar es salaam is home to the Uhuru Stadium (used mainly for local tournaments and political gatherings), Karume Memorial Stadium (the home of Tanzania Football Federation (TFF)), the Gymkhana Golf Courses (between the city center and the shores of the Indian Ocean), and also has tennis courts, squash courts, and a Fitness club. Outside the metropolitan districts, there is the Lugalo Military Golf Course (located in the Lugalo Military Barracks).

Notable people

Twin towns—Sister cities

Dar es Salaam is twinned with:[26]

References

  1. ↑ "Major urban areas - population". cia.gov. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Population Distribution by Administrative Units, United Republic of Tanzania, 2013
  3. ↑ United Nations Human Settlements Programme (2009). The State of African Cities 2008. UN-HABITAT. p. 130. ISBN 92-1-132015-1.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Brennan, James R.; Burton, Andrew (2007). "The Emerging Metropolis: A history of Dar es Salaam, circa 1862–2000". Dar es Salaam: histories from an emerging African metropolis. African Books Collective. p. 13. ISBN 9987-449-70-0.
  5. ↑ NGA: Country Files, NGA.mil
  6. ↑ City Mayors: World's fastest growing urban areas (1)
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Dar es Salaam: Africa's next megacity?", BBC News, reported by Joe Boyle, 30 July 2012
  8. ↑ Dar’s skyscraper boom: Watchers see signs of prosperity
  9. ↑ "Weather Dar-es-Salaam". BBC News.
  10. ↑ "Dar Rapid Transit - DART". dart.go.tz. dart.go.tz. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  11. ↑ allAfrica.com: Tanzania: Rapid Transit System Takes Shape
  12. ↑ Additional Financing for Tanzania’s Bus Rapid Transit System to benefit 300,000 Commuters and Create 80,000 Jobs
  13. ↑
  14. ↑ "A Taxi Ride to the Client Office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania". A Taxi Ride to the Client Office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Retrieved 2011-06-11.
  15. ↑ Africanhiphop.com presents: Hali Halisi—the Real Situation
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lemelle, Sidney J. (2006). "Ni wapi Tunakwenda': Hip Hop Culture and the Children of Arusha". In Basu, Dipannita; Lemelle, Sidney J. The Vinyl Ain't Final: Hip Hop and the Globalization of Black Popular Culture. London; Ann Arbor, MI: Pluto Press. pp. 230–254. ISBN 0-7453-1940-8.
  17. ↑ "In pictures: Tanzanian acrobat school". BBC News. 2014-12-31. Retrieved 2015-02-08.
  18. ↑ http://www.udsm.ac.tz/about_us/index.php
  19. ↑ Ardhi University www.aru.ac.tz
  20. ↑ http://www.muhas.ac.tz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=30
  21. ↑ Welcome to the Open University of Tanzania
  22. ↑ Hubert Kairuki Memorial University - Who We Are - Introduction to Hubert Kairuki Memorial University
  23. ↑ Welcome to International Medical and Technological University, Tanzania
  24. ↑ http://www.kiu.ac.tz/mission.html
  25. ↑ Nairn MacEwan | Rugby Union | Players and Officials | ESPN Scrum
  26. ↑ TVTA, True Vision Tanzania. "NGO". http://www.truevisiontz.org''. TVTA. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
  27. ↑ Holtermann, Hannes (2011-03-30). "Looking at the sister city agreement between Hamburg and Dar es Salaam from a Tanzanian perspective". Werkstatt.imch.eu. Retrieved 2013-07-29.

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Dar es Salaam.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dar es Salaam.