Dar es Salaam (Arabic: دار السلام [translation: "house of Peace"] Dār as-Salām), formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Though Dar es Salaam lost its official status as capital city to Dodoma in 1964, it remains the centre of the permanent central government bureaucracy and continues to serve as the capital for the surrounding Dar es Salaam Region.
Climate
Being situated so close to the equator and the warm Indian Ocean, the city experiences generally tropical climatic conditions, typified by hot and humid weather throughout much of the year. Annual rainfall is approximately 1,100 mm (43 in) per annum and in a normal year there are two distinct rainy seasons, 'the long rains' which fall during April and May, and 'the short rains' - during October and November.
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Weather averages for Dar es Salaam
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Month
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Jan
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Feb
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Mar
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Apr
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May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
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Average Highs °C (°F)
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32
(90)
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32
(90)
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32
(90)
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31
(88)
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30
(86)
|
29
(84)
|
29
(84)
|
29
(84)
|
30
(86)
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31
(88)
|
31
(88)
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32
(90)
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|
Average Lows °C (°F)
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24
(75)
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24
(75)
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23
(73)
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23
(73)
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22
(72)
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20
(68)
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18
(64)
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18
(64)
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19
(66)
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20
(68)
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22
(72)
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23
(73)
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Precip cm (inches)
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5.37
(2.1)
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5.39
(2.1)
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11.6
(4.6)
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17.86
(7)
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13.18
(5.2)
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3.53
(1.4)
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2.95
(1.2)
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2.39
(0.9)
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1.48
(0.6)
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5.2
(2)
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7.59
(3)
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8.09
(3.2)
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Source: MSN Weather 2008-02-19
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Population
Dar es Salaam is the largest city in Tanzania with 2.8 million people. With a population rate increase of 4.39% annually the city has become the 3rd fastest growing in Africa (9th fastest in the world) after Bamako and Lagos, respectively. The metro population is expected to reach 5.12 million by 2020.[3]
Economy and infrastructure
Dar is Tanzania's most important city for both business and government. The city contains unusually 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. For example, about one half of Tanzania's manufacturing employment is located in the city despite the fact that Dar holds only ten percent of Tanzania's population. Located on a natural harbour on the Indian Ocean, it is the hub of the Tanzanian transportation system as all of the country's main railways and several highways originate in or near the city. Its status as an administrative and trade centre has put Dar es Salaam in position to benefit disproportionately from Tanzania's high growth rate since the year 2000 so that by now its poverty rates are much lower than the rest of the country. The Benjamin William Mkapa Pension Tower with more than 21 stories is the tallest building in the city and the country[4]. The Julius Nyerere International Airport connects the city with other African countries, the Middle East, India, as well as Europe. There is also a railway infrastructure (TAZARA) connecting the coastal town of Dar es Salaam to the neighbouring country of Zambia on its western border.
History
In 1859, Albert Roscher of Hamburg became the first European to land in Mzizima ("healthy town"). In 1866 Sultan Seyyid Majid of Zanzibar gave it its present name, an Arabic phrase meaning house of Peace. A popular but erroneous translation is "haven of peace" resulting from a mixup of the Arabic words "dar" (house) and "bandar" (harbour). 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 from then on was referred to as Tanganyika. Dar es Salaam was retained as the territory's 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 town'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 (TANU), led to Tanganyika attaining independence from colonial rule in December 1961. Dar es Salaam continued to serve as its capital, also when in 1964 Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form Tanzania. However, in 1973 provisions were made to relocate the capital to Dodoma, a more centrally located city in Tanzania's interior. The relocation process has not yet been completed, and Dar es Salaam remains Tanzania's primary city. Dar es Salaam is located at 6°48' South, 39°17' East (−6.8000, 39.2833).[1] The city is situated on a massive natural harbour on the Eastern Indian Ocean coast of Africa.
Dar es Salaam City - A Guide to Dar es Salaam Travel, Hotels & Attractions - Tanzania Cities & Towns