Tabora
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (April 2010) |
- for the village in the Ruvuma Region see Tabora, Ruvuma
Tabora | |
|---|---|
 Captives in Tabora (1907) | |
| Country |  Tanzania |
| Region | Tabora Region |
| Population (2002) | |
| • Total | 127,880 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
Tabora [1] is the capital city of Tanzania's Tabora Region with a population of 127,880 (2002 census).[citation needed] Tabora region is one of the largest geographical regions of Tanzania.
History
Tabora was founded by Arab traders in the 1850s (known then as Kazeh) and became a centre of the slave trade. In 1871 it was devastated by the forces of the Wanyamwezi ruler Mirambo. Although the German East Africa protectorate was proclaimed over the region in 1885, as late as 1891 travellers reported it to be a lawless town and the German colonial administration did not gain control of it until later that year. As a major station on the Central Line it became the most important administrative centre of central German East Africa.
During the East African Campaign of World War I colonial armed forces of the Belgian Congo ('Force Publique') under the command of General Charles Tombeur captured the city on 19 September 1916 after some heavy fighting. The Arab name of the town was restored after 1919.
Of a more recent character is a noteworthy visit by John Legend in August 2008 to Tabora and the Millennium Development program run by the UNDP close to Tabora.
Socio-economic situation
Tabora and its people mainly rely on agricultural activities either as sustenance farmers or as small-scale tobacco farmers. Tabora also hosts a ballast quarry.
Food and culture
Tabora's streets are lined with century-old mango trees planted by Omani traders. Tabora is known as the fruit capital of Western Tanzania, and markets are often filled with local produce.[citation needed]
Tabora has many small local restaurants offering typical Tanzania restaurant food like Ugali (a thick maize porridge), chips or rice with either beans, beef or chicken. For breakfast or lunch there is usually chipsi-mayai (chips and egg) which is basically a couple of eggs fried together with some chips.[citation needed] Although the food is bland, it is usually served with Tanzanian chili sauce which gives the meal some character.
A local specialty is pumpkin in peanut butter sauce. This goes with the rice pilau served widely throughout the region.
For snacks there are local sambusa (samosa), some goat meat on a stick or some freshly roasted corn of the cob, all widely available in Tabora. There is a choice of fruit in the large regional market of Tabora, including pineapple, watermelon or bananas.
Tourism
Tabora does not have many tourist attractions. It is well off the beaten track, with few tourists. Of note is Fort Boma, erected at the end of the 19th century by the Germans and still in use by the military of Tanzania. Another colonial remnant is the railway station.
15 kilometres south-west of Tabora is Kwihara, formerly known as Kazeh and an important town in the slave trade until the Germans started developing Tabora. Kazeh's best-known visitors were David Livingstone and Sir Henry Morton Stanley, who were highly impressed by the town of Kazeh. There is a small museum dedicated to Dr. Livingstone, the Livingstone Museum, with entry fee of 2,000 Tanzanian shillings.
Another day trip from Tabora is Igombe Dam, a local forest reserve.
Tabora's best tourist attraction is the house of William H. Macy who spent the early years of his childhood in Tabora. His house, built in the style of the early German imperialists who colonized the area, has been preserved along with numerous other possessions of the Macy family.[citation needed]
Climate
| Climate data for Tabora | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28 (82) |
28 (83) |
28 (83) |
28 (82) |
28 (83) |
28 (83) |
28 (83) |
29 (85) |
32 (89) |
32 (90) |
31 (88) |
28 (83) |
29 (85) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17 (63) |
17 (63) |
18 (64) |
17 (63) |
17 (62) |
15 (59) |
14 (58) |
16 (60) |
17 (63) |
19 (66) |
19 (66) |
18 (64) |
17 (63) |
| Average precipitation cm (inches) | 13 (5) |
12 (4.9) |
17 (6.6) |
14 (5.4) |
2.8 (1.1) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.76 (0.3) |
1.5 (0.6) |
9.9 (3.9) |
17 (6.7) |
88.21 (34.6) |
| Source: Weatherbase [2] | |||||||||||||
Nightlife
Tabora is the administrative capital of Tabora Region. In the evening there are various options including Club Bubbles and Club Royal. Located a mere 1 km apart, this region of the city remains active until church services begin on Sunday mornings.
Transport
Dirt roads connect Tabora to the capital Dodoma and to Mwanza in the north. Salt flats in the west prevent a direct road from connecting to Kigoma.
Tabora is a junction on the Central railway line which goes west to Lake Tanganyika and north to the port of Mwanza on Lake Victoria. Trains leave three times a week in any direction, making Tabora a perfect stopover.
Tabora also has its own airport, with daily flights to Kigoma and from there to Dar Es Salaam.
Tabora is small enough to walk from one side of town to the other. Bicycle taxis, motorbike taxis and regular taxis are available.
See also
References
- ^ many ínternet sites claim a former German name of the town as "Weidmannsheil" without giving references. This claim, however, is obviously mistaken. The German Koloniallexikon (encyclopedia of the German colonies) of 1913 in its entry on Tabora has no mention of "Weidmannsheil" nor do the maps in the same encyclopedia show this name at all. There may be a mixup with a hunting hut known by the name of Weidmannsheil (the name is a greeting among hunters) along the Ugalla River southeast of Tabora. Cf Paul Matschie, Die Säugetiere Deutsch-Ostafrikas, 1895, p. 96 (scanned online text)
- ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Tabora, Tanzania". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
- Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition (at encyclopedia.com)
- Tabora page at fizzylogic.com
- The Rough Guide to Tanzania, Jens Finke, 2nd Edition April 2006, ISBN 978-1-84353-532-7
- Tabora Region Socio-Economic Profile, joint publication by The Planning Commission Dar Es Salaam and Regional Commissioner's Office Tabora, 1998
External links
