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Mwanza

Coordinates: 2°31′S 32°54′E / 2.517°S 32.900°E / -2.517; 32.900
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For other uses, see Mwanza (disambiguation).
Mwanza
Nyanza
City
View of Mwanza's Central Business District
View of Mwanza's Central Business District
Nickname: 
Rock City
Country Tanzania
Admin. divisionMwanza Region
First Settled1892
Incorporated Town1978
Incorporated City2000
Districts
List
Government
 • TypeCity Council
 • Lord MayorJosephat Kanyonyi Manyerere
 • City DirectorWilson Kabwe
Elevation
3,740 ft (1,140 m)
Population
 (2012)[1]
 • Urban
706,543
Time zoneGMT + 3

Mwanza is a mid-sized port city on the southern shores of Lake Victoria in northwestern Tanzania. With a population of over 700,000, it is Tanzania's second largest city, following Dar es Salaam. Mwanza is the capital of the surrounding Mwanza Region.

History

Before the colonial era Mwanza Region was under the Sukuma, Kerewe, Kara and Zinza empires. When the Germans colonized Tanganyika, Mwanza became one of the districts in German East Africa. After the East African Campaign during the First World War, East Africa came under the supervision of a British mandate. [citation needed]

Ethnicity

The Sukuma constitute over 90 percent of the population of the Mwanza Region. Other ethnic groups in the region, in much smaller proportions, include the Zinza, Haya, Sumbwa, Nyamwezi, Luo, Kurya, Jita,((shashi)) and Kerewe. They live mainly in the Mwanza city area. National policy, however, gives very little importance to ethnic groupings and reliable data is difficult to find.[2]

Religion

The people of Mwanza have different faiths ranging from traditional practices to modern religions including Hinduism, Islam, Swaminarayan, and Christian churches such as the Anglican, Roman Catholic, African Inland, Lutheran, Tanzania Mennonite, Mwanza Christian Miracle, Assemblies of God, Pentecostal Evangelical, and the Seventh Day Adventist churches. [citation needed]

Economy

In 2011 the city council announced plans to create a major commercial development in the Ilemela District.[3]

Fishing

One major occupation of the inhabitants along the shores of Lake Victoria in Mwanza region is fishing, and there are five fish processing plants in the area. Nile perch were previously introduced to the lake, and are exported in large quantities.[4]

For a better portrait of the consequences of the nile perch industry, see the academy award nominated documentary Darwin's Nightmare (2004) by Hubert Sauper.

Industry

Although for the foreseeable future livestock husbandry, agriculture and fishing will remain the sectors offering the greatest development potentials to Mwanza region, an increasingly important role must be assigned to industrial activity as a vehicle of economic growth. It is through industrial development in the region that the ever increasing number of unemployed youths in the region could gain employment opportunities. Industrial establishments possible are those geared towards processing locally produced agricultural, fishing and livestock raw materials. [citation needed]

  • Bismarck Rock in Lake Victoria
    Bismarck Rock in Lake Victoria
  • Mwanza city centre
    Mwanza city centre
  • Mwanza city map
    Mwanza city map

Climate

Climate data for Mwanza
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 29
(84) 		28
(83) 		29
(84) 		28
(83) 		29
(84) 		29
(84) 		29
(84) 		29
(84) 		29
(85) 		29
(85) 		29
(84) 		28
(83) 		29
(84)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 18
(65) 		18
(64) 		18
(65) 		18
(65) 		18
(64) 		17
(63) 		16
(61) 		17
(63) 		18
(64) 		19
(66) 		19
(66) 		18
(65) 		18
(64)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 97
(3.8) 		100
(4.1) 		150
(6.1) 		140
(5.7) 		94
(3.7) 		20
(0.8) 		13
(0.5) 		20
(0.8) 		46
(1.8) 		46
(1.8) 		110
(4.5) 		150
(5.8) 		986
(39.4)
Source: Weatherbase [5]

Transport

Mwanza is served by Mwanza Airport. In 2015 four airlines had flights to Dar es Salaam[6][7] and there were also flights to Kigali, several destinations in Kenya and various destinations in Tanzania.

The city is connected by rail with Shinyanga.[8] Twice a week the train departs to Dar es Salaam, a trip that takes two days. [9]

Sports and entertainment

Mwanza has two stadia. The CCM Kirumba Stadium has a seating capacity of 35,000 spectators. The stadium hosts football, netball, volleyball, basketball, badminton, and athletics. [citation needed]

Cooperation with cities outside Tanzania

  • Finland Tampere, Finland: The relationship between Tampere and Mwanza is part of the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme. The programme is coordinated by the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities and funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. The purpose is to support the Mwanza City Council in implementing the city strategy and in providing better services for its citizens.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Tanzania". Citypopulation.de. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  2. ^ Section 1.2, "Mwanza Region Socio-Economic Profile", joint publication by the Planning Commission Dar es Salaam and the Regional Commissioner's Office Mwanza, October 1997, page 4
  3. ^ Moses Matthew (30 December 2011). "Mwanza city on a major shopping project". Daily News. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  4. ^ George Ramadhani (2 November 2006). "MPs tell Mwanza fisheries to clear Darwin's Nightmare". Kafoi. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  5. ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Mwanza, Tanzania". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
  6. ^ "Fly with Air Tanzania to Mwanza". Air Tanzania. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  7. ^ "Destinations". Fastjet. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  8. ^ "United Republic of Tanzania (map)" (PDF). Department of Peacekeeping Operations. UN. January 2006. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  9. ^ "Train travel in Tanzania and Zambia". Seat61.com. January 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  10. ^ "Tampere-Mwanza Local Governance Cooperation project", The City of Tampere
  11. ^ "Tifariti commune signs cooperation, twinning agreements with several African cities", Agence Maghreb Arabe Presse, published on the website of The Free Library, 21 December 2009
  12. ^ "HIV: New Problems for Africa", University of Würzburg
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2°31′S 32°54′E / 2.517°S 32.900°E / -2.517; 32.900

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