Tanga, Tanzania

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Tanga Region's Districts

Tanga is both the name of the most northerly seaport city of Tanzania, and the surrounding Tanga Region. It has seven Districts: Tanga, Muheza, Korogwe, Lushoto, Pangani, Handeni and Kilindi. It has a population of 1,642,015 people. Tanga District is the Regional Headquarters.

With a population of 243,580 in 2002, Tanga is one of the largest cities in the country. It is a quiet city compared to, for example, Arusha or Moshi with a comparable number of inhabitants.

The city of Tanga sits on the Indian Ocean, near the border with Kenya. Major exports from the port of Tanga include sisal, coffee, tea, and cotton. Tanga is also an important railroad terminus, connecting much of the northern Tanzanian interior with the sea. Via the Tanzania Railways Corporation's Link Line and Central Line, Tanga is linked to the African Great Lakes region and the Tanzanian economic capital of Dar es Salaam.

The harbour and surrounding is the centre of life in Tanga, with its hotels, bars and the only buildings with more than eight floors. Tanga is stretched out several km² into the country. It has several markets in several neighbourhoods.

On July 1, 2005, Tanga was one of three Municipalities that was named a city. The other two were Arusha and Mbeya.

History

Tanga was chosen in 1889 as a military post of German East Africa, and became a district office in 1891. The local economy was based on sisal, which had been brought to the colony several years earlier, and population in the area grew rapidly. The town was also established as the terminus of the Usambara railway line, which runs inland to Moshi at the foot of Kilimanjaro.

As the coastal town closest to Kenya, Tanga was on the front line at the outset of World War I. A British landing was thrown back on 4 November 1914 in the Battle of Tanga, and the town was not taken until 7 July 1916.

Wards

Tanga District is administratively divided into 24 wards:

Central
Chongoleani
Chumbageni
Duga
Kiomoni
Kirare
Mabawa
Mabokweni
Majengo (English Meaning: buildings)
Makorora
Marungu
Maweni
Msambweni
Mwanzange
Mzingani
Mzizima
Ngamiani Kaskazini (North)
Ngamiani Kati (Central)
Ngamiani Kusini (South)
Nguvumali
Pongwe
Tangasisi
Tongoni
Usagara

Tourist Sites

Irente viewpoint, Lushoto, Tanga Region

Nearby tourist sites at Tanga include Amboni Caves, the Amani Nature Reserve, Tongoni Ruins, the Coastal beaches, German War Graves and the Irente viewpoint in Lushoto District.

Toledo, USA
Eckernförde, Germany (since 1963)

References

Byron Farwell, The Great War in Africa, 1914-1918 (W. W. Norton, 1986)
Tanga District Homepage for the 2002 Tanzania National Census

This page was last modified 06:31, 13 July 2006.