Mwanza City Rock City | |
---|---|
From top: Bismarck Rock, Mwanza city from Capri Point | |
Coordinates: 2°31′S32°54′E / 2.517°S 32.900°E | |
Country | Tanzania |
Admin. division | Mwanza Region |
First Settled | 1892 |
Incorporated Town | 1978 |
Incorporated City | 2000 |
Districts | |
Government | |
• Type | City Council |
• Lord Mayor | Mr. James Bwire |
• City Director | Mr. Kiomoni Kiburwa Kibamba |
Elevation | 3,740 ft (1,140 m) |
Population (2022 census) [1] | |
• Urban | 1,104,521 |
Time zone | GMT + 3 |
Area code | 028 |
Climate | Aw |
Mwanza City, also known as Rock City to the residents, [2] is a port city and capital of Mwanza Region on the southern shore of Lake Victoria in north-western Tanzania. With an urban population of 1,311,000 in 2023, [3] it is Tanzania's second largest city, after Dar es Salaam. It is also the second largest city in the Lake Victoria basin after Kampala, Uganda and ahead of Kisumu, Kenya at least in population size. Within the East African community, Mwanza city is the fifth largest city after Dar, Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kampala. It is slightly ahead of Kigali, Kisumu, and Bujumbura in the population of city proper limits. Mwanza city is also the capital city of Mwanza Region, and is administratively divided into two municipal districts within that Region - Ilemela and Nyamagana.
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. [4]
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1978 | 110,553 | — |
1988 | 172,287 | +55.8% |
2002 | 385,810 | +123.9% |
2012 | 706,453 | +83.1% |
2022 | 1,104,521 | +56.3% |
source: [5] |
In 2011 the City Council announced plans to create a major commercial development in the Ilemela District. [6] Construction works on Rock City Mall were finalized in early 2016. This mall is the first of its size in Mwanza and one of the biggest malls in the country. [7]
Tanzania Breweries Limited has a brewery in Mwanza. [8]
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. [9] The Nile perch were previously introduced to the lake, and are exported in large quantities. [10]
The consequences of the Nile perch industry are the subject of the Academy Award nominated documentary Darwin's Nightmare (2004) by Hubert Sauper. [11]
Water supply coverage is at 75% and sewerage at 23.7%. [12] Projects to increase coverage including the UN Habitat Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation (LVWATSAN-Mwanza) project. [13]
Water is managed by the Mwanza Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (Mwauwasa), established in 1996 and wholly owned by the government of Tanzania. [12] The authority covers Mwanza City, Kisesa Township in Magu District, [12] Misungwi town and Nyahiti Village in Misungwi District, [14] Geita, Sengerema and Nansio, [15] and Lamadi in Simiyu Region. [14] Mwauwasa operates a wastewater treatment plant in Butuja Ilemela. [16]
Saanane Island National Park is located on a rocky island in Lake Victoria, 500 meters from Capri Point in the centre of Mwanza. [17]
The westernmost gate (Ndabaka Gate) of Serengeti National Park is located at around 150 kilometres by road from Mwanza town. Day trips to Serengeti National Park are organised by several tour operators in Mwanza. [18]
Rubondo Island National Park can be reached by road and boat, or by a direct flight from Mwanza. It is located around 110 kilometres west of Mwanza town. [19]
The Sukuma Museum is located in Bujora, just east of Mwanza near Kisesa. It gives an overview of the history, architecture, culture and language of the Sukuma tribe, from which the majority of the native population originates. [20]
St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) is the main university in Mwanza. The University extends over 600 acres (243 ha) in the Nyegezi-Malimbe area 10 km south of Mwanza City. It lies 4 km off the main Mwanza- Shinyanga road on the south eastern shores of Lake Victoria. The University is a half-hour's drive from Mwanza by car or by bus. [21]
Among the places of worship, they are predominantly Christian churches and temples : Africa Inland Church Tanzania, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mwanza (Catholic Church), Anglican Church of Tanzania (Anglican Communion), Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (Lutheran World Federation), Baptist Convention of Tanzania (Baptist World Alliance), Assemblies of God. [22] There are also Muslim mosques. In the Temple Street, close to each other there are a large Hindu Temple built in the late 50's, one of the first such temples in Tanzania, a Vaishnava Sanatana Mandir, and a BAPS (Swaminarayan) temple - all of them serving the Hindu community.
Mwanza features a tropical savanna climate under the Köppen climate classification. Temperatures are relatively consistent throughout the course of the year, tempered by the city's altitude. Thus, the climate is not quite as hot as one might expect, given the city's location near the equator. Average temperatures in Mwanza is roughly 23.5 °C (74.3 °F) throughout the year. The city features a lengthy wet season which runs from October through May and a short pronounced dry season that covers the remaining four months. Mwanza receives on average roughly 1,050 millimetres (41 in) of precipitation annually.
Climate data for Mwanza (1991-2020) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 35.0 (95.0) | 35.0 (95.0) | 36.6 (97.9) | 34.0 (93.2) | 35.6 (96.1) | 35.0 (95.0) | 34.0 (93.2) | 34.2 (93.6) | 34.5 (94.1) | 36.0 (96.8) | 35.6 (96.1) | 34.2 (93.6) | 36.6 (97.9) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27.8 (82.0) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.7 (83.7) | 28.5 (83.3) | 28.5 (83.3) | 28.9 (84.0) | 28.9 (84.0) | 29.1 (84.4) | 29.3 (84.7) | 28.9 (84.0) | 27.9 (82.2) | 27.5 (81.5) | 28.6 (83.5) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.8 (73.0) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.2 (73.8) | 23.1 (73.6) | 23.2 (73.8) | 22.7 (72.9) | 22.2 (72.0) | 22.6 (72.7) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.4 (74.1) | 22.9 (73.2) | 22.8 (73.0) | 23.0 (73.3) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 18.1 (64.6) | 18.0 (64.4) | 18.2 (64.8) | 18.4 (65.1) | 18.1 (64.6) | 16.5 (61.7) | 15.6 (60.1) | 16.7 (62.1) | 17.7 (63.9) | 18.3 (64.9) | 18.4 (65.1) | 18.3 (64.9) | 17.7 (63.9) |
Record low °C (°F) | 10.8 (51.4) | 11.0 (51.8) | 14.0 (57.2) | 14.0 (57.2) | 13.0 (55.4) | 12.0 (53.6) | 11.0 (51.8) | 11.0 (51.8) | 13.0 (55.4) | 13.0 (55.4) | 10.8 (51.4) | 12.0 (53.6) | 10.8 (51.4) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 113.7 (4.48) | 82.0 (3.23) | 154.5 (6.08) | 173.0 (6.81) | 70.3 (2.77) | 25.7 (1.01) | 5.0 (0.20) | 23.7 (0.93) | 42.3 (1.67) | 120.6 (4.75) | 158.3 (6.23) | 146.0 (5.75) | 1,115.1 (43.91) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 9.9 | 6.7 | 10.7 | 13.0 | 7.3 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 8.8 | 13.4 | 11.9 | 90.4 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 71 | 71 | 69 | 74 | 70 | 66 | 58 | 58 | 59 | 61 | 71 | 73 | 67 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 229.4 | 211.9 | 235.6 | 231.0 | 254.2 | 282.0 | 285.2 | 266.6 | 252.0 | 241.8 | 210.0 | 223.2 | 2,922.9 |
Mean daily sunshine hours | 7.4 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 8.2 | 9.4 | 9.2 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 7.8 | 7.0 | 7.2 | 8.0 |
Source 1: NOAA [23] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (extremes, humidity, and sun), [24] Tokyo Climate Center (mean temperatures 1991–2020) [25] |
Mwanza is served by the Mwanza Airport, which is designated as a regional airport. [26]
Air Tanzania offers flights to Dar es Salaam. [27] Precision Air has daily flights to Mwanza, including from Nairobi (via Kilimanjaro), [28] and Air Tanzania also flies to the city. [29]
The city is connected by rail with Shinyanga on a branch of Tanzania's Central Railway. [30] Twice a week the train departs to Dar es Salaam, via Dodoma, Tabora and Kigoma. [31]
Nyegezi bus station is located in Nyamagana district. Buses going to the south and west leave from Nyegezi, as well as international services. [32]
Buzuruga bus station is located in Ilemela district. Buses going to the east, North and the Kenyan border depart from Buzuruga bus station. [32]
In December 2014 the regular ferry service between Mwanza, Bukoba and Kampala was halted whilst the ferry boat MV Victoria underwent major maintenance. [33] [ needs update ]
The CCM Kirumba Stadium has hosted matches of the Tanzania national football team. [34]
Mbao FC is a football team from Mwanza that was promoted to the Tanzanian Premier League at the end of the 2015/2016 football season. [35]
Transport in Tanzania includes road, rail, air and maritime networks. The road network is 86,472 kilometres (53,731 mi) long, of which 12,786 kilometres (7,945 mi) is classified as trunk road and 21,105 kilometres (13,114 mi) as regional road. The rail network consists of 3,682 kilometres (2,288 mi) of track. Commuter rail service is in Dar es Salaam only. There are 28 airports, with Julius Nyerere International being the largest and the busiest. Ferries connect Mainland Tanzania with the islands of Zanzibar. Several other ferries are active on the countries' rivers and lakes.
Bukoba is a city with a population of 144,938, situated in the northwest of Tanzania on the south-western shores of Lake Victoria. It is the capital of the Kagera region, and the administrative seat for Bukoba Urban District.
Lake Victoria ferries are motor ships for ferry services carrying freight and/or vehicles and/or passengers between Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya on Lake Victoria.
Mwanza Region is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The region covers a land area of 25,233 km2 (9,743 sq mi). The region is comparable in size to the combined land area of the nation state of North Macedonia. Mwanza Region is bordered to the north through Lake Victoria by the Kagera Region and Mara Region, to the east by Simiyu Region, to the south by the Shinyanga Region and to the west by Geita Region. The regional capital is the city of Mwanza. According to the 2022 national census, the region had a population of 3,699,872 and national census of 2012 had 2,772,509. Mwanza Region is the second region with high population in Tanzania after Dar es Salaam Region.
Misungwi District is one of the seven districts of the Mwanza Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the north by Nyamagana District and Magu District, to the east by Kwimba District, to the south by Shinyanga Rural District and to the west by Nyang'hwale District and Lake Victoria. Misungwi is often spelled with an extra 's' to make it Missungwi. The administrative centre is in the town of Misungwi.
Sengerema District is one of seven districts in the Mwanza Region of Tanzania, East Africa. Its administrative headquarter is located in Sengerema city. It is bordered to the north and east by Lake Victoria, to the south by Geita Region and to the southeast by the Misungwi District. Sengerema district is known for having numerous lake islands in its territory the largest are Maisome Island and Kome Island.
Magu District is one of the seven districts of the Mwanza Region of Tanzania, East Africa. Its administrative centre is the town of Magu on the Simiyu River. It is bordered to the north by Lake Victoria and Busega District, to the east by Bariadi District, to the south by Itilima District, Maswa District, Kwimba District and Misungwi District, and to the west by the city of Mwanza, which consists of Nyamagana District and Ilemela District.
Nyamagana District is one of the eight districts of the Mwanza Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the north by Ilemela District, to the east by Magu District, to the south by Misungwi District and to the west by the Mwanza Bay of Lake Victoria. The region's capital, the City of Mwanza, is within Nyamagana District. The district commission's office is scheduled to be re-located to the Mkolani area of Mwanza town, but currently it is still in the old city hall in the centre of town.
Ilemela District is one of the seven districts of the Mwanza Region of Tanzania with a postcode number 33200. It is bordered to the north and west by Lake Victoria, to the east by Magu District, and to the south by Nyamagana District. Part of the region's capital, the town of Mwanza, is within Ilemela District. The district commission's office is located in Buswelu area of Mwanza town.
St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) is a private university in Mwanza, Tanzania. It was founded by the Catholic Bishops of Tanzania in 1998 as a secular, nonprofit, private institution. Before 1998, SAUT was called first Nyegezi Social Training Centre and then Nyegezi Social Training Institute. SAUT has over 10,000 students with an anticipated minimal rise each new academic year. The university attracts students from Tanzania and elsewhere, particularly Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Burundi, Malawi, Zambia, and recently Germany and other foreign nations. SAUT admits students of all nationalities and religious affiliations.
Geita District is located in the Geita Region of Tanzania. According to the 2022 census, the population of the district was 1,035,214. The district is bordered to the east by Mwanza Region and Nyang'hwale District, to the south by Shinyanga Region and Mbogwe District, and to the west by Chato District.
Geita Region is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The region covers an area of 20,054 km2 (7,743 sq mi)."Geita Region Size". The region is comparable in size to the combined land area of the nation state of Slovenia. Geita Region is bordered to the east by Lake Victoria, Mwanza Region and Shinyanga Region. The region is bordered by Tabora Region and Kigoma Region to the south and south west respectively. Lastly, Gieta is borders Kagera Region to the west.
Chato District is one of the five districts in Geita Region of northwestern Tanzania. Its administrative centre is the town of Chato. The main ethnic group in the district are the Sukuma. The late John Magufuli, who used to be as President of Tanzania from 2015—2021, was born in Chato.
Simiyu Region is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The region covers a land area of 25,212 km2 (9,734 sq mi). The region is comparable in size to the combined land area of the nation state of North Macedonia. The region is bordered to the north by the Mara Region, to the south by the Shinyanga Region and Singida Region. Mwanza Region borders the region to the west through Lake Victoria, and Arusha Region to the east. The region is home to the Serengeti National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, shared with Mara Region. The regional capital is the town of Bariadi. According to the 2022 national census, the region had a population of 2,140,497.
Buzuruga is an Ward in Ilemela District, Mwanza Region, Tanzania with a postcode number 33213. In 2016 the Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics report there were 22,410 people in the ward.
Kitangiri is an administrative ward in Ilemela District, Mwanza Region, Tanzania. In 2002, the ward had a total population of 14,282 according to the national Census of 2002 this was before split from Nyamagana District on 1 October 2012 as Ilemela becomes a District Council where given total of 20 wards. In 2016 the Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics report there were 23,432 people in the ward, from 20,802 in 2012.
Nyakato is an administrative Ward in Ilemela District, Mwanza Region, Tanzania. In 2016 the Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics report there were 127,736 people in the ward, from 82,348 in 2012 when Nyamagana District split.
Buchosa District, is a district in the Mwanza Region in the southern coastal Tanzania. The district is on the south shore of Lake Victoria west of the city of Mwanza and north of the Geita Region. Much of the district is large islands in the lake. The district was established in 2015.
Copco Veteran Football Club is a football club based in Ilemela, Mwanza, a port city on the shore of Lake Victoria, in northern Tanzania. The team is currently playing in the Tanzanian Championship.