Mafia Archipelago

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The Mafia Archipelago
Mafia Island, Tanzania.jpg
Main Mafia Island in the Mafia Archipelago
Tanzania relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
The Mafia Archipelago
Geography
Location Sea of Zanj in western Indian Ocean
Coordinates 7°51′S39°47′E / 7.850°S 39.783°E / -7.850; 39.783
Total islands9
Major islands Mafia Island & Juani Island
Area972 km2 (375 sq mi)
Highest elevation15 m (49 ft)
Administration
Region Pwani Region
District Mafia District
Demographics
Population46,438 (2012)
Languages Swahili
Ethnic groups Matumbi, Ndengereko & Rufiji

The Mafia Archipelago or The Mafia Islands (Funguvisiwa vya Mafia, in Swahili) is an group of islands across the Mafia Channel in the Mafia District of Pwani Region's coast on the Sea of Zanj in Tanzania's Indian Ocean coast. The archipelago is composed of 9 islands and around 12 coral reefs. In total, the Mafia archipelago covers 972 km2 (375 sq mi) in total, of which 8.5 km2 (3.3 sq mi) 407 km2 are land and 565 km2 are water. [1] and has an average elevation of 53 m (174 ft). [2] Of the 12 reefs in the archipelago the most famous one is the Tutia Reef. [3] The largest island in the archipelago is Mafia Island also known as Chole Shamba locally. The other eight islands inside Mafia District in addition to Mafia Island are; Juani Island, Chole Island, Jibondo Island (Kibondo), Bwejuu Island, Shungumbili Island (Thanda), Barakuni Island, Miewi Island, and Niororo Island (Nyororo). [4]

Contents

Geography

Off Tanzania's central coast, close to the Rufiji Delta, is a collection of islands known as the Mafia Archipelago. The main island is up to 20 kilometers wide and roughly 50 kilometers long (from North to South). Mafia is not a coral island, unlike Zanzibar, but rather an elevated piece of the African continental shelf. However, the group's smaller islands, Chole, Juani, and Jibondo, are a part of the large coral reef system that runs down the East African Coast. Contrary to common belief, Mafia is not built entirely of sand and coconut roots. Instead, the island's soils vary greatly, from very sandy in the north to firm fertile soil portions that are dispersed throughout the southern portion of the island. [5]

Rice and cassava serve as the backbone of the diet in the middle ridge, which normally does not reach over 50 meters, while coconut palms are planted in the more arid regions as a commercial crop. As a new resource for the economy, cashew nuts are becoming more significant. The entire island is covered in inhabited and cultivated, with the exception of the eastern beaches where coral rock prevents cultivation. [6]

The eastern side of Mafia is exposed to the full force of the Sea of Zanj in Indian Ocean, and a 33 km outer fringing reef that is made up of the islands of Mafia, Jibondo, and Juani, with Kitutia Reef at its southernmost end, spans the length of the eastern seaboard of the Mafia Channel. [7]

The East African Equatorial current, which travels north, and two monsoon winds have an impact on Mafia Archipelago's hot and subhumid tropical climate. The northeast monsoon blows from November to March, while the southeast monsoon blows from June to October. We might observe the persistent rainfall in between the many monsoons. The normal annual temperatures are 26.6 °C and 1,900 mm of precipitation. [8]

History

The first inhabitants of the islands were Bantu peoples from the mainland. As a sea-based region of the Swahili culture, the Mafia Archipelago has a diverse population, which reflects its turbulent past. The islands have always been a part of the Swahili cumene, which emerged as a result of Arab and Persian infiltration of a Bantu culture starting about the first century A.D. The main island, Mafia, does not appear to have ever given rise to a separate governmental entity, a situation that has persisted to the present. [9] It was only known as an outpost of Kilwa during the Middle Ages. Unaffected by the brutal Portuguese incursions of the 16th century, it gradually came under the control of the Busaidi Sultans of Oman in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1840, they finally drove the Court of Oman to Zanzibar, establishing their authority. Mafia was taken under German sovereignty in 1880 as a result of European colonial negotiations, and it later became a part of German East Africa, or Tanganyika. [10]

The Mafia Archipelago later became a nominal part of the Tanganyika Mandate Territory of the League of Nations, but real administration from 1915 to 1922 was conducted out by the Zanzibar Government after the British drove the Germans off the island during World War I. After that date, the Tanganyika Territory Government legally took over the administrative duties. It has been a part of the United Republic of Tanzania since 1964, when Tanganyika and Zanzibar united following the latter island's revolution. [11]

Conservation

In 1995, a portion of the archipelago was declared a marine park under the Tanzania Marine parks Authority, a department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. The Islands are known as a major breeding ground for whale sharks. [12] At a depth of less than 20 meters below mean tide levels is where more than half of the Mafia Island Marine Park, which has an area of 822 km2, is situated. The bulk of the marine park consists of other reef portions in south Bwejuu Island and the wide area south of the bay surrounded by Mafia, Jibondo, and Juani Islands. A magnificent mosaic of tropical marine ecosystems, including mangrove swamps, coral reefs, and seagrass meadows, may be found in the area. It also supports a huge diversity of fish and other top marine species. Two endangered kinds of sea turtles can find a home in the park. [13]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mafia Island</span> Island of the Mafia Archipelago in Pwani Region, Tanzania

Mafia Island or Chole Shamba is an island of The Mafia Archipelago located in Mafia District in the southern Pwani Region of Tanzania across the Mafia Channel. The island is the third largest in Tanzanian ocean territory, but is not administratively included within the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar, which has been politically separate since 1890. Mafia Island forms the largest part of Mafia District, one of the six administrative districts in the Pwani Region. As the Mafia Archipelago's main island, it's sometimes called Chole Shamba, meaning Chole farmlands in Swahili. This is in opposition to the historic settlement of Chole Mjini on Chole Island inside Mafia Bay. The island's population is over 65,000. The economy is based on fishing, subsistence agriculture and the market in Kilindoni. The island attracts some tourists, mainly scuba divers, birdwatchers, game fishermen, and people seeking relaxation.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mafia Island Marine Park</span> Marine National Park of Pwani Region, Tanzania

Mafia Island Marine Park is a protected marine park with the IUCN category VI around the Mafia Archipelago in the Indian Ocean's sea of Zanj. It is administratively located in the jurisdiction Mafia District of Pwani Region in Tanzania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maziwi Island</span> Protected island and marine reserve in Tanga Region of Tanzania

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Zanzibar</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mafia District</span> District of Pwani Region, Tanzania

Mafia District Council is one of eight administrative districts of Pwani Region in Tanzania. It administers not only the main Mafia Island but the entire Mafia Archipelago. The District covers an area of 642.6 km2 (248.1 sq mi). The Sea of Zanj completely encircles the District. Rufiji District is located on the other side of the Mafia Channel to the west. The district is comparable in size to the land area of Saint Lucia. The town of Kilindoni serves as its administrative capital. The District is home to the largest concentration of Whale Sharks in Africa, Mafia Island Marine Park, Historic Chole Island Ruins, Kisimani Mafia and Kua Ruins; and Mlola Forest Reserve. According to the 2012 Tanzania National Census, the population of the District was 46,438.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juani Island</span> Island of the Mafia Archipelago in Pwani Region, Tanzania

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kua Ruins</span> National Historic Site of Tanzania

Kua or Ruins of Kua is a Medieval Swahili, National Historic Site located in Jibondo ward of Mafia District in Pwani Region of Tanzania. The site is located on Juani Island of the Mafia Archipelago. As of 2016, the site is currently on the list of 50 at-risk cultural heritage sites in 36 countries.

Chole Island or Chole Mjini Island is an island of the Mafia Archipelago located in Jibondo ward of Mafia District in southern Pwani Region of Tanzania. A fossil coral reef that was uncovered at the conclusion of the last ice age, around 12,000 years ago, served as the foundation for the 2.26 km2 island of Chole. It has been a part of the Mafia Island Marine Park for a very long time.

Bwejuu Island is an island of the Mafia Archipelago located in Kilindoni ward of Mafia District in southern Pwani Region of Tanzania. After Jibondo Island, which is to its east, the island is the fourth largest in the archipelago. Mafia Island is to the east, and the Mafia Channel is to the west and south of the island.

Miewi Island is an island of the Mafia Archipelago located in Baleni ward of Mafia District in southern Pwani Region of Tanzania. The island has a small islet to the south east. The Island is located at the mouth of Chole Bay and is bordered to the north is Mafia Island. To the south is Juani Island and to the east is the sea of Zanj. Many locations, particularly off Miewi island, were used for the majority of the sport fishing industry in the islands. However, Tutia reef was regarded to be the best fishing location.

Niororo Island or spelled in some maps as Nyororo Island is an island of the Mafia Archipelago located in Kirongwe ward of Mafia District in southern Pwani Region of Tanzania. The island has a small islet to the south east. The Island is located north of Shungumbili Island and is bordered to the north is Mafia Island. To the south is Juani Island and to the east is the sea of Zanj. Many locations, particularly off Miewi island, were used for the majority of the sport fishing industry in the islands. However, Tutia Reef was regarded to be the best fishing location.

Tutia Reef is a system of protected coral reefs inside the Mafia Island Marine Park (MIMP) with the IUCN category II designation. The reef is located on Tanzania's Mafia Archipelago of Mafia District in southern Pwani Region of Tanzania. Tutia Reef is rated as the country's top spot for sport fishing, however the reef is also the site some of the worst coral bleaching events in history in 1998. The reef is located south west of Jibondo Island inside the Mafia Channel.

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References

  1. ↑ "Tanzania:Coastal Zone Tanzania (Districts and Wards) – Population Statistics, Charts and Map".
  2. ↑ "Mafia archipelego Elevation".
  3. ↑ Adibi, S. A. H., et al. "A study on the trend of sports fishery of Mafia Island (Tanzania) along the East African coast from 1961-1972." (1977).
  4. ↑ "The Effects of Deforestation in Mlola Forest Reserves, Mafia District, Tanzania" . Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  5. ↑ Van Spengen, Wim. “Structural Characteristics of Underdevelopment in the Mafia Archipelago: An Historical Analysis (Caractéristiques Structurelles Du Sous-Développement Dans l’archipel de Mafia: Analyse Historique).” Cahiers d’Études Africaines, vol. 20, no. 79, 1980, pp. 331–53. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4391705. Accessed 3 Sept. 2023.
  6. ↑ Van Spengen, Wim. “Structural Characteristics of Underdevelopment in the Mafia Archipelago: An Historical Analysis (Caractéristiques Structurelles Du Sous-Développement Dans l’archipel de Mafia: Analyse Historique).” Cahiers d’Études Africaines, vol. 20, no. 79, 1980, pp. 331–53. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4391705. Accessed 3 Sept. 2023.
  7. ↑ "Mafia Island Underwater Heritage Survey 2012" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  8. ↑ "Mafia Island Underwater Heritage Survey 2012" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  9. ↑ Van Spengen, Wim. “Structural Characteristics of Underdevelopment in the Mafia Archipelago: An Historical Analysis (Caractéristiques Structurelles Du Sous-Développement Dans l’archipel de Mafia: Analyse Historique).” Cahiers d’Études Africaines, vol. 20, no. 79, 1980, pp. 331–53. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4391705. Accessed 3 Sept. 2023.
  10. ↑ Van Spengen, Wim. “Structural Characteristics of Underdevelopment in the Mafia Archipelago: An Historical Analysis (Caractéristiques Structurelles Du Sous-Développement Dans l’archipel de Mafia: Analyse Historique).” Cahiers d’Études Africaines, vol. 20, no. 79, 1980, pp. 331–53. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4391705. Accessed 3 Sept. 2023.
  11. ↑ Van Spengen, Wim. “Structural Characteristics of Underdevelopment in the Mafia Archipelago: An Historical Analysis (Caractéristiques Structurelles Du Sous-Développement Dans l’archipel de Mafia: Analyse Historique).” Cahiers d’Études Africaines, vol. 20, no. 79, 1980, pp. 331–53. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4391705. Accessed 3 Sept. 2023.
  12. ↑ Christie, Annalisa C. “Exploring the Social Context of Maritime Exploitation in Tanzania between the 14th-18th c. AD: Recent Research from the Mafia Archipelago.” Prehistoric Marine Resource Use in the Indo-Pacific Regions, edited by Rintaro Ono et al., vol. 39, ANU Press, 2013, pp. 97–122. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt5hgz72.8. Accessed 3 Sept. 2023.
  13. ↑ "Mafia Island Underwater Heritage Survey 2012" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-09-03.
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