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Dar es Salaam

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Dar es Salaam is a huge city in Tanzania.

Dar es salaam City
Dar es salaam City

It sits right on the Swahili coast of East Africa. The city is located on a natural harbour near the warm Indian Ocean.

Dar-es-Salam
Dar-es-Salam

Many people call it a financial hub because so much business happens there. It is the largest city in East Africa by population.

View of Panton and Dar es salaam City (City center)
View of Panton and Dar es salaam City (City center)

Experts think the population will grow to over 10 million people before the year 2030. This makes it one of the fastest-growing cities in the whole world.

The city is divided into five different areas called districts.

Kinondoni is in the north and has the most people. Ilala is in the centre and holds most of the government offices.

The Askari Monument in Dar es Salaam
The Askari Monument in Dar es Salaam

To the south are the districts of Ubungo and Temeke.

Magufuli Bus Terminus, Mbezi, Ubungo MC
Magufuli Bus Terminus, Mbezi, Ubungo MC

Finally, Kigamboni sits in the east across the Kurasini estuary.

BridgeOfLight
BridgeOfLight

You can reach Kigamboni by ferry or by using the Kigamboni Bridge. The city also uses a bus system called DART to move people around.

UDART - Rapid Transport Tanzania
UDART - Rapid Transport Tanzania

The history of this place started a long time ago. In the 19th century, it was just a small fishing village named Mzizima.

Dar es Salaam in 1930s
Dar es Salaam in 1930s

Around 1865, Sultan Majid bin Said of Zanzibar began building a new city nearby. He named it Dar es Salaam, which means "abode of peace" in Arabic.

The African tranditional dance in Dar es Salaam.
The African tranditional dance in Dar es Salaam.

Later, the German East Africa Company set up a station there in 1887. The city grew even more when the Central Railway Line was built in the early 1900s. During World War I, British and Empire forces eventually captured the area from Germany.

Dar-es-Salam
Dar-es-Salam

Today, the city is famous for many things like arts, fashion, and film.

Nyumba ya sanaa dar es salaam
Nyumba ya sanaa dar es salaam

The skyline is full of tall buildings that show how much the city has grown.

PPF tower pic
PPF tower pic

The TPA Tower is the tallest building in Tanzania.

TPAHQ
TPAHQ

The port is also very important for trade with nearby countries like Rwanda and Zambia.

The close view of the Kariakoo market in Dar es Salaam
The close view of the Kariakoo market in Dar es Salaam

In the Ilala district, you can find the busy Kariakoo Market. This market is a major place where people buy their food. It even has an underground section!

The weather in Dar es Salaam is tropical and very warm.

DarEsSalaam-KigamboniBeach
DarEsSalaam-KigamboniBeach

It stays hot and humid because it is near the equator. There are two different rainy seasons each year. The long rains happen in April and May. The short rains come in November and December.

Dar es salaam City
Dar es salaam City

Because it is by the ocean, some areas have lovely sandy beaches. People can enjoy the water or watch kite-surfers at Mbezi Beach. It is a busy, lively place that connects many different parts of Africa.

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🖼️ Images & Media (26)
File:Dar-es-Salam.jpg
Dar-es-Salam.jpg
File:Dar es Salaam in 1930s.JPG
Dar es Salaam in 1930s.JPG
File:PPF tower pic.jpg
PPF tower pic.jpg
File:Tanzanite Bridge, From Msasani Ward in Kinondoni District to Kivukoni ward in Ilala District.jpg
Tanzanite Bridge, From Msasani Ward in...
File:Road in Kinondoni MC, Dar es Salaam.jpg
Road in Kinondoni MC, Dar es Salaam.jpg
File:The Askari Monument in Dar es Salaam.jpg
The Askari Monument in Dar es Salaam.jpg
File:BridgeOfLight.jpg
BridgeOfLight.jpg
File:The front view of Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam.jpg
The front view of Julius Nyerere...
File:Dar es salaam City.jpg
Dar es salaam City.jpg
File:Bank of Tanzania before dusk.jpg
Bank of Tanzania before dusk.jpg
File:View of Panton and Dar es salaam City (City center).jpg
View of Panton and Dar es salaam City...
File:The close view of the Kariakoo market in Dar es Salaam.JPG
The close view of the Kariakoo market in...

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