discover the city

The City of Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's largest and richest city, serving as a regionally important economic centre. The city is located within the Dar es Salaam Region, an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: northern Kinondoni, central Ilala, and southern Temeke. The Dar es Salaam Region had a population of 4,364,541 as of the official 2012 census

Geography

Dar es Salaam is located at 6°48' south, 39°17' East (−6.8000, 39.2833).The city is situated on a natural harbour on the eastern coast of Africa, with sandy beaches in some areas.

Administratively, the Dar es Salaam region is divided into three districts: Ilala, Kinondoni, and Temeke.

Population

Dar es Salaam is the largest city in Tanzania. With a population increase of 5.6 percent per year from 2002 to 2012, the city has become the third fastest growing in Africa (ninth fastest in the world), after Bamako and Lagos, respectively. The metro population is expected to reach 5.12 million by 2020.

Economy and infrastructure

Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's most important city for both business and government. The city contains high concentrations of trade and other services and manufacturing compared to other parts of Tanzania, which has about 80 percent of its population in rural areas. Downtown Dar es Salaam includes many small businesses, many of which are run by traders and proprietors whose families originated from the Middle East and Indian sub-continent — areas of the world with which the settlements of the Tanzanian coast have had long-standing trading relations.

Located on a natural harbour on the Indian Ocean, it is the hub of the Tanzanian transportation system as all of the country's main railways and several of its highways originate in or near the city.

Climate

Because it is located close to the equator and the warm Indian Ocean, the city experiences generally tropical climatic conditions, typified by hot and humid weather throughout much of the year. Dar es Salaam has a tropical wet and dry climate, with two different rainy seasons. Annual rainfall is approximately 1,100 mm (43 in), and in a normal year there are two distinct rainy seasons: "the long rains", which fall during April and May, and "the short rains", which fall during October and November.

Transportation

The Julius Nyerere International Airport is the principal airport serving the country, named after the country's first President.

The TAZARA Railway connects Dar es Salaam to the neighbouring country of Zambia. The Central Line (Railway) runs west from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika via Dodoma.

Tourism

Dar es Salaam has two of the five museums comprising the National Museum of Tanzania consortium, namely the National Museum proper and the Village Museum. The National Museum is dedicated to the history of Tanzania; most notably, it exhibits some of the bones of Paranthropus boisei that were among the findings of Louis Leakey at Olduvai Bagamoyo, showcases traditional huts from 16 different Tanzanian ethnic groups. There are also examples of traditional cultivations, and traditional music and dance shows are held daily.

. The Village Museum, located in the outskirts of the city on the road to

Close to the National Museum are also the botanical gardens, with some specimens of tropical plants and trees.

There are beaches on the Msasani peninsula north of Dar es Salaam and in Kigamboni to the south where residents and tourists alike frequently visit. Trips to the nearby islands of the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve are a popular daytrip from the city and a favourite spot for snorkeling, swimming and sunbathing. In addition to that, Bongoyo Island can be reached by boat from the Msasani Slipway.

Sport

The National Stadium hosts Dar es Salaam's Young Africans Football Club, Simba Football Club, other Tanzanian football clubs, and many other international matches.

Simba Football Club

                                            Dar es Salaam's Young Africans Football Club

Education

Dar es Salaam is also the educational centre of Tanzania. The city is home to many Educational  

·         The University of Dar es Salaam is the oldest and largest public university in Tanzania. It is located inn the western part of the city, occupying 1,625 acres (6.58 km²) on the observation hill, 13 km (8 mi) from the city centre.

The university has approximately 16,400 undergraduate and 2,700 postgraduate students.

·         Ardhi University had 2,457 undergraduate and 156 postgraduate students in 2010/2011.

The university offers two-year diploma programmes in the fields of land surveying and land management and valuation. A three-year diploma program in urban and rural planning has been introduced.

·     Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences has two campuses; Muhimbili Campus and Mloganzila Campus. Muhimbili Campus is situated in Ilala Municipality, in Upanga along United Nations Road.

Mloganzila Campus is still new and in the process of development and it occupies 3,800 acres (15 km²) and is located 3 km (2 mi) off Dar es Salaam-Morogoro highway, 25 km (16 mi) from Dar es Salaam.

·         The Open University of Tanzania is a fully fledged and accredited public institution of higher learning, mandated to conduct academic programmes leading to certificates, diplomas, undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. Since it was founded, the university has enrolled students from Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Namibia, Hungary, Burundi, Libya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Lesotho, Botswana and most of Tanzania. As of 2008, the total enrollment at the university was 44,099, the majority of whom wereTanzanian.

·         The Hubert Kairuki Memorial University is a private institution located on plot No. 322 Regent Estate in the Mikocheni area, some 7-km from the Dar es Salaam City centre, off Ali Hassan Mwinyi and Old Bagamoyo roads.

·         The International Medical and Technological University is a privately owned institute of higher education institution operating in Dar es Salaam.

·         The Kampala International University- began operations in 2009 operating from Quality Plaza along Pugu road.Currently, the University Centre is situated on a 60 acres (240,000 m²) of land, at Gongo la Mboto area in Ilala District, 7 km (4 mi) from Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International Airport along Pugu road.