Tanga City Council (Halimashauri ya Jiji la Tanga, in Swahili) is one of eleven administrative districts of Tanga Region in Tanzania. The District covers an area of of which includes the historic city of Tanga and the Port of Tanga. Tanga district is bordered to the north by Mkinga District, to the east by the Indian Ocean, to the south and west by Muheza District. The district is comparable in size to the land area of Guam. for Guam at The administrative seat is the ward Central . The district is the administrative and economic center of Tanga Region. In Swahili, the word Tanga means "sail". The City was also the theater for the battle of Tanga. According to the 2022 census, the district has a total population of 393,429.
Administrative subdivisions As of 2012, Tanga District was administratively divided into 24 wards. As of 2022, Tanga City Council is composed of 4 divisions, each of which is further divided into 27 administrative wards. Nine of these, including Chongoleani, Mabokweni, Mzizima, Kiomoni, Kirare, Marungu, Tongoni, Masiwani Maweni, and Pongweu, are peri-urban areas. Of these, 18 are urban. 181 Mitaas make up the next division of the city.
Wards as of 2012
Central Chongoleani Chumbageni Duga Kiomoni Kirare Mabawa Mabokweni Majengo Makorora Marungu Maweni
Msambweni Mwanzange Mzingani Mzizima Ngamiani Kaskazini Ngamiani Kati Ngamiani Kusini Nguvumali Pongwe Tangasisi Tongoni Usagara
Additional wards in 2022: Magaoni Masiwani Myanjani
History Segeju and Digo people, who have long subsisted off the land and the water, were the first to settle in the area that is now Tanga City. In Tongoni, the Swahili city states first appeared in the ninth century and went into decline by the fifteenth century. Northeastern Tanzania's administrative capital and largest port, Tanga, has a long history. In the fourteenth century, Swahili and Shirazi traders founded the current settlement on Tanga bay's Toten Island.
Tanga's earliest written records date back to the Portuguese. The Portuguese created a trading post as a part of their East African coastal dominion, and between 1500 and 1700, they ruled the area for more than 200 years.
The region was first occupied by Germany in the early 1880s, and later it was settled by Germans. German East Africa picked Tanga as a military outpost in 1889, and in 1891 it was designated as a district office. Since independence of Tanganyika, Tanga City has been essential to the development of the national economy by connecting areas, people, and things and facilitating trade and social contact.
In the 1890s, when Germany was still in control of Tanga, the city underwent significant development as a result of German colonial administration. Tanga's port facilities were modernized, the Tanga to Moshi railway encouraged agricultural development, a tram line was developed within the city to facilitate domestic transport, a port was also built to facilitate exports, and Tanga became the region's main port for the export of sisal and coffee, the latter from the Usambaras. The British took over following the end of World War I, and the railway was completed from Mnyusi to Ruvu on the principal line, providing Tanga with a direct rail link to the capital Dar es Salaam. The Tanganyika Territory African Civil Services Association was established in 1922 and had its headquarters in Tanga, the first recognized modern native governmental entity at the time.
Geography In the Northern East of Tanzania's Mainland, Tanga City is situated along the Western Indian Ocean between the longitudes of 38°53' and 39°10' East and the latitudes of 5°00' and 5°16' South. It functions as the second-largest port in the nation as well as the administrative and commercial hub for the Tanga Region. Between 0 and 17 meters above sea level, it stretches 20 kilometers inland from the coast. There are streams, valleys, and undulating hills throughout the landscape. It takes up 600 square kilometers of land.
The city has a total area of 662 km2, of which 600 km2 or 90.63% is made up of land, and 62 km2 or 9.37% is made up of water bodies, mostly the Indian Ocean. Approximately 20 kilometers inland from the shore, the geography of the city continues. From 0 to 17 meters are above sea level. The Zigi, Nzimwi, and Utofu rivers and streams, as well as the Mgombani/Kakindu and Gombero rivers, are prominent in the north and the south, respectively, as are small sloping hills that are broken up by valleys with rivers and streams.
The entire land area of Tanga City is 60,000 hectares, of which only 9,620 hectares, or 37.73 percent of arable land, are exploited for crop production. Of this total, 25,494 hectares, or 42.49 percent, are designated as arable land and hence suitable for crop farming. Other economic and social activities are carried out on the remaining 34,506hectares (57.51%).
Climate The weather of Tanga is categorized as tropical, with rainier winters than summers, according to the Köppen climate classification. Tanga city's average temperature is 26.3 °C. Each year, precipitation totals around 1290 mm.With an average of 27 mm, February has the least amount of precipitation. With an average rainfall of 294 mm in May and an average annual temperature of 28.4 °C, March is the hottest month of the year. August has the lowest annual average temperature, hovering at 24.2 °C. However, the mangrove vegetation and coastal dampness have an impact on the climate of Tanga City Council.
The annual rainfall ranges from 600 to 1400 mm, depending on the year and the region. The two seasons of rain are "vuli" (October to December) and "masika," or heavy rain (March to May). Despite irregular and unpredictable precipitation, the zone is somewhat productive due to the comparatively high soil fertility.
Economy After a decline brought on by the collapse of the sisal export market between 1960 and 1970, Tanga's economy is currently seeing a resurgence. As a result of expanded markets, privatization, improved infrastructure, and more government backing for investment, new large and small scale industries and businesses are emerging. This resurgence has also been aided by the expansion of import and export through Tanga's port.
The economy of Tanga City Council is largely dependent on trade, industries, small- and medium-sized businesses, as well as agriculture and livestock keeping, which the latter still employs over 90% of the city's population and accounts for nearly 90% of the city's GDP. The remaining 10% is made up of contributions from other industries, including those that provide services, tourism, transportation, financial services, construction, mining, sports and culture.
Infrastructure Energy The national power grid provides service to Tanga City, which uses roughly 21 to 22 Megawatts (MW), or about one-third of the 66 Megawatts supplied to the area. The city is powered by 100% hydroelectricity, with stations at Mwakinyumbi on the Pangani River. About 17,500 and 21,000 KW are respectively the combined producing capacities of Pangani Falls Dam Hydro Plant and Hale Hydro Plant. The grid also connects to additional hydroelectric plants, including Mtera on the Great Ruaha River and Nyumba ya Mungu on the Pangani River. Power supply are adequate to meet increasing industrial and other demands. Additionally, there is significant growth in the development of solar and wind-generated electricity at different scales, including in private residences and organizations like hospitals.
Water and Sanitation Water is readily available in Tanga City because to the Zigi River. The daily requirement for water is 26,000 m3, whereas the maximum processing capacity is 42,000 m3. The Tanga Urban Water Authority offers services where there is a water network, including in certain village communities and urban regions.
Transport All forms of transportation—road, rail, water, and air, all serve Tanga City, with the road and river dominating the flow of people and commodities. The city's road network is reasonably good and accessible all year long, connecting it to other cities, regions, and countries.The 1,024.6 km of the road network are made up of 105 km of tarmac, 184.8 km of gravel, and 744.30 km of earth roads. Regarding air travel, the city's Kange airport handles small planes and offers access to Pemba, Dar es Salaam, and occasionally other adjacent regions and countries. 30,967 passengers and 5,486 aircraft trips are registered on average from the Tanga Airport.
Mass Communication Throughout the year, all parts of Tanga City have access to the postal service, telephone services, including mobile phones, courier services, and internet services. The Tanzania Posts Corporation (TPC), which also offers internet labs and other commercial providers, handles postal services such as handling of freight and mail, money transfers, the selling of postage stamps, and Expected Mail Services (EMS).
The City Council is a part of the "National ICT Broadband Backbone" and is covered by several cellular service providers, including Tanzania Telecommunication Company (TTCL), Vodacom, Tigo, Airtel, Zantel, and Halotel. Information and communication technology (ICT) is not widely used or accessible, yet there are numerous internet cafes across the city.There are four radio stations in the city, and television services from TBC, ITV, Star TV, Azam TV, EATV, Clouds, and Tanga TV are widely liked national content providers (broadcasters) as well.
Agriculture In Tanga City Council, agriculture makes up roughly 26.7% of the total revenue from own sources (crops 4.4% and livestock 22.2%). The industry has successfully produced surpluses of maize, the main food crop grown in the council, and has ensured food security. Along with raising crops, people also keep cattle as an additional source of food and money. More than 70% of the city's inhabitants are thought to rely on farming and raising livestock for a living. The information displays the estimated total land area.
Cassava, maize, and cowpeas are three of the main food crops farmed in the Tanga City Council. The council was able to harvest 12,069 tons of cassava, 1,925 tons of maize, and 57 tons of cowpeas for food during the 2019–20 season. Sisal, cashew nuts, coconut, mangoes, and oranges are the main cash crops grown in Tanga council. The council was able to harvest cash crops totaling 4,440 tons (coconut), 2,112 tons (mangoes), 1,917 tons (oranges), 1,000 tons (sisal), and 239 tons (cashew nuts) over the course of the fiscal years 2018/19 to 2020/21.
Fishing About 15% of the population of Tanga City Council depends on fishing for a living, making it one of the main economic activities that people engage in. The Tanga City Council also receives income from fishing-related activities, with money from license and auction fees making up around 9% of the budget for the council. Fish caught in the Indian Ocean and produced in privately owned aquaculture facilities are the main sources of fish products used by Tanga City Council.
The catch is transported to various regions of Tanzania and exported outside of the country for consumption. The harvested fish products, including as red snapper, kingfish, small pelagic, etc., are sold by auction in two main fish landing sites at Kasera, Deep Sea, Mchukuuni and Tongoni.Since there is no fish market in the city, the council hopes to build one near the deep-sea landing location. Fishing equipment used by fishermen includes nets, hooks, longlines, fish traps, and a small number of divers. Fishermen primarily employ canoe dugouts, dhows, and local boats. Small pelagic are prepared for sale to consumers domestically and in big quantities are exported to the Democratic Republic of the Congo by being pickled and salted.