Mwanza City, also known as Rock City to the residents, is a port city and capital of

Mwanza Region Mwanza Region (''Mkoa wa Mwanza'' in Swahili) is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions The region covers a land area of . The region is comparable in size to the combined land area of the nation state of North Macedonia. Njombe Region is ...

on the southern shore of

Lake Victoria Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after ...

in north-western

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

. With an urban population of 1,182,000 in 2021, it is Tanzania's second largest city, after

Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...

. It is also the second largest city in the Lake Victoria basin after

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

, Uganda and ahead of

Kisumu Kisumu ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Kenya by population, third-largest city in Kenya after the capital, Nairobi, and the coastal city of Mombasa (census 2019). It is the third-largest city after Kampala and Mwanza in the Lake Victor ...

, Kenya at least in population size. Within the East African community, Mwanza city is the fifth largest city after Dar,

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

, and Kampala. It is slightly ahead of

Kigali Kigali () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali has been Rwa ...

, and

Bujumbura Bujumbura (; ), formerly Usumbura, is the economic capital, largest city and main port of Burundi. It ships most of the country's chief export, coffee, as well as cotton and tin ore. Bujumbura was formerly the country's normal capital. In late ...

in the population of city proper limits. However, in terms of infrastructure, Kigali and Kisumu cities are way ahead of Mwanza. Mwanza city is also the capital city of

, and is administratively divided into two municipal districts within that Region -

Ilemela 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 o ...

and

Nyamagana Nyamagana District is one of the seven 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 ...

Ethnicity

The Sukuma constitute over 90 percent of the population of the

. Other ethnic groups in the region, in much smaller proportions, include the Zinza, Haya, Sumbwa, Nyamwezi,

Luo Luo may refer to: Luo peoples and languages *Luo peoples, an ethno-linguistic group of eastern and central Africa **Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania or Joluo, an ethnic group in western Kenya, eastern Uganda, and northern Tanzania. ***Luoland, the ...

, 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.

Economy

The bridge of Furahisha in Mwanza represents transportation and safety of its people. This has a created safe space for the citizens and it stand as a remarkable symbol of Mwanza. In 2011 the City Council announced plans to create a major commercial development in the Ilemela District. 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.

Tanzania Breweries Limited Tanzania Breweries Limited, also referred to as TBL, is the oldest and largest brewing company in Tanzania. Overview Tanzania Breweries Limited is a Tanzania based company principally engaged in the production, distribution and sale of malt bee ...

has a brewery in Mwanza

Fishing

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. The

Nile perch The Nile perch (''Lates niloticus''), also known as the African snook, Goliath perch, African barramundi , Goliath barramundi, Giant lates or the Victoria perch, is a species of freshwater fish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. It is wid ...

were previously introduced to the lake, and are exported in large quantities. The consequences of the Nile perch industry are the subject of the Academy Award nominated documentary ''

Darwin's Nightmare ''Darwin's Nightmare'' is a 2004 Austrian-French-Belgian documentary film written and directed by Hubert Sauper, dealing with the environmental and social effects of the fishing industry around Lake Victoria in Tanzania. It premiered at the 2004 V ...

'' (2004) by Hubert Sauper.

Water supply and sanitation

Water supply coverage is at 75% and sewerage at 23.7%. Projects to increase coverage including the UN Habitat Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation (LVWATSAN-Mwanza) project. Water is managed by the Mwanza Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (Mwauwasa), established in 1996 and wholly owned by the government of Tanzania. The authority covers Mwanza City,

Kisesa Kisesa is an administrative ward in the Magu District of the Mwanza Region of Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African G ...

Township in

Magu District 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 ...

, Misungwi town and Nyahiti Village in

Misungwi District Misungwi District is one of the seven Districts of Tanzania, 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, Shinyang ...

Geita Geita is a town and regional capital of Geita Region in northwestern Tanzania. The town is known for its gold trade. Geita, with a population of 99,795 (2012 census). It is located in the centre of a gold mining area. In March 2012 it became th ...

Sengerema Sengerema is a town in Mwanza Region of Tanzania, East Africa. It is the administrative seat of Sengerema District, one of the districts of Mwanza Region. Sengerema District Hospital was founded in 1959 and it is located within Sengerema town ...

and Nansio, and

Lamadi Lamadi is a town and a ward in Busega District of Simiyu Region, Tanzania. It is located on the shore of Lake Victoria. On 'dala dala' mini-busses in the area, the town's name is sometimes misspelled as 'Ramadi' the town have street (mitaa) that a ...

Simiyu Region Simiyu Region (''Mkoa wa Simiyu'' in Swahili language, Swahili) is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative Regions of Tanzania, regions. The regional capital is the town of Bariadi. Simiyu Region is named after the Simiyu River. The region is home t ...

. Mwauwasa operates a wastewater treatment plant in Butuja Ilemela

Tourism

National Parks

Saanane Island National Park Saanane Island National Park is a Tanzanian national park in Mwanza. The park is located on an island in Lake Victoria and can be reached by boat from the TANAPA offices on Capri Point in Mwanza town. It is named after the local farmer and fisherm ...

is located on a rocky island in

, 500 meters from Capri Point in the centre of Mwanza. The westernmost gate (Ndabaka Gate) of

Serengeti National Park The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in northern Tanzania that stretches over . It is located entirely in eastern Mara Region and north east portion of Simiyu Region and contains over of virgin savanna. The park was established in ...

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.

Rubondo Island National Park Rubondo Island National Park is one of two Tanzanian national parks located on an island in Lake Victoria (the other being Saanane Island National Park). The Island is administered by Geita District of Geita Region, and as a National Park, the is ...

can be reached by road and boat, or by a direct flight from Mwanza. It is located around 110 kilometres west of Mwanza town.

Culture

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.

Education

St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) is the main university in Mwanza. The University extends over 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.

Places of worship

Among the

places of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is somet ...

, they are predominantly

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

churches and temples : Africa Inland Church Tanzania,

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mwanza The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mwanza ( la, Archidioecesis Mvanzaënsis) is the Metropolitan See for the Ecclesiastical province of Mwanza in Tanzania. History * 1880: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Nyanza from the Apostolic Vicariate ...

(

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Anglican Church of Tanzania The Anglican Church of Tanzania (ACT) is a province of the Anglican Communion based in Dodoma. It consists of 28 dioceses (27 on the Tanzanian mainland, and 1 on Zanzibar) headed by their respective bishops. It seceded from the Province of East A ...

(

Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) is the federation of Lutheran churches in Tanzania and one of the largest Lutheran denominations in the world, with more than 6 million members, or 13% of the Tanzanian population. It is the secon ...

(

Lutheran World Federation The Lutheran World Federation (LWF; german: Lutherischer Weltbund) is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran denominations headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish ...

Baptist Convention of Tanzania The Baptists' Church of Tanzania is a Baptist Christian denomination, affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance, in Tanzania. The headquarters is in Dodoma, Tanzania. History The Baptist Convention of Tanzania started in 1956 by an American mi ...

(

Baptist World Alliance The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is the largest international Baptist organization with an estimated 51 million people in 2022 with 246 member bodies in 128 countries and territories. A voluntary association of Baptist churches, the BWA account ...

Assemblies of God The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches that together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination."Assemblies of God". ...

. There are also

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

mosques and BAPS temple for the Hindu community.

Climate

Mwanza features a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...

under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

. 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 throughout the year. The city features a lengthy

wet season The wet season (sometimes called the Rainy season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. It is the time of year where the majority of a country's or region's annual precipitation occurs. Generally, the sea ...

which runs from October through May and a short pronounced

dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The te ...

that covers the remaining four months. Mwanza receives on average roughly of precipitation annually.

Transport

Airport

2010-09-12 10-33-43 Tanzania - Ihale 5H-PAZ

Mwanza is served by the

Mwanza Airport Mwanza International Airport is a major regional airport in northern Tanzania serving the city of Mwanza. It is located near the southern shores of Lake Victoria approximately from the city. It serves as the main hub for Auric Air and a seconda ...

, which is designated as a regional airport.

Air Tanzania Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) ( sw, Kampuni ya Ndege ya Tanzania) is the flag carrier airline of Tanzania based in Dar es Salaam with its hub at Julius Nyerere International Airport. It was established as Air Tanzania Corporation (ATC ...

offers flights to

Precision Air Precision Air Services Plc (operating as Precision Air; DSE:PAL) is a Tanzanian airline based at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. The airline operates scheduled passenger services to Nairobi, Entebbe, and to various airpo ...

has daily flights to Mwanza, including from

(via Kilimanjaro), and

also flies to the city.

Railway

The city is connected by rail with

Shinyanga Shinyanga, also known as Shinyanga Mji in the local Swahili language, is a city in northern Tanzania. The city is the location of the regional headquarters of Shinyanga Region as well as the district headquarters of Shinyanga Urban District. The ...

on a branch of Tanzania's Central Railway. Twice a week the train departs to

, via

Dodoma Dodoma ( in Gogo), officially Dodoma City, is the national capital of Tanzania and the capital of the Dodoma Region, with a population of 410,956. In 1974, the Tanzanian government announced that the capital would be moved to Dodoma for social a ...

Tabora Tabora is the capital of Tanzania's Tabora Region and is classified as a municipality by the Tanzanian government. It is also the administrative seat of Tabora Urban District. According to the 2012 census, the district had a population of 226,999. ...

and

Kigoma Kigoma is a city and lake port in Kigoma-Ujiji District in Tanzania, on the northeastern shores of Lake Tanganyika and close to the border with Burundi and The Democratic Republic of the Congo. It serves as the capital for the surrounding Kigoma R ...

Buses

Nyegezi bus station is located in Nyamagana district. Buses going to the south and west leave from Nyegezi, as well as international services. Buzuruga bus station is located in Ilemela district. Buses going to the east, North and the Kenyan border depart from Buzuruga bus station.

Ferry

In December 2014 the regular ferry service between Mwanza,

Bukoba Bukoba is a city with a population of 128,796 (2012 census), situated in the north west 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. T ...

and

was halted whilst the ferry boat MV Victoria underwent major maintenance.

Sports

The

CCM Kirumba Stadium CCM Kirumba Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Mwanza, Tanzania. It has a capacity of 35,000 and is the second largest stadium in the country after the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam Matches The Tanzania national football team has played ma ...

has hosted matches of the

Tanzania national football team The Tanzania national football team ( sw, Timu ya Taifa ya Mpira wa Miguu ya Tanzania) represents Tanzania in men's international football and is controlled by the Tanzania Football Federation, the governing body for football in Tanzania, Tanz ...

Mbao FC Mbao FC is a football club from Mwanza, Tanzania. 'Mbao' is the Swahili word for 'wood'. History 2015/2016 They won promotion to the Tanzanian Premier League after the 2015/2016 season. They were promoted after a match fixing scandal forced other ...

is a football team from Mwanza that was promoted to the

Tanzanian Premier League The Tanzania Mainland Premier League () is the top-level professional association football, football league in Tanzania and is administered by the Tanzania Football Federation. History The league was first organised in 1921 in Dar es Salaam. By ...

at the end of the 2015/2016 football season.

Cooperation with cities outside Tanzania

Tampere Tampere ( , , ; sv, Tammerfors, ) is a city in the Pirkanmaa region, located in the western part of Finland. Tampere is the most populous inland city in the Nordic countries. It has a population of 244,029; the urban area has a population o ...

, Finland: The relationship between Tampere and Mwanza is part of the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme. *

Tifariti Tifariti ( Berber: Tifariti, ar, تيفاريتي) is an oasis town located in north-eastern Western Sahara, east of the Moroccan Berm, from Smara and north of the border with Mauritania. It is part of what Polisario Front calls the ''Liberate ...

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (; SADR; also romanized with Saharawi; ar, الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية ' es, República Árabe Saharaui Democrática), also known as Western Sahara, is a p ...

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg is ...

, Germany"HIV: New Problems for Africa", University of Würzburg
/ref>

Gallery

Mwanza Jamatkhana.jpg, The Jamatkhana Mosque. Nyakahoja Catholic Church.JPG, The Nyakahoja Catholic Church. A street sight of Mwanza downtown.JPG, A street sight of Mwanza downtown. Mwanza is a city among the rocks.JPG, Mwanza a city among the rocks. Nyerere road Mwanza.jpg, Nyerere road, Mwanza Mwanza city-5.jpg, The Mwanza city centre. Mwanza Tanzania we call this place Rock City, Beautful place indeed.jpg, Bismark rock in Rock city.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Cities in Tanzania Lake Victoria Regional capitals in Tanzania Populated places in Mwanza Region Populated places on Lake Victoria Port cities in Tanzania Cities in the Great Rift Valley