Arusha, Tanzania
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Arusha is a city in
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
. The city is the
capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...
of the
Arusha Region Arusha Region () is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative Regions of Tanzania, regions and is located in the northeast of the country. The region's capital and largest city is the city of Arusha. The region is bordered by Kajiado County and Narok C ...
. It has a population of 617,631 people.Citypopulation.de
Population of the major cities in Tanzania
Located below
Mount Meru Mount Meru (Sanskrit/Pali: मेरु)—also known as Sumeru, Sineru or Mahāmeru—is a sacred, five-peaked mountain present within Hindu, Jain and Buddhist cosmologies, revered as the centre of all physical, metaphysical and spiritua ...
on the eastern edge of the eastern branch of the
Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley () is a series of contiguous geographic depressions, approximately 6,000 or in total length, the definition varying between sources, that runs from the southern Turkish Hatay Province in Asia, through the Red Sea, to Moz ...
, Arusha region has a temperate climate. The region is close to the
Serengeti National Park The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in northern Tanzania that stretches over . It is located in eastern Mara Region and northeastern Simiyu Region and contains over of virgin savanna. The park was established in 1940. The Se ...
, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara National Park,
Olduvai Gorge The Olduvai Gorge or Oldupai Gorge in Tanzania is one of the most important paleoanthropology, paleoanthropological localities in the world; the many sites exposed by the gorge have proven invaluable in furthering understanding of early human evo ...
, Tarangire National Park,
Mount Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, at above sea level and above its plateau base. It is also the highest volcano i ...
, and
Mount Meru Mount Meru (Sanskrit/Pali: मेरु)—also known as Sumeru, Sineru or Mahāmeru—is a sacred, five-peaked mountain present within Hindu, Jain and Buddhist cosmologies, revered as the centre of all physical, metaphysical and spiritua ...
in the
Arusha National Park The Arusha National Park (''Hifahdi ya Taifa ya Arusha'', in Swahili) is a national park of Tanzania, with the IUCN category II located within Meru District and Arusha Rural District of the Arusha Region of Tanzania that covers Mount Meru ...
. The region is a major international diplomatic hub. It hosts the African Court of the
African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...
and is the capital of the
East African Community The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation in East Africa. The EAC's membership consists of eight states: Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, S ...
. From 1994 to 2015, the region also hosted the
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR; ; ) was an international court, international ''ad-hoc'' court established in November 1994 by the United Nations Security Council in United Nations Security Council Resolution 955, Resolutio ...
, but that entity has ceased operations. Currently, it hosts one of the branches of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) or the MICT in Kinyarwanda, also known simply as the Mechanism, is an international court established by the United Nations Security Council in 2010 to perform the remaining fun ...
. Arusha is a multicultural region with a majority Tanzanian population of mixed backgrounds: indigenous African, Arab-Tanzanian and Indian-Tanzanian population, plus a small European and North American minority population. Religions of the Arusha region population include
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
,
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
,
Sikhism Sikhism is an Indian religion and Indian philosophy, philosophy that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religious groups, major religio ...
and
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
.


History

The current site of Arusha was first settled in the 1830s by the agro-pastoral Arusha Maasai from the Arusha Chini community, south of
Mount Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, at above sea level and above its plateau base. It is also the highest volcano i ...
."'A Town of Strangers' or a 'Model Modern East African Town'? Arusha & the Arusha", authored by Thomas Spear, in ''Africa's Urban Past'', edited by David Anderson and Richard Rathbone, James Currey Publishers, 2000; accessed 31 October 2014.
/ref> They traded grains, honey, beer, and tobacco with the pastoral
Kisongo Kisongo is an administrative ward and small town in the Arusha Rural District of the Arusha Region of Tanzania. According to the 2022 census, the ward has a total population of 12,519. It is located in the outskirts of Arusha, about 7 km ...
Maasai in exchange for livestock, milk, meat, and skins. Demand for Arusha's foodstuffs increased substantially during the 1860s when the Pangani Valley trade route was extended through Old Moshi, Arusha, and ultimately to western Kenya. Although not yet a town, it was a regional centre with a number of urban features. Arusha was conquered by the Germans in 1896 after the murder of the first two missionaries who attempted to settle on nearby
Mount Meru Mount Meru (Sanskrit/Pali: मेरु)—also known as Sumeru, Sineru or Mahāmeru—is a sacred, five-peaked mountain present within Hindu, Jain and Buddhist cosmologies, revered as the centre of all physical, metaphysical and spiritua ...
. The Germans established a permanent presence in 1900 when a military fort (a ''boma'') was built and soldiers were garrisoned there. "The ''boma'' was a solid statement, meant to impress German moral and political order on the surrounding countryside. Set on a rise overlooking the plains, the fortress-like building dominated the surrounding landscape" complete with a machine gun. Many Africans were forcibly displaced from their ancestral lands by the Germans and forced to dig lime or carry stones to construct the fort. The British took Arusha from the Germans in 1916 during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. German officials left the area, the British deported German missionaries and settlers, and only a skeletal military administration of the town remained. During the 1920s, civilian administration was implemented, missionaries from the United States arrived, British and Greek settlers reoccupied the former German farms, and the town grew, especially after the British moved the regional administration from New Moshi to Arusha. The extension of the railroad from Moshi to Arusha in 1928-29 greatly increased commerce. The
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
soon squelched commerce and Arusha in 1940 had fewer than 2,000 residents. Growth resumed during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and by 1948, the population had increased to more than 5,000. In 1952, a partial census was conducted in Tanganyika, covering cities and towns. Arusha's population at the time was 7,797, of whom 1,084 were Europeans, 3,153 were Asians, and 3,560 native Africans. By the 1950s, Arusha was "a
polyglot Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...
, westernized little town; it has a Greek community, several Germans predating World War I, and some
German Jewish The history of the Jews in Germany goes back at least to the year 321 CE, and continued through the Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries CE) and High Middle Ages (c. 1000–1299 CE) when Jewish immigrants founded the Ashkenazi Jewish commu ...
refugees post-dating World War II." A state of emergency was declared in the Arusha region in 1953 in response to the
Mau Mau Uprising The Mau Mau rebellion (1952–1960), also known as the Mau Mau uprising, Mau Mau revolt, or Kenya Emergency, was a war in the British Kenya Colony (1920–1963) between the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA), also known as the Mau Mau, and the ...
. Journalist
John Gunther John Gunther (August 30, 1901 – May 29, 1970) was an Americans, American journalist and writer. His success came primarily by a series of popular sociopolitical works, known as the "Inside" books (1936–1972), including the best-sell ...
noted at the time that "a loyal tribe, the Waarusha, threatened to take violent countermeasures against the Kikuyus themselves, if the British did not. The authorities arrested the leading Mau Mau conspirators, screened thousands more, and deported other thousands back to Kenya." In the 1960s, parts of the movie ''
Hatari! ''Hatari!'' (, Swahili for "Danger!") is a 1962 American adventure romantic comedy film starring John Wayne as the leader of a group of professional game catchers in Africa.McCarthy, Todd. ''Howard Hawks: the grey fox of Hollywood'', New York, ...
'' with
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
were filmed at Momela Lakes and at
Mount Meru Mount Meru (Sanskrit/Pali: मेरु)—also known as Sumeru, Sineru or Mahāmeru—is a sacred, five-peaked mountain present within Hindu, Jain and Buddhist cosmologies, revered as the centre of all physical, metaphysical and spiritua ...
. Arusha has been a crucial city in the history of modern Tanzania. Official documents ceding independence to Tanganyika were signed by the United Kingdom at Arusha in 1961. The
Arusha Declaration The Arusha Declaration () and TANU’s Policy on Socialism and Self Reliance (1967), referred to as the Arusha Declaration, is known as Tanzania’s most prominent political statement of African Socialism, ‘ Ujamaa’, or brotherhood (Kaiti ...
was signed in 1967 in Arusha. The Arusha Accords were signed at the city of Arusha on 4 August 1993, by representatives of competing factions in the Rwandan civil war. The Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement for
Burundi Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa, with a population of over 14 million peop ...
was signed on 28 August 2000 as part of a process forging peace in that country through power sharing and establishing a transitional government. The January 2015 Arusha Agreement for South Sudan created a framework for the reunification of South Sudan's ruling SPLM party, which had splintered into three creating a humanitarian crisis as fighting between factions intensified. It provided that all SPLM members who were dismissed be reinstated to their previous positions and a secret ballot system be adopted. In 1994, the UN Security Council decided by its Resolution 955 of 8 November 1994 that Arusha should host the ''ad hoc''
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR; ; ) was an international court, international ''ad-hoc'' court established in November 1994 by the United Nations Security Council in United Nations Security Council Resolution 955, Resolutio ...
. The establishment of the tribunal with its foreign employees has influenced the local economy of the city increasing the cost of living for residents. The tribunal has downsized due to its closure in 2014, but its legal successor, the United Nations
International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) or the MICT in Kinyarwanda, also known simply as the Mechanism, is an international court established by the United Nations Security Council in 2010 to perform the remaining fun ...
established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1966, will continue entertaining a branch in Arusha, opening on 1 July 2012. The tribunal indicted 93 individuals and sentenced 62. The Tanzanian government intended to declare Arusha a city on 1 July 2006, but this was delayed due to pending municipality boundary adjustments. Arusha was granted city status on 15 August 2012, with it becoming official on 2 November 2012. In 2013, a quarry located in Arusha collapsed and killed 14 miners after heavy rain.


Intergovernmental organisations

Arusha is home to a number of notable intergovernmental organisations. The city of Arusha is the headquarters of the
East African Community The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation in East Africa. The EAC's membership consists of eight states: Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, S ...
, hosts a branch of the
International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) or the MICT in Kinyarwanda, also known simply as the Mechanism, is an international court established by the United Nations Security Council in 2010 to perform the remaining fun ...
, and the
African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, also known simply as the African Court, is an international court established by member states of the African Union (AU) to implement provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Right ...
.


Transport


Airport

Arusha is served by two airports: the Kilimanjaro International Airport for international air travellers, some east, approximately halfway to Moshi. The airport provides international and domestic flights.
Arusha Airport Arusha Airport (''Uwanja wa ndege wa Arusha'' in Swahili) is a domestic airport located in Olasiti ward of the city of Arusha, the capital of the Arusha Region of Tanzania. The airport is currently undergoing an expansion, which includes a new ...
is a regional air hub in the west of the city, and serves more than 87,000 passengers yearly.


Road links

Travel by road can be done through privately run coaches (buses) to
Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...
,
Dodoma Dodoma ( in Gogo), officially Dodoma City (''Jiji Kuu la Dodoma'', in Swahili), is the capital city of Tanzania. With a population of 765,179, it is also the administrative capital of both Dodoma Municipal Council and the entire Dodoma R ...
, Babati,
Morogoro Morogoro is a city located in the eastern part of Tanzania, approximately 196 kilometers (122 miles) west of Dar es Salaam. Retrieved on November 24, 2011. It serves as the capital of the Morogoro Region. Informally, it is referred to as ''Mji ...
, Tanga,
Mbeya Mbeya is a city located in south west Tanzania, Africa, with an urban population of 649,000 in 2023. Mbeya is the capital of the surrounding rural Mbeya Region, Mbeya region (population, with Mbeya, totals approx. 2 million). Mbeya is situated a ...
,
Singida Singida is a city in central Tanzania. The city is the location of the regional headquarters of Singida Region as well as the district headquarters of Singida Urban District. The region and district are named after the city. Transport Road lin ...
,
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, ...
,
Mpanda Mpanda is a city in Katavi Region of Tanzania, East Africa with a postcode number 50100. It is the administrative centre of Katavi Region, Mpanda District and is itself one of the four districts of the region. Mpanda is a "frontier town" in t ...
,
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 ...
,
Mwanza Mwanza City, also known as Rock City to the residents, is a port city and capital of Mwanza Region on the southern shore of Lake Victoria in north-western Tanzania. With an urban population of 1,104,521 and a population of 3,699,872 in the region ...
,
Bukoba Bukoba is a city with a population of 144,938 (2022 census), situated in the northwest 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. The ...
,
Iringa Iringa is a city in Tanzania with a population of 202,490 () and situated at a latitude of 7.77°S and longitude of 35.69°E. The name is derived from the Hehe language, Hehe word ''lilinga'', meaning fort. Iringa is the administrative capita ...
, and
Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (, ; from ) is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over 7 million people, Dar es Salaam is the largest city in East Africa by population and the ...
. Arusha is on the Cape to Cairo Road. There was a marker in the 1930s in Arusha indicating the mid-point of the route. It is also on the Cairo-Cape Town Highway.


Culture

The city hosts the National Natural History Museum, which contains three exhibits on early man, plants and animals of the region, and the history of the city. The Natural National History Museum used to be an administration outpost for the
Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...
in the 1900s. It was opened in 1987 as a public museum and displays important assets to the scientific community such as models of
Australopithecus ''Australopithecus'' (, ; or (, ) is a genus of early hominins that existed in Africa during the Pliocene and Early Pleistocene. The genera ''Homo'' (which includes modern humans), ''Paranthropus'', and ''Kenyanthropus'' evolved from some ''Aus ...
people, human ancestors that lived over 2 million years ago. It is also home to a giant tortoise, over 100 years old, which freely roams the grounds. A small museum adjacent to the Uhuru monument displays information about the proceedings of the 1967
Arusha Declaration The Arusha Declaration () and TANU’s Policy on Socialism and Self Reliance (1967), referred to as the Arusha Declaration, is known as Tanzania’s most prominent political statement of African Socialism, ‘ Ujamaa’, or brotherhood (Kaiti ...
. The Arusha Cultural Heritage Centre is a large privately run art gallery in a striking building, resembling the Guggenheim museum whilst drawing on African symbols (drum, spear, and shield). It holds a wide range of African art, including from the Tanzanian TingaTinga school. Exhibits are for sale and there is not a permanent collection.


Places of worship

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 so ...
include the majority
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
churches: Archdiocese of Arusha,
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 Ea ...
,
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 se ...
,
Baptist Convention of Tanzania The Baptists' Church of Tanzania is an denomination of Baptists, affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance, in Tanzania. The headquarters is in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. History The Baptists' Church of Tanzania formally Baptist Convention of T ...
, and
Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...
. There are also
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
mosques.


Education

Most Arushan children attend public schools located in almost every ward of the city. There are five international schools in and around Arusha: International School Moshi (Arusha Campus), Arusha Meru International School, Braeburn School, St Constantine's International School, and Kennedy House International School. The city of Arusha is home to the National College of Tourism - Arusha Campus, Arusha Technical College, Tengeru Institute of community Development, The Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology, Eastern and Southern African Management Institute, MS Training Centre for Development Cooperation (MS-TCDC), The Institute of Accountancy Arusha, Forestry Training Institute, Olmotonyi, Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, Tumaini University Makumira, and The Mount Meru University. Arcadia University hosts a film course that has led to the creation of the Arusha African Film Festival, which allows people to come and watch films created by local people. The guidelines allows a multitude of filmmakers to be taken into account for awards, and each year a new theme is chosen for the festival. The AAFF is connected to the East African Film Festival, which also gives ample opportunity for awards and credit to young filmmakers.


Geography and climate

Despite its proximity to the
equator The equator is the circle of latitude that divides Earth into the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Southern Hemisphere, Southern Hemispheres of Earth, hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, about in circumferen ...
, Arusha's elevation of on the southern slopes of Mount Meru keeps temperatures relatively low and alleviates humidity. Cool dry air is prevalent for much of the year. The temperature typically ranges between with an average annual high temperature around . It has distinct wet and dry seasons, and experiences an eastern prevailing wind from the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
, a few hundred kilometres east. Under the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, it has a
subtropical highland climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring c ...
(''Cwb''). Areas away from Arusha to the south and west are classified as
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 ...
(''Aw''). The record high since records began in 2000 is . The record low is . Arusha averages 29.8 days per year above – all between November and March. Arusha's annual rainfall average is , mostly coming during the long rainy season from March to May. Areas immediately to the north and northeast of Arusha can see more rain and cooler temperatures due to the influence of Mt. Meru, whose rain shadow extends toward the southeast side of the mountain. Arusha and the northern highlands of Tanzania experience a bimodal rainfall pattern, with two rainy seasons. Many crops are planted twice per year. The long ''masika'' rains from March through May are more reliable in Arusha than in surrounding areas because of the influence of Mt. Meru. The short ''vuli'' rains are less reliable, usually coming in November and December. The dry ''kiangazi'' season is June to October. Higher elevation areas north and northeast of the city are home to farmers growing bananas, coffee, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, leafy greens, and other vegetables. Cultivation in areas to the northwest, west, southwest, south, and southeast focuses on maize, beans and wheat. There is a significant horticulture industry, with several companies growing flowers for export to Europe.


Sports

The city is home to the Tanzanian rugby
national team A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport. The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...
. The city hosts international rugby matches as well. Joshua Peterson, who played for the national team, was the second youngest international rugby player ever, behind Jonny Wilkinson. Southern Pool A of the 2007 Castel Beer Trophy was hosted here as well. The city is home to Arusha FC, playing in Sheikh Amri Abeid Memorial Stadium, which represents the city in Tanzanian league football. The city also hosted the Mount Meru Marathon, held from 1985 to 2004. The "all-comers" record for the fastest
marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...
performance in Tanzania, 2:13:46, was set at the event by former
long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...
Benedict Ako on August 1, 1993. On 21 May 2011, the
Drake Bulldogs The Drake Bulldogs are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent Drake University, located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The Bulldogs' athletic program is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) and competes at the NCA ...
beat the CONADEIP All-Stars by 17–7 in the first ever American football game in Tanzania. Arusha is home for the Arusha Motor Sports Club (AMSC), which provides motor entertainment for the city of Arusha. It was created in 1996 with the purpose of providing "motor rallying", which was a new concept at the time for Tanzania, as a new form of entertainment. The AMSC is the largest club in Tanzania that invites foreign competitors to rally and compete for AMSC. On August 10, 2022, Arusha held the 44th CAF Ordinal General Assembly, which also included the launch of the new Africa Super League.


In popular culture

Arusha was the setting for the 1962 film ''
Hatari! ''Hatari!'' (, Swahili for "Danger!") is a 1962 American adventure romantic comedy film starring John Wayne as the leader of a group of professional game catchers in Africa.McCarthy, Todd. ''Howard Hawks: the grey fox of Hollywood'', New York, ...
'', directed by
Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, Film producer, producer, and screenwriter of the Classical Hollywood cinema, classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American ...
and starring
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
. Parts of the film were shot at Momela Lakes. Arusha is alleged to be midway between
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
and
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
. Arusha city has 5 popular gated communities: 1: Dolly Estate - Located at Usa River area focusing on country living. Known for a shear number of expats and wealthy Tanzanians who enjoy their space. A bit out of town but exactly what the residents Love it to be. 2: PPF - Located at Njiro area near the Village supermarket. The first to start a gated community idea in Arusha, this place has beautiful homes, tarmac roads and very quiet. 3: Kwa Mawala - Located at a quiet side of Majengo area near the popular Aim mall, which has Village supermarket, a movie theater and a few eateries. 4: Westlands - Located at Sakina area with picturesque view of Mount Meru. Inside the gate includes a school, beautiful apartments, spacious rental houses, two local shops, TAG, and two award winning tourist lodges ( Tumaini Homestay Arusha Lodge, and Karibu Heritage Lodge). It’s close to the main road along Happy Sausage, notable mini supermarkets like Mendaz, Mariam Supermarket are just a walking distance. 5: Kili Golf - Located near a bit outskirts of Arusha, this is a golf heaven for all the golf lovers. Enjoy the natural African beauty accompanied with golf, Pollo etc Arusha is also known to have the largest collection of Old Skool cars ( Magari ya Kizamani) and home to Popular car clubs like Tanzania Old Skool car club, Land Rover Tanzania club (hosted the biggest Land Rover festival ever seen in Africa), Tanzania VW classics etc.


Notable residents

* Edward Lowassa,
Chama Cha Mapinduzi The Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM, ) is the dominant, ruling party in Tanzania and the second longest-ruling party in the history of Africa, only after the True Whig Party of Liberia. It was formed in 1977, following the merger of the Tanganyika A ...
, politician and former Prime Minister of Tanzania * Peter K. Palangyo, diplomat and novelist, author of the novel ''Dying in the Sun'' * Peter Gordon Hines (Civil Engineer) born Arusha 1944. * Frida Amani, Tanzanian Musician, presenter and environmentalist * Edward Moringe Sokoine, Former prime minister of Tanzania


Sister cities

*
Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...
, United States *
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
, United States *
Mürzzuschlag Mürzzuschlag () is a town in northeastern Styria, Austria, the capital of the former Mürzzuschlag District. It is located on the Mürz river near the Semmering Pass, the border with the state of Lower Austria, about southwest of Vienna. The ...
, Austria *
Tifariti Tifariti () is an oasis town and the temporary capital of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, 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 ...
,
Western Sahara Western Sahara is a territorial dispute, disputed territory in Maghreb, North-western Africa. It has a surface area of . Approximately 30% of the territory () is controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the remaining 70% is ...


See also

* Arusha Accords * Arusha Cultural Heritage Centre *
Arusha Declaration The Arusha Declaration () and TANU’s Policy on Socialism and Self Reliance (1967), referred to as the Arusha Declaration, is known as Tanzania’s most prominent political statement of African Socialism, ‘ Ujamaa’, or brotherhood (Kaiti ...
*
Arusha National Park The Arusha National Park (''Hifahdi ya Taifa ya Arusha'', in Swahili) is a national park of Tanzania, with the IUCN category II located within Meru District and Arusha Rural District of the Arusha Region of Tanzania that covers Mount Meru ...
*
Arusha Region Arusha Region () is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative Regions of Tanzania, regions and is located in the northeast of the country. The region's capital and largest city is the city of Arusha. The region is bordered by Kajiado County and Narok C ...
* Lake Manyara * Longido *
Mount Meru (Tanzania) __NOTOC__ Mount Meru is a dormant stratovolcano located west of Kilimanjaro in southeast Arusha Region, Tanzania. At a height of , it is visible from Mount Kilimanjaro on a clear day, and is the fifth-highest of the highest mountain peaks of ...
* Selian *
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
* United Nations Security Council resolution


References


External links

https://hazzesadventure.com/
David Marsh's Childhood Map of European Area of Arusha, ca. 1956
{{Authority control Populated places in Arusha Region Cities in Tanzania Regional capitals in Tanzania 1900 establishments in German East Africa