How many cities are in Tanzania?
In total, Tanzania has 20 cities with a total population of 55,890,813 people for 2023. Dar es Salaam (Arabic: دار السلام [translation: "House of Peace"] Dār as-Salām), formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the richest city in the country and a regionally significant economic center. Though Dar es Salaam lost its formal position as the capital city to Dodoma in 1964, it retains the permanent central government bureaucracy's headquarters and serves as the capital for the neighboring Dar es Salaam Region.
Here is a list of some of the most populated cities in Tanzania:
- Dar es Salaam: Dar es Salaam, sometimes known as Dar, is Tanzania's largest city, with a population of over seven million people. The city began as a modest fishing town and has expanded over the last century to become a thriving tropical metropolis, spanning several of the world's most significant seaports and emerging as the second-busiest port in East Africa and Tanzania's commercial capital. Despite this, the city has managed to retain its natural, intimate vibe. It is the nation's manufacturing and economic center, located on the Indian Ocean's coast, distant from the island of Zanzibar.
- Mwanza: The second most populated city in Tanzania is Mwanza, with over a million residents.. Mwanza is a key economic hub for the territories surrounding Lake Victoria and the neighboring nations of Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda. The city is surrounded by rocky hills littered with massive granite boulders. As their major traditional economic activity, farmers in the Mwanza region raise a range of food crops as well as cotton for export markets. The city has seen significant infrastructure development, notably with new motorways connecting it to Dar es Salaam and other sections of Tanzania, as well as other East African nations.
- Zanzibar: Zanzibar has a population of about 800,000 people, making it the country's third most populous city. Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous island province that formed the United Republic of Tanzania with Tanganyika in 1964. One common misperception is that Zanzibar is only one island. Actually, an archipelago is a collection of islands in the Indian Ocean. Unguja (also known as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island are two prominent islands among numerous smaller ones. Stone Town is one of Zanzibar's most popular tourist destinations. Although the medieval city is beautiful, it is really a maze. It was named a UNESCO cultural heritage site in 2000. Stone Town, on the other hand, is tiny and safe, and not knowing where you're going adds to the experience. Even if you get lost, one of the most unique aspects of the people is that they are kind and always eager to assist, so you may always stop and ask for directions. Zanzibar is home to some of East Africa's most luxurious luxury resorts, which may be jarring in comparison to the island's usually calm, economically suffering inhabitants.