Sunday, May 6, 2012

Tanzania City Explorers



 

About Mwanza

Mwanza is the second largest city in Tanzania. It is located in the Northwest of Tanzania and is a southern of lake Victoria

Before the colonial era Mwanza Region was under the
Sukuma, Kerewe, Kara and Zinza empires. When the Germans colonized Tanganyika, Mwanza became one of the districts in their territory. After the First World War, East Africa came under the supervision of a British mandate.




The British established provincial leadership in Tanganyika and the Mwanza Region became one of the districts of the Lake Province while Biharamulo, Bukoba, Maswa, Shinyanga, Musoma and Kwimba were the other districts of the province. Later on the Lake Province was divided into the Lake Province and the Western Zone. After independence, all the provinces were turned into official regions. Mwanza Region remained a part of the Lake Region until 1963 when it was officially given the status of a region.
ETHNICITYThe Sukuma dominate by constituting over 90 percent of the population.Apart from the Sukuma other ethnic groups are the Zinza, Haya, Sumbwa, Nyamwezi, Luo, Kurya, Jita and Kerewe. These groups constitute in various small proportions. They are mainly in the Mwanza city area. The Sumbwa and Zinza are mostly found in Geita and Sengerema districts respectively. National policy gives very little importance to ethnic grouping and information related to this issue is difficult to come by.
ROAD TRANSPORT
The geography of Mwanza and Tanzania at large, its size, diversity and dispersion give roads a special position in integration of the region's economy and communication in general. In particular roads serve rural areas where most of residents live more effectively than any other mode of transport.
Tanzania Government has rationalised and streamlined the institutional framework for management of the road sector so as to enhance efficiency, effectiveness and accountability. An autonomous executive agency, the Tanzania Roads Agency (TANROADS), responsible for the management of trunk road construction, rehabilitation and maintenance has been established. A National Road Board guides its activities with representation from the private sector/road users and the Government. The Government has also established a Road Fund whose funding is ring-fenced field user charge as the main source of finance for road maintenance. The local authorities under the Ministry of Regional Administration and Local Government are responsible for the district, urban and feeder roads for opening up existing and potential rural productive areas for agriculture, small-scale mining and rural tourism.
RAILWAY TRANSPORTThe Tanzania railway cooperation (TRC) operates in some parts of the region. The Corporation TRC has a line running from Mwanza to Dar es Salaam via some places in the Mwanza district and Kwimba. The second branch runs from Tabora to Mwanza port on Lake Victoria, also providing transportation services to north and north-western part of the country including landlocked Uganda. The Line connects the region with the rest of regions such as Shinyanga, Tabora, Dodoma, Singida, Morogoro, Coastal region and Dar es Salaam. Tanzania railway cooperation (TRC) is now privatised to Tanzania Railway Limited (TRL).
MARINE TRANSPORTThe lake transport is managed by the Marine Division of the Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC). There are freight cargo and passenger transport services on lake Victoria linking Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda
AIR TRANSPORTTanzania has three international airports in Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar while the forth one is underconstruction in Mbeya region.

There are airlines like Air Tanzania Corporation Limited (ATC), Precission Air and Tanzanair which provide domestic and international air travel linking all major towns in Tanzania including Mwanza and few major cities in africa like Entebe, Nairobi, Johannesburg and Addis Ababa. Tanzania has no ommercial airline flying out of Africa although ATC is the oldest airline than Emirates
TOURISMMwanza is one of the unique destinations in Tanzania that has yet to be discovered by many. It is a land of many wonders hubbing an unparalleled diversity of fauna, flora and many natural features. The wonders of rockies, the scenery, topography and very friendly people harbour the growth of excellent Cultural tourism beach holidays, game hunting, infrastructural ventures ,historical and archaeological ventures – and certainly the best wildlife photographic safaris on the continent. The tourism industry (if at all is properly managed) provides excellent investment opportunities in construction and management of hotels, lodges and restaurants, infrastructure ventures, aviation projects, training institutions, tour operations, travel agencies and marketing organisations. According to the national industry’s mission statement that forms the basis of the tourism policy is to develop sustainable quality tourism that is ecologically friendly to the conservation and restoration of the environment and its people’s culture. In so doing the industry seeks to maximise the net gains that emanate from the various tourism activities. It is for this reason that the Government is now highly concerned with the improvement of the infrastructure quality and diversity, ease of destination entry formalities, relaxation of foreign exchange regulations and controls, revision of applicable taxes and maintenance of peace, stability and security. As a stimulant, the private sector is increasingly investing in the various tourist plants, improvement of destination access from major sources and within marketing promotion and training of the human resource.Of course the government has a lot to do in Mwanza so as to stimulate more tourists and investors in the tourist industry , the infrastructure in general is still poor to support the activities. Tourist Attractions in Mwanza:
· The lake itself and naturally arranged rocks set on top of each other sach as THE BISMARCK ROCK
· Ukerewe Island and Rubondo, which has a National Park, with diverse natural attractions, rich in birds and a wonderful beach
· It is near several game reserves such as Biharamulo, Bugiri, Rumanyika Game Reserve. Maswa and the Serengeti National Park
· Outdoor zoo, Saanane Island meaning 14:00 hours Island
· It is an historical place where the earliest 18th century explorers visited in the research to find the source of River Nile
· The historical museums such as Halwego Handebezyo in Ukerewe and Bujora in Mwanza

LAKE VICTORIA
Lake Victoria, also referred to as Victoria Nyanza, is the main reservoir of the Nile River and is also the largest lake in Africa. It is located in Tanzania and Uganda with a small part extending into Kenya. Lake,Within the lake, one can find many archipelagos as well as numerous reefs just below the surface. Lake Victoria is known for its abundance of fish, which are exported by local fisherman. There are over 200 species of fish, which all make a major contribution to the economy.

Lake Victoria is bordered to the south by 300-ft (90 m) high precipices that are backed by the papyrus and ambatch swamps that form the delta of the Kagera River. The lake drains water into the Kavirondo Gulf through a narrow channel. The gulf is roughly 16 miles (25 km) wide and extends for at least 40 miles (64 km) to Kisumu, Kenya. One of the largest and most important contributors to Lake Victoria is the Kagera River, which runs into the western side of the lake. One other source is the Katonga River, which is situated north of the Kagera. There are several other inlets, but the lake's only outlet is the Victoria Nile to the north.
Regions around the lake are very important to the country’s economy. A large percentage of coffee is farmed in Kagera, large percentage of cotton production and hides come from Mwanza and Mara. Gold is mined in Geita, Buzwagi, Bulyanhulu and Diamond in Mwadui Shinyanga




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