Mikindani

Mikindani is a coastal city in southern Tanzania with about 10,000 inhabitants ( 2005 estimate ) and is now a suburb of the Mtwara district capital with approximately 100,000 inhabitants ( 2005 estimate ). The name is derived from Swahili Mikinda ( palm) and means to German as: " In the palm trees ".

History

Arab founding

A settlement existed on the northern end of the bay probably already in the 9th century. The town itself was founded by the Arabs from Oman, which operated from here, from the 16th to the 19th century trade routes into the interior. Trade goods were mostly slaves, making the hinterland was heavily depopulated and ivory. The original center was the settlement of Pemba ( not to be confused with the island of the same name ) about 2 km in the north of the present town. For the first time the location is indicated on nautical charts from 1796 and 1824 by the British expedition under Lt. coast. Described Boteler. On March 24, 1866 David Livingstone went ashore here at his last research trip to compete in the interior. Around 1870, the town was almost destroyed by raiding neighboring tribes, with the establishment of plantations for rubber production began a few years later, a significant upturn. The settlement focus was moved to its present location.

German colonial period

After the founding of the colony of German East Africa Mikindani in 1890 raised to the district extension, it was an administrative building (known as Boma ) built in 1895, along with port and customs building ( for the nearby border with Portuguese East Africa ). Robert Koch led here for about 1 year by various researches. 1916, the buildings were severely damaged at the port by a British attack during the First World War.

British colonial and independence

After 1948, the British colonial authorities shifted their main activity in the newly founded Mtwara, 10 km to the east. Since Mtwara only been 60 years, but there Mikindani been around for centuries, the city administration of Mtwara has decided several years ago after the incorporation renamed " Mtwara Mikindani City Council ".

Economy

In Mikindani there are two European standards appropriate hotels, one of them even with pool (probably the only one within a radius of about 200 km), a simple restaurant, a dive center and some shops. All intercity buses from Mtwara to Dar es Salaam hold in the center of town. It is about 10 km from the Mtwara airport with at least one daily scheduled flight to Dar es Salaam and several weekly flights to Pemba, Beira and Maputo in Mozambique. Numerous fishing boats moored in the sheltered bay.