Country Tanzania | Region Arusha Region Population 416,442 | |
Colleges and Universities Eastern and Southern African Management Institute, Mount Meru University Points of interest Tarangire National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Meru, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti National Park |
Arusha is a city in northern Tanzania and the capital of the Arusha Region, with a population of 416,442 plus 323,198 in the surrounding Arusha District (2012 census). Located below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, Arusha has a temperate climate. The city is close to the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara National Park, Olduvai Gorge, Tarangire National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Arusha National Park on Mount Meru.
Contents
- Map of Arusha
- History
- Industry and economy
- Culture and cuisine
- Geography and climate
- In popular culture
- References
Map of Arusha
Arusha is a major international diplomatic hub. The city hosts and is regarded as the de facto capital of the East African Community. Since 1994, the city has also hosted the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. It is a multicultural city with a majority Tanzanian population of mixed backgrounds: indigenous Bantu, Arab-Tanzanian and Indian-Tanzanian population, plus small White European and white American minority population. Religions of the Arushan population are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu.
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. They traded grains, honey, beer, and tobacco with the pastoral Kisongo Maasai in exchange for livestock, milk, meat, and skins. Demand for Arushas foodstuffs increased substantially during the 1860s when the Pangani Valley trade route was extended through Old Moshi, Arusha, and ultimately to western Kenya. Although it was not yet a town, it was a regional centre and had 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. 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. German officials left the area, the British deported German missionaries and settlers, and only a skeletal military administration of the town remained. But slowly 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 soon thereafter, however, squelched commerce, and Arusha in 1940 had less than 2,000 residents. Growth resumed during World War II and by 1948, the population had increased to more than 5,000.
In the 1960s parts of the movie Hatari! with John Wayne were filmed at Momella.
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. Also, the Arusha Declaration was signed in 1967 in Arusha.
The Arusha Accords were signed at the city of Arusha on August 4, 1993, by representatives of competing factions in the Rwandan civil war.
In 1994 the UN Security Council decided by its Resolution 955 of 8 November 1994 that Arusha should host the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. 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 is about to downsize due to its closure in 2014, but its legal successor, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1966, will continue entertaining a branch in Arusha, opening on 1 July 2012.
Arusha was officially declared a city on 1 July 2006 by the Tanzanian government.
Industry and economy
The primary industry of the city is the service sector. The city hosts numerous small and large businesses, banking, retail and commercial enterprises thus making it the financial and cultural capital of the Arusha region. The city of Arusha is home the largest manufacturing sector in the region with breweries, tyre manufacturing and agro-forest processing, and a large pharmaceuticals maker.
Culture and cuisine
Arusha is known for its vibrant night life, with popular local night clubs like Club D, Masai Camp, Greek Club, Club AQ, the Colobus Club, and Via Via.
The city Hosts The National Natural History Museum. The museum contains three exhibits on early man, plants and animals of the region, and the history of the city.
There is a small museum adjacent to the Uhuru monument which displays information about the proceedings of the Arusha Declaration in 1967.
Arusha is also the headquarters of the African Great Lakes regions first local media center, Aang Serian Drum.
The citys cuisine is a blend of dishes from various parts of Tanzania as well as global culinary traditions. Nyama Choma, Kiti moto, Kuku choma is a very popular barbecue dish and is usually served with local cold beer and Pili Pili. Chips mayai is another popular local dish.
Geography and climate
Despite its proximity to the equator, Arushas elevation of 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) 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 ranges between 13 and 30 degrees Celsius with an average around 25 degrees. It has distinct wet and dry seasons, and experiences an eastern prevailing wind from the Indian Ocean, a couple of hundred miles east.
In popular culture
Arusha was the setting for the 1962 film Hatari! directed by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne. In the video game Halo 3, a highway sign is seen that says "Arusha", though it is crossed out, suggesting that the city was destroyed by the Covenant.
Culture and cuisine
Arusha is known for its vibrant night life, with popular local night clubs like Club D, Masai Camp, Greek Club, Club AQ, the Colobus Club, and Via Via.
The city Hosts The National Natural History Museum. The museum contains three exhibits on early man, plants and animals of the region, and the history of the city.
There is a small museum adjacent to the Uhuru monument which displays information about the proceedings of the Arusha Declaration in 1967.
Arusha is also the headquarters of the African Great Lakes regions first local media center, Aang Serian Drum.
The citys cuisine is a blend of dishes from various parts of Tanzania as well as global culinary traditions. Nyama Choma, Kiti moto, Kuku choma is a very popular barbecue dish and is usually served with local cold beer and Pili Pili. Chips mayai is another popular local dish.