The National Science Fair

Dar Es Salaam

Dar Es Salaam is the largest population, the main seaport and the former capital of Tanzania, situated 45 km south of the island of Zanzibar. His name is Arabic-swahili origin and means: peace port. It was founded in 1862 by the sultan of Zanzibar (Island which then joined Tanganyika into Tanzania in 1964). The British seized it in 1916, during the first world war. Its port, which is connected by rail with Zambia, gives output to most parts of Tanzania, sisal and petroleum exports. It also deals with much of the trade in Zambia, a country with no outlet to the sea. The city handles more than half of the production of Tanzania and its principal industries produce paints, petroleum, textiles and footwear.

It is the capital of Pwani region and is administratively divided into three districts, Ilala, Kinondoni and Temeke. Located so close to the Equator and the warm Indian Ocean, the city experiences generally conditions weather tropical, characterized by a hot and humid weather during most of the year. Located on a natural harbour on the Indian Ocean, it is the epicenter of the transport system, generating the majority of roads and railroads of the country in the city or close to the same. Dar Es Salaam airport connects the city with other African countries, the Middle East, the India and Europe. Due to the importance of tourism, the number of restaurants has increased recently. The city offers a variety of meals in addition to the native, from barbecue Tanzanian with options that include the Nyama Choma (roast meat) and Mishkaki (kebab), along with kitchen Zanzibar war and india, up meals from all over the globe such as Chinese, Thai, Italian, Turkish and Japanese food. Usually it is also nicknamed the Bongo city.

The use of this term came in the middle of the 1980s. Bongo, in swahili language, means brains. It is thought that that nickname may be due to hard economic situation that existed at that time, when the only way to survive and prosper was taking an important intelligence. As a result, Tanzania frequently is called Bongolandia.