Mtwara

{{More citations needed|date=May 2021}}

{{Infobox settlement

|name = Mtwara

|settlement_type = City of Mtwara Region

|native_name =

|nickname =

|image_skyline = Mtwara-jour.JPG

|image_size =

|image_caption = The western shores of the Indian Ocean as seen from Mtwara.

|image_flag =

|image_seal =

|image_map =

|mapsize =

| map_caption =

| pushpin_map = Tanzania#Africa#World

| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Mtwara

| pushpin_relief = yes

|subdivision_type = Country

|subdivision_name = Tanzania

|subdivision_type1 = Region

|subdivision_name1 = Mtwara Region

|subdivision_type2 = District

|subdivision_name2 =

|subdivision_type3 =

|subdivision_name3 =

|leader_title = Regional Commissioner

|leader_name = Hon. Col Patrick Sawala

|leader_title2 = Regional Administrative Secretary

|leader_name2 = Bahati I. Geuzye {{cite web |title=JPM makes extensive RCs, DCs, civil service postings |url=https://www.ippmedia.com/en/news/jpm-makes-extensive-rcs-dcs-civil-service-postings |website=www.ippmedia.com |language=en}}{{cite web |url=https://www.ippmedia.com/en/news/jpm-makes-extensive-rcs-dcs-civil-service-postings|title=JPM makes extensive RCS, DCS, civil service postings}}

|established_title = Proclamation of the Region

|established_date = 1971

|area_magnitude =

|area_total_km2 =

|area_land_km2 =

|area_water_km2 =

|population_as_of = 2022 census

|population_footnotes = [https://www.citypopulation.de/en/tanzania/cities/ Citypopulation.de] Population of cities & urban localities in Tanzania

|population_total = 140793

|population_metro =

|population_density_km2 =

|timezone = EAT

|utc_offset = +3

|timezone_DST =

|utc_offset_DST =

|coordinates = {{coord|10|16|25|S|40|10|58|E|region:TZ|display=inline}}

|elevation_m =

|website = {{URL|http://www.mtwara.go.tz/|Town website}}

|footnotes =

|blank_name = Climate

|blank_info = Aw

}}

Mtwara (Portuguese: Montewara) is the capital city of Mtwara Region in southeastern Tanzania. In the 1940s, it was planned and constructed as the export facility for the disastrous Tanganyika groundnut scheme, but was somewhat neglected when the scheme was abandoned in 1951. The city is spread out over a large area planned to accommodate up to 200,000 people. The present population is around 141,000. As part of the development associated with the failed Tanganyika groundnut scheme, Mtwara features a deep-water port that can accommodate ocean-going vessels, and a range of large municipal buildings, including a post office. Recent improvements in the port made it possible for big container ships to berth there.

Transportation

=Road=

Mtwara has reasonable transport links considering its remoteness in southern Tanzania. It is linked by paved roads with Dar es Salaam and Lindi to the north and Masasi inland and by partially paved roads to Newala in-land to the west. Beyond Masasi the road is newly paved towards Songea via Tunduru and Namtumbo and the Unity Bridge which provides a crossing point to Mozambique.

=Airport=

The A19 links it with Mbamba Bay on Lake Malawi in the west. It features an airport with a new paved runway that can accommodate medium size passenger jets up to Boeing 737 and Airbus. Precision Air runs a daily morning flight between Mtwara Airport and Dar es Salaam and Air Tanzania offers a flight in the afternoon. The flight time is around an hour. Current improvement of the airport makes it possible for landing in the day and night or in the mist.

=Bus=

Mtwara serves as the access point for a small but growing tourism industry based in nearby Mikindani.

New roads of a good standard were being built in 2013 within the city. Most of the roads have never been sealed.

There is a choice of bus companies which provide daily services between Mtwara and Dar es Salaam. Also regular buses connect with Masasi, the biggest town inland from Mtwara.

=Port=

{{main|Mtwara Port}}

The port is the third largest ocean port in the country and was built as part of the failed Tanganyika groundnut scheme. The port was neglected for many years, however with the recent economic boom in the region, the government has spent funds for the upgrade of the port. Recently the port has seen added activity due to the construction of the Dangote cement factory and increased gas exploration activities and the recent energy crisis, has seen Mtwara port used as port for transporting Coal. The port in the future is planned to facilitate exports such as Cashew nuts, Iron, Coal and Gas. The port also has an Export Processing zone to facilitate the manufacturing industry in the area. New Port for dirty cargo such as Cement and Coal is planned to be constructed at Mgao Village near Mikindani, it is under final stage of procurement.

Economy

= Iron ore and coal =

Mtwara might be the port for the export of iron ore{{cite web|url=http://www.ndctz.com/liganga.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081225150619/http://www.ndctz.com/liganga.htm|archive-date=25 December 2008|title=Iron & Steel|publisher=National Development Corporation}} and coal. There are plans to build a railway linking Mtwara with Lindi and mines at Mchuchuma and Liganga via Songea.

In the year 2003, there were proposals for transporting coal from the Ludewa and Njombe regions respectively by rail to the port of Mtwara in Southern Tanzania as part of the Mtwara Development Corridor project.{{Cite web |url=http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/category/africa-update/sadc/tanzania-sadc/#sthash.qLlav2Dk.dpuf |title=RailwaysAfrica |access-date=2013-11-04 |archive-date=2015-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329113029/http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/category/africa-update/sadc/tanzania-sadc/#sthash.qLlav2Dk.dpuf |url-status=dead }}

=Cement=

Mtwara hosts a branch of the Dangote Cement Public Limited Company and medium scale cement factory owned by Chinese at Mikindani called Lulu Cement.

Geography

=Climate=

Due to close proximity to the equator and the warm Indian Ocean, the city experiences tropical climatic conditions similar to all Tanzanian coastal cities. The city experiences hot and humid weather throughout much of the year and has a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen: Aw). Annual rainfall is approximately {{convert|1024|mm|0|abbr=on}}, and in a normal year the rainy season lasts from November to April/May and the dry season from then until late October.{{Cite web|title = Climate Mtwara|url = https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/forecast/modelclimate/mtwara_tanzania_877747|website = meteoblue|accessdate = 2016-01-06}}

{{Weather box

|metric first= Yes

|single line= Yes

|location= Mtwara (1991-2020)

|temperature colour =

|Jan record high C = 34.4

|Feb record high C = 35.0

|Mar record high C = 36.1

|Apr record high C = 33.9

|May record high C = 32.8

|Jun record high C = 32.2

|Jul record high C = 33.3

|Aug record high C = 33.3

|Sep record high C = 35.0

|Oct record high C = 36.1

|Nov record high C = 36.1

|Dec record high C = 34.1

|year record high C = 36.1

|Jan high C = 30.7

|Feb high C = 30.8

|Mar high C = 31.1

|Apr high C = 30.9

|May high C = 30.3

|Jun high C = 29.5

|Jul high C = 29.4

|Aug high C = 29.8

|Sep high C = 30.0

|Oct high C = 31.5

|Nov high C = 31.3

|Dec high C = 30.5

|year high C = 30.1

|Jan mean C = 27.2

|Feb mean C = 27.1

|Mar mean C = 26.8

|Apr mean C = 26.5

|May mean C = 25.8

|Jun mean C = 24.3

|Jul mean C = 24.1

|Aug mean C = 23.9

|Sep mean C = 24.7

|Oct mean C = 25.7

|Nov mean C = 26.8

|Dec mean C = 27.3

|Jan low C = 23.8

|Feb low C = 23.5

|Mar low C = 23.1

|Apr low C = 22.6

|May low C = 21.3

|Jun low C = 19.7

|Jul low C = 18.9

|Aug low C = 18.6

|Sep low C = 19.0

|Oct low C = 20.4

|Nov low C = 22.1

|Dec low C = 23.5

|year low C = 21.4

|Jan record low C = 20.6

|Feb record low C = 20.2

|Mar record low C = 21.1

|Apr record low C = 19.4

|May record low C = 15.0

|Jun record low C = 13.9

|Jul record low C = 15.0

|Aug record low C = 15.0

|Sep record low C = 16.0

|Oct record low C = 17.2

|Nov record low C = 18.3

|Dec record low C = 19.9

|year record low C = 13.9

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 183.2

|Feb precipitation mm = 180.9

|Mar precipitation mm = 237.5

|Apr precipitation mm = 160.6

|May precipitation mm = 54.0

|Jun precipitation mm = 10.5

|Jul precipitation mm = 7.7

|Aug precipitation mm = 10.1

|Sep precipitation mm = 12.9

|Oct precipitation mm = 28.9

|Nov precipitation mm = 52.0

|Dec precipitation mm = 143.3

|year precipitation mm =

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 11.2

|Feb precipitation days = 10.4

|Mar precipitation days = 15.0

|Apr precipitation days = 11.9

|May precipitation days = 5.1

|Jun precipitation days = 1.8

|Jul precipitation days = 1.5

|Aug precipitation days = 1.7

|Sep precipitation days = 2.3

|Oct precipitation days = 3.1

|Nov precipitation days = 5.0

|Dec precipitation days = 9.6

|year precipitation days =

|Jan humidity = 79

|Feb humidity = 84

|Mar humidity = 82

|Apr humidity = 83

|May humidity = 70

|Jun humidity = 72

|Jul humidity = 70

|Aug humidity = 71

|Sep humidity = 74

|Oct humidity = 76

|Nov humidity = 76

|Dec humidity = 79

|year humidity = 76

|Jan sun = 229.4

|Feb sun = 189.3

|Mar sun = 217.0

|Apr sun = 225.0

|May sun = 263.5

|Jun sun = 267.0

|Jul sun = 266.6

|Aug sun = 285.2

|Sep sun = 270.0

|Oct sun = 303.8

|Nov sun = 297.0

|Dec sun = 263.5

|Jand sun = 7.4

|Febd sun = 6.7

|Mard sun = 7.0

|Aprd sun = 7.5

|Mayd sun = 8.5

|Jund sun = 8.9

|Juld sun = 8.6

|Augd sun = 9.2

|Sepd sun = 9.0

|Octd sun = 9.8

|Novd sun = 9.9

|Decd sun = 8.5

|yeard sun = 8.4

|source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230916032148/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Tanzania/CSV/MTWARA_63771.csv

| archive-date = 16 September 2023

| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Tanzania/CSV/MTWARA_63771.csv

| title = Mtwara Climate Normals 1991–2020

| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = 16 September 2023}}

|source 2 = Deutscher Wetterdienst (extremes, humidity, and sun),

{{cite web

| url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_639710_kt.pdf

| title = Klimatafel von Mtwara / Tansania

| work = Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world

| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst

| language = German

| accessdate = 10 June 2016}} Tokyo Climate Center (mean temperatures 1991–2020)

{{cite web

| url = https://ds.data.jma.go.jp/gmd/tcc/tcc/products/climate/normal/parts/NrmMonth_e.php?stn=63971

| title = Normals Data: Mtwara - Tanzania Latitude: 10.27°N Longitude: 40.18°E Height: 113 (m)

| publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency

| access-date = 1 December 2022}}}}

Sports

=Football (Soccer)=

Mtwara is the hometown of Bandari F.C. and NDANDA F. C.

Twin Town – Sister City

{{See also|List_of_twin_towns_and_sister_cities_in_Africa#Tanzania|l1=List of twin towns and sister cities in Tanzania}}

Mtwara is twinned with:{{cite web |title=Twinning|url=https://www.redditchbc.gov.uk/council/the-council/twinning.aspx|website=redditchbc.gov.uk|publisher=Redditch Borough Council|accessdate=2020-11-04}}

  • {{flagicon|UK}} Redditch, United Kingdom

See also

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite web

|url = http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/tazara-hopes-rise-on-investment-plan/browse/10.html

|title = Tazara hopes rise on investment plan

|date = 2008-11-01

|publisher = Railway Gazette

|accessdate = 2011-02-08}}

}}