Songea

{{Infobox settlement

| official_name = Songea

| other_name =

| native_name =

| nickname =

| settlement_type = < City of Ruvuma Region

| motto =

| image_skyline = View of Songea city-2.jpg

| imagesize =

| image_caption = View of Songea city from Sinyanga Hotel

| image_flag = Songea Municipal Flag.png

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| pushpin_map = Tanzania#Africa

| pushpin_label_position = bottom

| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Songea.

| pushpin_relief = yes

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = Tanzania

| subdivision_type1 = Region

| subdivision_name1 = Ruvuma

| subdivision_type2 = District

| subdivision_name2 = Songea Urban

| subdivision_type3 =

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| unit_pref = Imperial

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| population_as_of = 2022 census

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| population_total = 286285

| population_density_km2 =

| timezone = EAT

| utc_offset = +3

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| coordinates = {{coord|10|41|S|35|39|E|region:TZ|display=inline}}

| elevation_footnotes =

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| area_code = 025

| blank_name = Climate

| blank_info = Aw

| website = {{URL|http://www.ruvuma.go.tz/|Regional website}}

| footnotes =

}}

Songea is the capital of Ruvuma Region in southwestern Tanzania.{{cite book| last = Ndembwike| first = John| title = Tanzania: The Land and Its People| publisher = New Africa Press| date = 2006| location = Dar es Salaam, Tanzania| pages = 49| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=j3xRcobNKXcC&q=songea+capital+ruvuma| isbn = 0-9802534-4-6}} It is located along the A19 road.{{Google maps|url=https://www.google.com/maps?ll=-10.683333,35.65&q=-10.683333,35.65&hl=en&t=m&z=12|title=Songea|access-date=29 May 2023}} The city has a population of 286,285,[http://www.citypopulation.de/en/tanzania/cities/ Citypopulation.de] Population of cities & urban localities in Tanzania and is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Songea. Between 1905 and 1907, the city was a centre of African resistance during the Maji Maji Rebellion in German East Africa. The city is poised to experience significant economic growth in the near future as the Mtwara Corridor opens up in a few years. It is projected to be the sixth fastest growing city on the African continent between 2020 and 2025, with a 5.74% growth.{{cite web|url=https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-the-worlds-fastest-growing-cities/|publisher=virtual capitalist| access-date=2021-08-17|title=Ranked: The World's Fastest Growing Cities|date=13 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813174630/https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-the-worlds-fastest-growing-cities/|archive-date=13 August 2021}}

History

The city took its names after one of the Ngoni warriors, killed in 1906 during the time of German repression of the Maji Maji rebellion.{{Cite web |title=All about Songea and tourism {{!}} Nkosi Zwangendaba Hotel |url=http://www.zwangendabahotels.com/all-about-songea-and-tourism |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=www.zwangendabahotels.com}}

After the Second World War, the area was marked for rapid agricultural development linked to the ultimately disastrous groundnut scheme. A railway had been planned from the coast to Songea and actually appeared in 1950s high school geography text books. During the liberation war with Mozambique the Songea area was a restricted zone and occasionally suffered aerial attacks by Portuguese forces. Its remoteness made it vulnerable to ivory poaching, and communications remained unreliable until 1985 when a new British funded road was opened linking it northwards to the road and rail hub of Makambako.

Songea became a municipality in 2006.

Education

Songea is the home to many educational institutions including;

Matogoro Teachers Colleges
Peramiho School of Nursing
Kigonsera High School
Songea Boys Secondary School
Songea Girls Secondary School
Peramiho Girls School
The St. Augustine University
The Ghetto brand College

Administration

Songea is coextensive with Songea Urban District and is divided into wards. It is managed by the Songea Municipal Council.{{Cite web|title=Songea Municipality, Ruvuma, Tanzania Municipal Profile 2010|date=2010|publisher=Songea Municipal Council|url=http://www.songeaskids.org/muniprof.pdf|access-date=2012-09-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120901072239/http://www.songeaskids.org/muniprof.pdf|archive-date=2012-09-01|url-status=dead}}

Climate

{{Weather box

| metric first = Yes

| single line = Yes

| location = Songea (1991–2020)

| Jan high C = 28.0

| Feb high C = 28.1

| Mar high C = 27.6

| Apr high C = 26.5

| May high C = 25.9

| Jun high C = 24.6

| Jul high C = 24.0

| Aug high C = 25.6

| Sep high C = 27.8

| Oct high C = 29.6

| Nov high C = 30.4

| Dec high C = 28.8

| year high C = 27.2

|Jan mean C = 23.1

|Feb mean C = 23.0

|Mar mean C = 22.8

|Apr mean C = 21.8

|May mean C = 20.8

|Jun mean C = 18.5

|Jul mean C = 18.3

|Aug mean C = 19.7

|Sep mean C = 21.7

|Oct mean C = 23.5

|Nov mean C = 24.6

|Dec mean C = 23.6

| Jan low C = 18.4

| Feb low C = 18.2

| Mar low C = 18.0

| Apr low C = 16.9

| May low C = 14.3

| Jun low C = 11.7

| Jul low C = 11.2

| Aug low C = 12.7

| Sep low C = 14.7

| Oct low C = 17.0

| Nov low C = 18.5

| Dec low C = 18.7

| year low C = 15.9

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 262.3

| Feb precipitation mm = 221.0

| Mar precipitation mm = 226.8

| Apr precipitation mm = 98.8

| May precipitation mm = 9.6

| Jun precipitation mm = 1.1

| Jul precipitation mm = 0.3

| Aug precipitation mm = 1.2

| Sep precipitation mm = 1.9

| Oct precipitation mm = 6.6

| Nov precipitation mm = 51.6

| Dec precipitation mm = 175.7

| year precipitation mm = 1056.9

| unit rain days = 1.0 mm

| Jan rain days = 17.7

| Feb rain days = 14.5

| Mar rain days = 17.3

| Apr rain days = 9.6

| May rain days = 1.8

| Jun rain days = 0.4

| Jul rain days = 0.1

| Aug rain days = 0.4

| Sep rain days = 0.4

| Oct rain days = 1.0

| Nov rain days = 4.2

| Dec rain days = 12.7

| year rain days = 80.1

| source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230916224052/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Tanzania/CSV/SONGEA_63962.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/SONGEA_63962.csv

| title = Songea Climate Normals 1991–2020

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

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = 16 September 2023}}

| date = June 2018

|source 2=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=63962

| title = Normals Data: Songea - Tanzania Latitude: 10.68°N Longitude: 35.58°E Height: 1067 (m)

| publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency

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

References

Category:Populated places in Ruvuma Region

Category:Regional capitals in Tanzania