| Zanzibar City | |
| Nickname: | Home of Stonetown |
| Settlement Type: | District & Port city of Mjini Magharibi Region |
| Coordinates: | -6.165°N 39.199°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Mjini Magharibi Region |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Stonetown |
| Area Total Km2: | 15.4 |
| Area Rank: | 2nd in Mjini Magharibi |
| Government Type: | Municipal |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Khatib Abdulrahman Khatib |
| Population Demonym: | Wamjini |
| Population As Of: | 2022 |
| Population Total: | 219,007 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Rank: | 2nd in Mjini Maharibi |
| Demographics Type1: | Ethnic groups |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Settler |
| Demographics1 Info1: | Swahili & Arabs |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Native |
| Demographics1 Info2: | Hadimu |
Zanzibar City or Mjini District, often simply referred to as Zanzibar (Wilaya ya Zanzibar Mjini or Jiji la Zanzibar in Swahili) is one of two administrative districts of Mjini Magharibi Region in Tanzania.[1] The district covers an area of .[2] The district is comparable in size to the land area of Nauru.[3] The district has a water border to the west by the Indian Ocean. The district is bordered to the east by Magharibi District. The district seat is in Stonetown. The city is the largest on the island of Zanzibar. It is located on the west coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago, north of the much larger city of Dar es Salaam across the Zanzibar Channel. The city also serves as the capital of the Zanzibar Urban/West Region. In 2022 its population was 219,007.[4]
Zanzibar City comprises two main parts, Stone Town and Ng'ambo (literally: "The Other Side"); the two areas were historically divided by a creek since filled in, with the street on the Stone Town side of the creek originally called Creek Road but later renamed to Benjamin Mkapa Road.[5] [6] Stone Town is the historical core of the city, the former capital of the Zanzibar Sultanate; because of its unique architecture and culture, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.[7] [8] Ng'ambo is a much larger, modern area that developed around Stone Town after the Zanzibar Revolution, with office buildings and large apartment blocks such as those of the Michenzani neighbourhood.[5] Zanzibar City is served by a number of international and domestic airlines via Abeid Amani Karume International Airport.
In 1592, the first English ship arrived in port. In 1824, Said bin Sultan, Sultan of Muscat and Oman established the capital of his kingdom in the city.[9] The city was a high place of slavery, one of the main ports of East Africa for the slave trade. The famous slave trader Tippu Tip lived there. In 1846, the island had 360,000 enslaved for 450,000 inhabitants. In 1866, the British explorer David Livingstone (1813–1873) stayed in Zanzibar to prepare his last expedition to Tanzania. In 1892, Zanzibar was declared a free port.
Zanzibar City has a tropical climate, very similar to whole Unguja island, and slightly hotter than what is found in Pemba. This climate is classified as a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am). The average temperature in Zanzibar City is . The average annual rainfall is . The monthly average temperatures are usually between . There are two rain seasons, with most rainfall coming between March and May and smaller rain season coming between November and December. Drier months are January - February, and a longer drier season between June and October.
The places of worship in the city are predominantly Muslim mosques.[10] There are also Christian churches and temples: Roman Catholic Diocese of Zanzibar (Catholic Church), Anglican Church of Tanzania (Anglican Communion), Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (Lutheran World Federation), Baptist Convention of Tanzania (Baptist World Alliance), Assemblies of God.
For parliamentary elections, Tanzania is divided into constituencies. As of the 2010 elections the area for Zanzibar City District had ten of the nineteen constituencies in the region:[11]
The Zanzibar Urban District is administratively divided into 45 wards:[12]
| Nr. | Ward (Shehia) | Population 2012 | Parliamentary Constituency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shangani | 3,886 | Mji Kongwe |
| 2 | Mkunazini | 3,308 | Mji Kongwe |
| 3 | Kiponda | 1,654 | Mji Kongwe |
| 4 | Malindi | 3,204 | Mji Kongwe |
| 5 | Mchangani | 2,211 | Mji Kongwe |
| 6 | Vikokotoni | 1,872 | Mji Kongwe |
| 7 | Mwembetanga | 2,610 | Mji Kongwe |
| 8 | Kisiwandui | 1,590 | Kikwajuni |
| 9 | Kikwajuni Juu | 2,408 | Kikwajuni |
| 10 | Kikwajuni Bondeni | 2,257 | Kikwajuni |
| 11 | Kisima Majongoo | 2,615 | Kikwajuni |
| 12 | Miembeni | 6,095 | Kikwajuni |
| 13 | Kilimani | 2,911 | Kikwajuni |
| 14 | Migombani | 7,164 | Mpendae |
| 15 | Mpendae | 13,252 | Mpendae |
| 16 | Meya | 5,777 | Mpendae |
| 17 | Jang'ombe | 6,122 | Jang'ombe |
| 18 | Urusi | 7,532 | Jang'ombe |
| 19 | Matarumbeta | 2,711 | Jang'ombe |
| 20 | Kwaalinato | 5,438 | Jang'ombe |
| 21 | Mwembeshauri | 1,933 | Rahaleo |
| 22 | Rahaleo | 1,950 | Rahaleo |
| 23 | Mlandege | 2,070 | Rahaleo |
| 24 | Muembe Ladu | 2,954 | Rahaleo |
| 25 | Gulioni | 2,488 | Rahaleo |
| 26 | Makadara | 5,048 | Rahaleo |
| 27 | Kwaalamsha | 3,479 | Kwahani |
| 28 | Mikunguni | 2,984 | Kwahani |
| 29 | Kwahani | 4,815 | Kwahani |
| 30 | Kidongo Chekundu | 2,290 | Kwahani |
| 31 | Muungano | 5,304 | Kwahani |
| 32 | Sogea | 4,801 | Magomeni |
| 33 | Magomeni | 6,165 | Magomeni |
| 34 | Nyerere | 9,657 | Magomeni |
| 35 | Kwa Wazee | 6,454 | Magomeni |
| 36 | Sebleni | 5,102 | Amaani |
| 37 | Amaani | 6,156 | Amaani |
| 38 | Kilimahewa Bondeni | 5,116 | Amaani |
| 39 | Kilimahewa Juu | 4,714 | Amaani |
| 40 | Kwamtipura | 11,572 | Kwamtipura |
| 41 | Mkele | 7,140 | Kwamtipura |
| 42 | Shaurimoyo | 8,335 | Kwamtipura |
| 43 | Chumbuni | 10,925 | Chumbuni |
| 44 | Karakana | 8,610 | Chumbuni |
| 45 | Muembe Makumbi | 8,354 | Chumbuni |
| Total | Zanzibar Urban | 223,033 |
As of 2012, Mjini District was administratively divided into 20 wards.[13]