Morogoro

Morogoro is a city, with a population of 315,866 (2012 census), in the eastern part of Tanzania, 196 kilometres (122 mi) west of Dar es Salaam, the country's largest city and commercial centre, and 260 kilometres (160 mi) east of Dodoma, the country's capital city.[4] Morogoro is the capital of the Morogoro Region. It is also known informally as "Mji kasoro bahari," which translates as "city short of an ocean/port."

Morogoro
Municipality
Mji kasoro bahari
Morogoro clock tower
Morogoro
Location of Morogoro
Morogoro
Morogoro (Africa)
Coordinates: 06°49′27″S 37°39′48″E
CountryTanzania
RegionMorogoro Region
DistrictMorogoro District
Area
 • Municipality360 km2 (140 sq mi)
 • Land260 km2 (100 sq mi)
 • Water100 km2 (40 sq mi)
Highest elevation
509 m (1,669 ft)
Population
 (2012)[2]
 • Municipality315,866
 • Urban305,840
Time zoneGMT +3
ClimateAw
Websitewww.morogoro.go.tz

Morogoro lies at the base of the Uluguru Mountains and is a centre of agriculture in the region. The Sokoine University of Agriculture is based in the city. A number of missions are also located in the city, providing schools and hospitals. Morogoro is home to the Amani Centre, which has helped over 3,400 disabled people in the surrounding villages.[5]

Water supply

Eighty percent of the Morogoro's water supply comes from the Mindu Dam on the Ngerengere River. The dam project, begun in 1978, has been controversial. The lake behind the dam has led to high rates of bilharzia infection,[6] and mercury run-off from gold mining nearby the dam has polluted the city's water supply.[7] The dam is also being rapidly silted due to deforestation in the surrounding areas.[8]

In 2012-13 a $8.31m USAID/MCC-funded programme was implemented for the Morogoro Water Supply Authority (MORUWASA) to rehabilitate drinking water resources from the Uluguru Mountains with an inlet and treatment plant near the Regional Governance offices at the high end of the Boma Road.

A panorama of Morogoro Town showing the town and the activities of the people. The Nguru Mountains can be seen in the background.

Climate
Climate data for Morogoro
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 32
(89)		 32
(89)		 31
(88)		 29
(85)		 28
(83)		 27
(81)		 27
(81)		 28
(83)		 29
(85)		 31
(88)		 32
(90)		 32
(89)		 30
(86)
Average low °C (°F) 21
(69)		 21
(70)		 21
(69)		 21
(69)		 19
(66)		 16
(61)		 15
(59)		 16
(60)		 17
(62)		 18
(64)		 19
(67)		 21
(69)		 18
(65)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 99
(3.9)		 97
(3.8)		 170
(6.8)		 210
(8.1)		 99
(3.9)		 28
(1.1)		 15
(0.6)		 10
(0.4)		 15
(0.6)		 25
(1.0)		 51
(2.0)		 71
(2.8)		 890
(35)
Source: Weatherbase[4]

Education

Sokoine University of Agriculture, Muslim University of Morogoro, St Joseph and Jordan University College are located in Morogoro. Mzumbe University is located 26 km south of the town on the highway to Iringa. There are other famous colleges like Ardhi Institute Morogoro, Morogoro Teachers College, and LITI (Livestock Training Institute).

One of the oldest secondary schools in the country, Kilakala Girls High School (formerly known as Marian College), is also found in the municipality. Other secondary schools within the municipality are Morogoro Secondary School (formerly Aga Khan Secondary School), Forest Hill Secondary, Jabal Hira Muslim Secondary, Kigurunyembe Secondary, Lutheran Junior Seminary, St. Francis de Sales Seminary, St. Peter's Seminary and Lupanga Practising Secondary School (a newly established school near Kigurunyembe teacher's college,Kola Hill Secondary School. The English-language Morogoro International School was founded in 1975.[9]

Transport

Public transport buses called dala dala are available for transport within the town, the fare are mostly around Tsh 400 from town to nearby area. Also for faster transportation motorcycles boda boda and Bajaj are the best within town areas; fare is depending on distance of the destination.

Sports and culture

The city is represented in the Tanzanian Premier League by football club Mtibwa Sugar F.C.

Morogoro is the home of Salim Abdullah, who was the founder of the Cuban Marimba Band, and the Morogoro Jazz Band, another well-known band established in 1944.[10] From the mid-1960s to the 1970s, Morogoro was home to one of Tanzania's most influential and celebrated musicians, Mbaraka Mwinshehe, a lead guitarist and singer-songwriter.[10]

Sister cities

The city of Milwaukee in the state of Wisconsin in the United States is a sister city of Morogoro as designated by Sister Cities International.[11] Morogoro is also twinned with Linköping in Sweden and Vaasa in Finland.

Fuel tanker explosion

On 10 August 2019, a fuel tanker exploded in the town, killing at least 71 people and injuring at least 70 others.[12] The event was one of the largest disasters of its kind to happen in Tanzania.[13]

  • The Uluguru Mountains in the background of Morogoro city
  • Waterfalls in Morogoro
  • Sisal plantations in the outskirts of Morogoro (Uluguru Mountains in the background)
  • Aerial view
  • The Jamhuri Stadium

References
  1. ""Statistical Abstract 2011", Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics, page 3". Archived from the original on November 5, 2013.
  2. ""2012 Population and Housing Census - Population Distribution by Administrative Areas", Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics, page 56" (PDF).
  3. Citypopulation.de Population of the major cities in Tanzania
  4. "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Morogoro, Tanzania". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
  5. "Amani Home". Amani Centre Morogoro.
  6. IRDC Archive: The Essential Health Interventions Project Archived 2007-05-04 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Mindu destruction setting stage for a catastrophe". Archived from the original on January 16, 2005.
  8. Smith, Celina; Schaafsma, Marije; Platts, Philip; Mwakalila, Shadrack; White, Sue; Ashagre, Biniam (June 22, 2014). "Water for Everyone" – via dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. "School History | Morogoro International School".
  10. Askew, Kelly Michelle (2002). Performing the nation: Swahili music and cultural politics in Tanzania. University Of Chicago Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-226-02981-8.
  11. "Milwaukee's Sister Cities". city.milwaukee.gov.
  12. Citation error. See inline comment how to fix.
  13. Citation error. See inline comment how to fix.

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