Mwanza is a city in northwest Tanzania and a southern port of Lake Victoria. According to a 2002 consensus, the population was 378,327, and Mwanza is the second largest city in Tanzania, after Dar es Salaam. It is located at an altitude of 1,140 metres above sea level.

Mwanza is capital of the Mwanza region. The city deals with much of the lake trade with neighbouring Uganda and Kenya. Industries include fishing, meatpacking, and manufacturing textiles and soap. Mwanza is connected by rail with Dar es Salaam and Dodoma.

Mwanza is the cultural centre of the Sukuma, the largest ethnic group in Tanzania. A famous landmark is the Bismarck Rock, a large outcrop of granite rocks.

The Mwanza Medical Research Centre is an institution researching tropical diseases[1].

Mwanza region

Mwanza region has a population of 2,942,148 (2002 census) in eight districts, and covers an area of 19,592m². The districts are Ukwerere (to the north), Magu (to the east), Sengerema and Geita (to the west), Misungwi and Kwimba (to the south), and Nyamagana and Ilemela (the city).

The neighbouring regions are Kagera to the west, Shinyanga to the south, and Mara to the east.

Before the colonial era, the Mwanza region was controlled by various tribes, included the Sukuma, Kerewe , Kara and Zinza . Under British rule, Mwanza region was one district in the Lake Province, which became the Lake Region after independence. In 1963, Mwanza was was given the status of a Region.

External links

• Government site on Manza region
• Information on Mwanza