Lindi is a historic coastal town in southern

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

and the administrative center of the Lindi Region, the least populated region in the country. Situated at the head of Lindi Bay along the Indian Ocean, the town is located approximately 105 kilometers (65 miles) north of

Mtwara Mtwara (Portuguese language, 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 some ...

, the southernmost coastal town in

, and about 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of

Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (, ; from ) is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over 7 million people, Dar es Salaam is the largest city in East Africa by population and the ...

, the nation's largest city. The town of Lindi is part of the larger

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

bearing the same name. Notably, Lindi Historic Town is recognized as a national historic site in Tanzania. Additionally, Lindi Airport, located 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of the town, providing air connectivity to the

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

History

Lindi was founded in the 11th century. There is no record of a previous name of the

Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language officially used in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes. * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa. * Swahili culture, the culture of the Swahili p ...

town. In the 17th century, the town was renamed by the Omani Arab colonizers as Lindi meaning "deep channel". The

Omanis Omanis () are the nationals of Sultanate of Oman, located in the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Omanis have inhabited the territory that is now Oman. In the eighteenth century, an alliance of traders and rulers transformed Muscat ...

dominated local people and used the location as a port to sell and transport ivory and slaves to the global market. With the coming of the German occupation in the 19th century, and later on the British occupation after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the town was the administrative capital of the southern province until 1952 when it was moved to Mtwara City due to its favorable

harbor A harbor (American English), or harbour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be moored. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is ...

potential in Lindi Bay. In 1971, ten years after independence, the Nyerere administration made Lindi the regional seat for Lindi Region. However, in the following year of 1972, due to a socialist policy, urban councils were abolished in favor of rural development, negatively affecting the economy of the town. However, in 1978, urban councils were reintroduced.https://www.lands.go.tz/uploads/documents/en/1567769286-LINDI%20MASTER%20PLAN.pdf

Economy

The main economic activities are

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

salt production In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as ro ...

, and the farming of coconut,

cashew nuts Cashew is the common name of a tropical evergreen tree ''Anacardium occidentale'', in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to South America and is the source of the cashew nut and the cashew apple, an accessory fruit. The tree can grow as tal ...

, and roselles. The 2012 national

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

reported the town to have a population of 78,841.

Geography

Lindi is located at the mouth of the Lukuledi River. Located on Lindi Bay. Its port facilities are still rudimentary, allowing one or two small cargo and passenger boats at a time, and ocean-going ships cannot be accommodated. The region was once an important area for

sisal Sisal (, ; ''Agave sisalana'') is a species of flowering plant native to southern Mexico, but widely cultivated and naturalized in many other countries. It yields a stiff fibre used in making rope and various other products. The sisal fiber is ...

-producing plantations, especially in Kikwetu, the Lindi airstrip, which lies 25 kilometers north of the town. Around 2012, Lindi was finally linked to Dar es Salaam by a continuous tarmac road, making Lindi accessible throughout the rainy season. An older tarmac road connects Lindi to Mtwara City, passing through

Mikindani Mikindani (''Mji wa kale wa Mikindani'' in Swahili language, Swahili) is a historic coastal town located in Mtwara-Mikindani District of Mtwara Region in Tanzania. The name comes from the Swahili word ''mikinda'' which means "young coconut trees". ...

, an important historic Swahili settlement in

Mtwara Region Mtwara Region (''Mkoa wa Mtwara'' in Swahili) is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions, with its capital as the municipality of Mtwara. Mtwara Region is home to one of the most influential peoples in Tanzania, the Makonde. Mtwara is ho ...

. The Rondo Forest Reserve is an important site of biodiversity which is located at the

Rondo Plateau The Rondo Plateau, also known as the Muera Plateau, is a high and extensive massif in the Lindi Region and northern Mtwara Region of southeastern of Tanzania. A portion of the plateau is protected by the Rondo Forest Reserve. It is one of a grou ...

in the southern

Lindi Region Lindi Region (''Mkoa wa Lindi'' in Swahili language, Swahili) is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative Regions of Tanzania, regions. The region covers an area of . The region is comparable in size to the combined land area of the nation state of Sr ...

. Part of a Coastal Forest mosaic, the Rondo Plateau rises sharply from sea level to about and therefore features a unique

microclimate A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often slightly but sometimes substantially. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square m ...

References

{{Authority control Swahili people Swahili city-states Swahili culture Regional capitals in Tanzania Populated places in Lindi Region Populated coastal places in Tanzania

History

Economy

Geography

See also

References