Lindi

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Lindi Town
Municipality
Lindi Town bay side
Nickname(s):  The Coconut Town
Lindi Town Location In Tanzania Lindi Town Location in Africa Show map of TanzaniaShow map of AfricaShow all
Coordinates: 9°59′49″S 39°42′52″E / 9.99694°S 39.71444°E / -9.99694; 39.71444Coordinates: 9°59′49″S 39°42′52″E / 9.99694°S 39.71444°E / -9.99694; 39.71444
Country	Tanzania
Region	Lindi
Population  (2012)
• Total	78,841
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)
Area code(s)	023
Website	Country website

A scene on Lindi's main street with shops and a students' hostel.

Lindi Town is a southern Tanzanian coastal town and regional capital of Lindi Region located at the far end of Lindi Bay, on the Indian Ocean in southeastern Tanzania. The town is 450 kilometres (280 mi) south of Dar es Salaam and 105 km (65 mi) north of Mtwara, the southernmost coastal town in Tanzania, and gives its name to the surrounding Lindi Region, one of the largest regions in Tanzania and one of most sparsely populated regions of the country.

History[]

Lindi Town was founded in the 11th century by Swahili people who traded along with their coast with various peoples around the Indian Ocean As part of the . There is no record of previous name of the Swahili town. Possibly named after one of the ancestors of local Mwinyi. In the 17th century location was later renamed by Omani Arab colonizers as Lindi meaning "deep channel". The Omanis dominated local people and used the location as a port to sell and transport enslaved human beings and ivory to the global market. With the coming of the Germans occupation and later on the British occupation the town was the administrative capital of the southern province until 1952 where it was moved to by the British due to its favorable harbor potential in Lindi Bay. Ten years after independence in 1971 under the Nyerere administration made Lindi Town the regional seat for Lindi Region. However, the following year in 1972 due to socialism policy, urban councils were abolished in favor of rural development negatively affecting the economy of the town. In 1978 urban councils were reintroduced.^[1]

Economy[]

Lindi town's main economic activities are local government and municipal administration, fishing, coconut production and salt production.^[1] The town population was 78,841 as of the 2012 national census.^[2]

Geography[]

Lindi Town 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 cannot accommodate ocean-going ships.^[3] The region was once an important sisal-producing plantation area, especially in , surrounding the Lindi airstrip, 25 kilometers north of 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 Town to Mtwara City, passing through Mikindani, an important historic Swahili settlement in Mtwara Region. The Rondo Forest Reserve, is an important site of biodiversity which is located at the Rondo Plateau, located in southern Lindi Region.^[4] Part of a Coastal Forest mosaic, the Rondo Plateau has risen sharply from sea level to about 885 metres or 2,900 feet and therefore enjoys a unique microclimate.^[5]

Administration[]

Bird's eye View of Lindi Town

Lindi Town Street Scene

Lindi Town is administratively divided into 18 wards:^[2]

References[]

External links[]

Lindi travel guide from Wikivoyage