Lindi
Encyclopedia
Lindi is a coastal town located at the far end of the Lindi Bay, on the Indian Ocean
in southeastern Tanzania
. The town is 450 kilometers south of Dar es Salaam
and 105 kilometers north of Mtwara, the southernmost coastal town in Tanzania, and gives its name to the surrounding Lindi Region
, one of the most sparsely populated areas of the country. The town population was 41,549 as of the 2002 national census
.
-producing plantation area, especially in Kikwetu, surrounding the Lindi airstrip, 25 kilometers north of town. During the rainy season Lindi is presently accessible only by air and sea, with roads open during the dry season. At present there is a huge road building project going on, which aims to upgrade the whole road north to Dar es Salaam to bitumen standards. Many parts of the project have already been finished, but the project will probably take till 2008 to complete. An old tarmac road connects Lindi town to Mtwara, passing through Mikindani
, an important Arab business settlement for explorers sailing along the east coast from Muscat, Oman
, Malindi
or Mombasa
to Sofala
.
Lindi is a fairly cosmopolitan town with Arab and Indian merchants owning the bulk of businesses, and Islam
is the predominant religion. The town has a market, a bus station, a post office, an airstrip (2 flights a week), primary and secondary schools, several banks (2 with ATMs), an Internet cafe and many guest houses. The locals, known as Swahili
s, are mainly engaged in fishing in Lindi Bay and some farming on the outskirts of the town. Employment opportunities are very limited, as Lindi lacks any kind of major industry. The only major investor is Aqeel Traders, which established here sawmills, employing Lindi region people. From the coast the land rises sharply to the escarpment hills of Mtanda
, once a residential area for colonial civil servants, with views of Lindi Bay. During the colonial era, a transfer to Lindi amounted to a re-appraisal or demotion.
One of the famous restaurents is located near the bus stop, named JAFFERY RESTAURENT, its where many people gather around in the evening to enjoy BBQ or proper dinner with family and friends.
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
in southeastern Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. The town is 450 kilometers south of Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
and 105 kilometers north of Mtwara, the southernmost coastal town in Tanzania, and gives its name to the surrounding Lindi Region
Lindi Region
Lindi is one of Tanzania's 26 administrative regions. The regional capital is also called Lindi.The Lindi region borders on Pwani, Morogoro, Ruvuma, and Mtwara. Much of the western part of the region is in the Selous Game Reserve....
, one of the most sparsely populated areas of the country. The town population was 41,549 as of the 2002 national census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
.
Overview
Lindi is located at the mouth of the Lukuledi River. Its port facilities are still rudimentary, allowing one or two small cargo and passenger boats at a time, and cannot accommodate ocean-going ships. The region was once an important sisalSisal
Sisal is an agave that yields a stiff fibre traditionally used in making twine, rope and also dartboards. The term may refer either to the plant or the fibre, depending on context...
-producing plantation area, especially in Kikwetu, surrounding the Lindi airstrip, 25 kilometers north of town. During the rainy season Lindi is presently accessible only by air and sea, with roads open during the dry season. At present there is a huge road building project going on, which aims to upgrade the whole road north to Dar es Salaam to bitumen standards. Many parts of the project have already been finished, but the project will probably take till 2008 to complete. An old tarmac road connects Lindi town to Mtwara, passing through Mikindani
Mikindani
Mikindani [translation: young palm trees], is a coastal African, Swahili town in south-eastern Tanzania.-History:In the far south of Tanzania, Mikindani is an old Swahili port that was once the centre of trade in southern Tanzania. The original inhabitants were joined around the 9th Century AD by...
, an important Arab business settlement for explorers sailing along the east coast from Muscat, Oman
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
, Malindi
Malindi
Malindi is a town on Malindi Bay at the mouth of the Galana River, lying on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It is 120 kilometres northeast of Mombasa. The population of Malindi is 117,735 . It is the capital of the Malindi District.Tourism is the major industry in Malindi. The city is...
or Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
to Sofala
Sofala
Sofala, at present known as Nova Sofala, used to be the chief seaport of the Monomotapa Kingdom, whose capital was at Mount Fura. It is located on the Sofala Bank in Sofala Province of Mozambique.-History:...
.
Lindi is a fairly cosmopolitan town with Arab and Indian merchants owning the bulk of businesses, and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
is the predominant religion. The town has a market, a bus station, a post office, an airstrip (2 flights a week), primary and secondary schools, several banks (2 with ATMs), an Internet cafe and many guest houses. The locals, known as Swahili
Swahili people
The Swahili people are a Bantu ethnic group and culture found in East Africa, mainly in the coastal regions and the islands of Kenya, Tanzania and north Mozambique. According to JoshuaProject, the Swahili number in at around 1,328,000. The name Swahili is derived from the Arabic word Sawahil,...
s, are mainly engaged in fishing in Lindi Bay and some farming on the outskirts of the town. Employment opportunities are very limited, as Lindi lacks any kind of major industry. The only major investor is Aqeel Traders, which established here sawmills, employing Lindi region people. From the coast the land rises sharply to the escarpment hills of Mtanda
Lindi Urban
Lindi Urban is one of the 6 districts of the Lindi Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the East by the Indian Ocean and surrounded to the North, West, and South by the Lindi Rural District...
, once a residential area for colonial civil servants, with views of Lindi Bay. During the colonial era, a transfer to Lindi amounted to a re-appraisal or demotion.
Hotels and Restaurents
There are many restaurants for daily meals including breakfast and lunch.One of the famous restaurents is located near the bus stop, named JAFFERY RESTAURENT, its where many people gather around in the evening to enjoy BBQ or proper dinner with family and friends.