Mafia Island
Encyclopedia
Mafia Island is part of the Tanzania
n Spice Islands
, together with Unguja
and Pemba
. As one of the six districts of the Pwani Region
, Mafia Island is governed from the mainland, not from the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar
, of which it has never been considered to be a part.
According to the 2002 Tanzania census
, the population of the Mafia District was 40,801. The economy is based on fishing, subsistence agriculture
and the market in Kilindoni
. The island attracts some tourists, mainly adventure scuba divers, game fishermen, and people wanting relaxation.
. The stretch of water between the deltas of the Rufiji River
and the island is called Mafia Channel
.
There are popular rumours of pygmy hippo on the island but there are no confirmed sightings.
and East Africa
. It was a regular stop for Arab
boats. On the tiny island of Chole Mjini, just offshore in Chole Bay, once stood a settlement that constituted one of the most important towns controlling trade from the silver mines of Eastern Zimbabwe
, which reached the town via the old ports of Kilwa and Michangani.
In the mid 1820s, the town of Kua on Juani Island was attacked by Sakalava
cannibals arriving from Madagascar
with 80 canoes, who ate many of the locals and took the rest into slavery.
Under a treaty of 1890, Germany
took control of Mafia and constructed the buildings still evident on Chole. Germany paid Sultan Sayyid Ali bin Said al-Said of Oman
M
4 million for both the island and part of the mainland coast. In January 1915, Mafia was taken by British
troops as a base for the air and sea assault on the light cruiser
Königsberg.
The name "Mafia" derives from the Arabic morfiyeh, meaning "group" or "archipelago", or from the Swahili
mahali pa afya, meaning "a healthy dwelling-place".
In 1995 Mafia Island had financial help from the WWF
to make a natural marine wildlife centre. There are two tourist resorts on the island as well.
Tanzania's first multi-user marine park at Mafia Island was established following management recommendations and data from surveys conducted by the Society for Environmental Exploration.
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...
n Spice Islands
Zanzibar Archipelago
The Zanzibar Archipelago consists of several islands lying off the coast of East Africa in the Indian Ocean. There are two main islands, plus a host of smaller islets that surround them.-Main islands:...
, together with Unguja
Unguja
Unguja as mentioned in The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea is the largest and most populated island of Zanzibar, in Tanzania.-Geography:...
and Pemba
Pemba, Tanzania
Pemba Island, known as "The Green Island" in Arabic , is an island forming part of the Zanzibar archipelago, lying off the east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. It is situated about 50 kilometres to the north of the Unguja . In 1964 Zanzibar was united with the former colony of Tanganyika to...
. As one of the six districts of the Pwani Region
Pwani Region
Pwani is one of the 26 regions of Tanzania. Kibaha serves as the region's capital. The region is bordered to the North by the Tanga Region, to the East by Dar-es-Salaam and the Indian Ocean, to the South by the Lindi Region and to the West by the Morogoro Region...
, Mafia Island is governed from the mainland, not from the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
, of which it has never been considered to be a part.
According to the 2002 Tanzania 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...
, the population of the Mafia District was 40,801. The economy is based on fishing, subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed their families. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to eat and clothe themselves during the year. Planting decisions are made with an eye...
and the market in Kilindoni
Kilindoni
Kilindoni is a town in the Pwani Region, Tanzania. It is the main town of the Mafia Island....
. The island attracts some tourists, mainly adventure scuba divers, game fishermen, and people wanting relaxation.
Geography
The Mafia archipelago consists of one large island (394 km²) and several smaller ones. Some of these are inhabited, such as Chole Island (2 km²), with a population of 800. Chole Bay, Mafia's protected deep-water anchorage and original harbour, is studded with islands, sandbanks and beaches. The main town is KilindoniKilindoni
Kilindoni is a town in the Pwani Region, Tanzania. It is the main town of the Mafia Island....
. The stretch of water between the deltas of the Rufiji River
Rufiji River
The Rufiji River lies entirely within the African nation of Tanzania. The river is formed by the convergence of the Kilombero and Luwegu rivers. It is approximately 600 km long, with its source in southwestern Tanzania and its mouth on the Indian Ocean at a point between Mafia Island called Mafia...
and the island is called Mafia Channel
Mafia Channel
Mafia Channel is a stretch of water between the Rufiji River estuary and Mafia Island in Tanzania, Africa. The deltas at the mouth of the Rufiji River extrude towards the island and water is forced through causing constant erosion of the deltas and the island itself....
.
There are popular rumours of pygmy hippo on the island but there are no confirmed sightings.
History
Mafia Island's history goes back to the 8th century. The island once played a major role in ancient trade between the people of the Far EastFar East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
and East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. It was a regular stop for Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
boats. On the tiny island of Chole Mjini, just offshore in Chole Bay, once stood a settlement that constituted one of the most important towns controlling trade from the silver mines of Eastern Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, which reached the town via the old ports of Kilwa and Michangani.
In the mid 1820s, the town of Kua on Juani Island was attacked by Sakalava
Sakalava
The Sakalava are an ethnic group of Madagascar numbering approximately 700,000 in population. Their name means "people of the long valleys." They occupy the Western edge of the island from Toliara in the south to Sambirano in the north. The Sakalava denominate a number of smaller ethnic groups...
cannibals arriving from Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
with 80 canoes, who ate many of the locals and took the rest into slavery.
Under a treaty of 1890, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
took control of Mafia and constructed the buildings still evident on Chole. Germany paid Sultan Sayyid Ali bin Said al-Said of Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
M
German gold mark
The Goldmark was the currency used in the German Empire from 1873 to 1914.-History:Before unification, the different German states issued a variety of different currencies, though most were linked to the Vereinsthaler, a silver coin containing 16⅔ grams of pure silver...
4 million for both the island and part of the mainland coast. In January 1915, Mafia was taken by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
troops as a base for the air and sea assault on the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
Königsberg.
The name "Mafia" derives from the Arabic morfiyeh, meaning "group" or "archipelago", or from the Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
mahali pa afya, meaning "a healthy dwelling-place".
In 1995 Mafia Island had financial help from the WWF
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
to make a natural marine wildlife centre. There are two tourist resorts on the island as well.
Tanzania's first multi-user marine park at Mafia Island was established following management recommendations and data from surveys conducted by the Society for Environmental Exploration.
Administration
The Mafia District is administratively divided into 7 wards, listed with area and population:| Ward | Areakm² | Population2002 | Villages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baleni | 132.1 | 9137 | Baleni, Kungwi, Ndagoni, Chunguruma |
| Jibondo | 21.9 | 3405 | Jibondo, Chole, Juani |
| Kanga | 52.7 | 3317 | Kanga, Bweni |
| Kilindoni | 36.8 | 11696 | Kilindoni, Dongo |
| Kirongwe | 77.0 | 5260 | Kirongwe, Jimbo, Banja, Jojo |
| Kiegeani | 40.3 | 3379 | Kiegani, Marimbani |
| Mibulani | 52.3 | 4363 | Miburani, Mlongo, Chemchem |
| Mafia Island | 413 | 40801 | 20 villages |