Songea

Capital of Ruvuma Region, Tanzania
< City of Ruvuma Region in Tanzania
10°41′S 35°39′E / 10.683°S 35.650°E / -10.683; 35.650CountryTanzaniaRegionRuvumaDistrictSongea UrbanPopulation
 (2022 census)[1][2]
 • Total286,285Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)Area code025WebsiteRegional website

Songea is the capital of Ruvuma Region in southwestern Tanzania.[2] It is located along the A19 road.[3] The city has a population of 286,285,[1][2] and is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Songea. Between 1905 and 1907, the city was a centre of African resistance during the Maji Maji Rebellion in German East Africa. The city is poised to experience significant economic growth in the near future as the Mtwara Corridor opens up in a few years. It is projected to be the sixth fastest growing city on the African continent between 2020 and 2025, with a 5.74% growth.[4]

History

Songea was a great Ngoni warrior, hanged in 1906 during the time of German repression of the Maji Maji rebellion. Songea had been spared the death sentence because he had surrendered. However he demanded to be hanged along with the other Ngoni leaders. The Germans complied.

After the Second World War, the area was marked for rapid agricultural development linked to the ultimately disastrous groundnut scheme. A railway had been planned from the coast to Songea and actually appeared in 1950s high school geography text books. During the liberation war with Mozambique the Songea area was a restricted zone and occasionally suffered aerial attacks by Portuguese forces. Its remoteness made it vulnerable to ivory poaching, and communications remained unreliable until 1985 when a new British funded road was opened linking it northwards to the road and rail hub of Makambako.

Songea became a municipality in 2006.[5]

Education

Songea is the home to many educational institutions including;

  1. Matogoro Teachers Colleges
  2. Peramiho School of Nursing
  3. Kigonsera High School
  4. Songea Boys Secondary School
  5. Songea Girls Secondary School
  6. Peramiho Girls School
  7. The St. Augustine University
  8. The Ghetto brand College

Administration

Songea is coextensive with Songea Urban District and is divided into wards. It is managed by the Songea Municipal Council.[5]

Climate

Climate data for Songea (1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 28.0
(82.4) 		28.1
(82.6) 		27.6
(81.7) 		26.5
(79.7) 		25.9
(78.6) 		24.6
(76.3) 		24.0
(75.2) 		25.6
(78.1) 		27.8
(82.0) 		29.6
(85.3) 		30.4
(86.7) 		28.8
(83.8) 		27.2
(81.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 23.1
(73.6) 		23.0
(73.4) 		22.8
(73.0) 		21.8
(71.2) 		20.8
(69.4) 		18.5
(65.3) 		18.3
(64.9) 		19.7
(67.5) 		21.7
(71.1) 		23.5
(74.3) 		24.6
(76.3) 		23.6
(74.5) 		21.8
(71.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 18.4
(65.1) 		18.2
(64.8) 		18.0
(64.4) 		16.9
(62.4) 		14.3
(57.7) 		11.7
(53.1) 		11.2
(52.2) 		12.7
(54.9) 		14.7
(58.5) 		17.0
(62.6) 		18.5
(65.3) 		18.7
(65.7) 		15.9
(60.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 262.3
(10.33) 		221.0
(8.70) 		226.8
(8.93) 		98.8
(3.89) 		9.6
(0.38) 		1.1
(0.04) 		0.3
(0.01) 		1.2
(0.05) 		1.9
(0.07) 		6.6
(0.26) 		51.6
(2.03) 		175.7
(6.92) 		1,056.9
(41.61)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) 17.7 14.5 17.3 9.6 1.8 0.4 0.1 0.4 0.4 1.0 4.2 12.7 80.1
Source 1: NOAA[6]
Source 2: Tokyo Climate Center (mean temperatures 1991–2020)[7]

References

  1. ^ a b Citypopulation.de Population of cities & urban localities in Tanzania
  2. ^ a b c Ndembwike, John (2006). Tanzania: The Land and Its People. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: New Africa Press. p. 49. ISBN 0-9802534-4-6.
  3. ^ Google (29 May 2023). "Songea" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Ranked: The World's Fastest Growing Cities". virtual capitalist. 13 August 2021. Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
  5. ^ a b "Songea Municipality, Ruvuma, Tanzania Municipal Profile 2010" (PDF). Songea Municipal Council. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-01. Retrieved 2012-09-01.
  6. ^ "Songea Climate Normals 1991–2020". World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Normals Data: Songea - Tanzania Latitude: 10.68°N Longitude: 35.58°E Height: 1067 (m)". Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved 1 December 2022.

10°41′S 35°39′E / 10.683°S 35.650°E / -10.683; 35.650

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