# Dar es Salaam

> largest city in Tanzania and capital of Dar es Salaam Region

**Wikidata**: [Q1960](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1960)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dar_es_Salaam)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/dar-es-salaam

## Key Facts
- **Classification**: City, port city, largest city in Tanzania, former national capital (ended 1996, with some sources indicating 1974 for end of national capital status).
- **Location**: Situated in the Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania, on the coast of the Zanzibar Channel.
- **Coordinates**: Latitude -6.816111111111111, Longitude 39.280277777777776.
- **Area**: 1,393 square kilometres.
- **Elevation**: 12 metres above sea level.
- **Inception**: Founded in 1862.
- **Population**: 
  - 4,364,541 (2012).
  - 4,715,000 (2016).
- **Demonym**: Salamite (applies to both masculine and feminine singular).
- **Time Zone**: UTC+03:00.
- **Postal Code Range**: 10000–19999.
- **Local Dialing Code**: 22.
- **Official Language**: Swahili.
- **UN/LOCODE**: TZDAR.
- **Government**: 
  - Head of Government: Q133848172 (Omary Said Kumbilamoto referenced).
  - Website: http://www.dcc.go.tz/ (English).
  - YouTube Channel: Dar es Salaam City Council (ID: UCn2dfxSaBFAvgq9Ha0ZOE9g).
- **Twin City**: Hamburg (since July 1, 2010).
- **Identifiers**: 
  - Wikidata: Q3826 (implied).
  - VIAF ID: 167026731.
  - GND ID: 4090903-7.
  - Geonames ID: 160263.
  - Library of Congress Authority ID: n79079320.

## FAQs
**What is Dar es Salaam's historical significance?**
Dar es Salaam was founded in 1862 and served as the capital of German East Africa, Tanganyika Territory, Tanganyika, and eventually Tanzania until the capital was moved in 1996 (some records note a change in status as early as 1974). It was also historically known as Mzizima.

**What is the geographical scope of Dar es Salaam?**
The city covers an area of 1,393 square kilometres and sits at an elevation of 12 metres. It is located on the Zanzibar Channel in the Dar es Salaam Region of Tanzania.

**What are the linguistic and demographic details?**
Swahili is the official language. Residents are referred to as "Salamite." The city's native label is دَار السَّلَام (Dar as-Salam), and it has aliases including Mzizima and various transliterations like Dar es Salam and 三兰港.

**What are the key administrative details?**
Dar es Salaam is the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. Its local dialing code is 22, and it uses the postal code range 10000–19999. The city maintains an official website at http://www.dcc.go.tz/ and has an active YouTube channel managed by the Dar es Salaam City Council.

## Why It Matters
Dar es Salaam is a critical urban hub in East Africa. As Tanzania's largest city and a major port on the Zanzibar Channel, it serves as a pivotal economic and logistical gateway for the region. Its history as the capital of successive political entities—from German East Africa to modern Tanzania—underscores its enduring political and administrative importance, even after the national capital was relocated. With a rapidly growing population of over 4.7 million people, it represents a focal point for culture, commerce, and development within Tanzania and the broader African Great Lakes region.

## Notable For
- Being the largest city in Tanzania.
- Serving as the former national capital (until 1996/1974) and the current capital of the Dar es Salaam Region.
- Functioning as a major port city on the Zanzibar Channel.
- Having a population that exceeds 4.7 million people.
- Being a twin city with Hamburg, Germany.

## Body

### Geography and Demographics
Dar es Salaam is situated in the Dar es Salaam Region of Tanzania. Its precise coordinates are 6.8161°S, 39.2803°E. The city covers a total area of 1,393 square kilometres and has a low elevation of 12 metres above sea level. It is located on the shores of the Zanzibar Channel. The city's population has seen significant growth, recorded at 4,364,541 in the 2012 census and estimated at 4,715,000 in 2016. The term for a resident of Dar es Salaam is "Salamite."

### History and Political Status
The city was officially founded in 1862. It has a rich colonial and post-colonial history, serving as the capital for German East Africa, Tanganyika Territory, and Tanganyika. Following the formation of Tanzania, it continued as the national capital until 1996 (qualifiers also indicate a status change related to "national capital" ended in 1974). It remains the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. The topic of its history is further detailed in the "timeline of Dar es Salaam."

### Governance and Administration
The city's government is headed by an official identified by the ID Q133848172 (referenced as Omary Said Kumbilamoto). The administrative body maintains an official website (http://www.dcc.go.tz/) in English and a YouTube channel ("Dar es Salaam City Council") created on March 24, 2017. The city is twinned with Hamburg, a relationship that began on July 1, 2010.

### Infrastructure and Codes
Dar es Salaam operates in the UTC+03:00 time zone. The postal codes for the city range from 10000 to 19999. The local telephone dialing code is 22. For international trade and logistics, it holds the UN/LOCODE "TZDAR."

### Cultural and Linguistic Identity
The official language of Dar es Salaam is Swahili. The city is known natively as دَار السَّلَام and has several aliases, including Dar as-Salam, Dar as Salam, and its historical name, Mzizima. It is described in multiple encyclopedic sources, including the 11th edition of Encyclopædia Britannica, and is categorized under "Category:Dar es Salaam" on Wikimedia Commons.

### External Identifiers and Links
Dar es Salaam is indexed in numerous databases and library catalogs worldwide. Key identifiers include a VIAF ID (167026731), a GND ID (4090903-7), and a Library of Congress Authority ID (n79079320). It also has dedicated entries in various national and specialized encyclopedias, such as the *Great Russian Encyclopedia Online*, *Treccani's Dizionario di Storia*, and *Brockhaus Enzyklopädie Online*. The city's digital presence is further established through social media and knowledge platforms, including a Facebook location ID (110639715625917), a Quora topic ("Dar-es-Salaam-Tanzania"), and a GitHub topic ("dar-es-salaam").

### Media and Visual Documentation
Visual representations of the city include an image of Dar es Salaam before dusk, an aerial view, a page banner, and a locator map image (Tanzania Dar es Salaam location map2.svg). The city's coat of arms is documented in an image file titled "Emblem of Dar es Salaam.svg." A spherical panorama image from 2025 also exists in the source data. Wikipedia articles about the city are available in a vast array of languages, including English, Swahili, French, German, Chinese, and many others.

## References

1. [Source](https://amalicities.africa/about/omary-said-kumbilamoto/)
2. archINFORM
3. Virtual International Authority File
4. [Source](https://www.tcra.go.tz/postcodes/Dar%20Es%20Salaam%2011000)
5. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
6. MusicBrainz
7. [Source](http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf)
8. [Source](http://cnig.gouv.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CNT-PVM_r%C3%A9vis%C3%A9_2020-01-27-1.pdf)
9. GeoNames
10. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/tz.htm)
11. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
12. [Source](https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/darusselam--tanzanya)
13. museum-digital
14. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)
15. YouTube API