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Arusha, located in the northern zone of Tanzania, is known as the land of the Maasai and their rich culture. After Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Tanga, Arusha is Tanzania’s 4th largest city. The northern zone comprises four administrative regions: Arusha, Manyara, Kilimanjaro and Tanga. Until about five years ago, Manyara and Arusha formed one region, but were split due to their geographical expanse.
According to the 2022 census, greater Arusha had a population of 2.3 million. The city itself has about 617,000 inhabitants, but many people move to Arusha daily for work, shopping and education, so the actual population is much higher.
Arusha serves as the administrative centre of the northern zone and is a hub for various income-generating activities such as mining, agriculture, animal husbandry, light industry and tourism. The city is famous for tanzanite, a precious gemstone mined only in Tanzania. Thanks to these various economic activities, Arusha contributes significantly to Tanzania’s gross national product and is the second most important source of revenue for the government after Dar es Salaam.
Despite the presence of various ethnic groups, the Maasai community remains true to their traditions and enjoy wearing their traditional clothing. The spoken language in Arusha is Kiswahili, the compulsory language in primary schools. English is also well spoken, especially by young people, due to interaction with tourists and international guests.
Arusha has a cosmopolitan feel thanks to the presence of important international organisations such as the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the headquarters of the East African Community, and several other institutions. This international presence has led to about 100 nationalities living together in the city. However, this has also increased the cost of living for locals who do not work for these international organisations.
Arusha offers a mix of local and modern lifestyles, which is visible in the various types of buildings in the city. There are slums as well as luxury houses. The growth of tourism has led to the construction of new hotels to accommodate
the flow of visitors. Many of the sponsored children in Arusha come from the slums and suburbs where the support centres are located.
Arusha has numerous government and private schools. Although the government has made primary education compulsory, there is a shortage of secondary schools, classrooms and teaching staff. The government is therefore encouraging private individuals and companies to help build more classrooms to meet the demand.
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