Log in Sign up
Back to Discover
🗺️

Arusha

geography Maturity 11-13

Arusha is a big city.

Look at Mt. Meru Arusha Tanzania.jpg
Look at Mt. Meru Arusha Tanzania.jpg
It is in Tanzania. The city sits near a tall mountain.
Arusha Clocktower.jpg
Arusha Clocktower.jpg
Many people live there. It is a busy place. Do you want to visit Arusha?

39 words

Arusha is a big city in Tanzania.

Look at Mt. Meru Arusha Tanzania.jpg
Look at Mt. Meru Arusha Tanzania.jpg
It sits near a large mountain called Mount Meru. The air there is cool and dry.
Arusha, Tanzania (Explored) - Flickr - romanboed.jpg
Arusha, Tanzania (Explored) - Flickr - romanboed.jpg

Many different people live in the city. They come from many lands. Some people follow different faiths.

Arusha is a place for big meetings. Leaders from many lands meet there.

East African Legislative Assembly.jpg
East African Legislative Assembly.jpg

There are many things to see. You can visit a museum. It has a very old tortoise.

It is a busy and special place.

94 words

Arusha is a large city in Tanzania.

Look at Mt. Meru Arusha Tanzania.jpg
Look at Mt. Meru Arusha Tanzania.jpg
It sits on the slopes of Mount Meru. This mountain helps keep the air cool and dry. Most of the year, the weather is pleasant. The city has two rainy seasons. The long rains come from March to May.
Arusha, Tanzania (Explored) - Flickr - romanboed.jpg
Arusha, Tanzania (Explored) - Flickr - romanboed.jpg
A shorter rainy season happens in November and December.

Many different people live in Arusha. Most people are Tanzanian. People from many backgrounds live there too. They follow many faiths, like Christianity and Islam.

Arusha is an important place for world leaders. It is a hub for big meetings.

East African Legislative Assembly.jpg
East African Legislative Assembly.jpg
It hosts groups like the East African Community. It also has a branch of the United Nations.

There are many things to see and do. You can visit the National Natural History Museum. It has models of early human ancestors. You can also see a giant tortoise there. The tortoise is over 100 years old!

Regional Air Arusha.jpg
Regional Air Arusha.jpg
Travelers can reach the city by air or by bus. It is a busy and vital part of Tanzania.

189 words

Arusha is a large city in the country of Tanzania.

Look at Mt. Meru Arusha Tanzania.jpg
Look at Mt. Meru Arusha Tanzania.jpg
It sits on the southern slopes of Mount Meru. This mountain is part of the Great Rift Valley. Because the city is high up, the air stays cool and dry.
Arusha, Tanzania (Explored) - Flickr - romanboed.jpg
Arusha, Tanzania (Explored) - Flickr - romanboed.jpg
The weather has two rainy seasons each year. The long rains usually arrive from March to May. A shorter rainy season often comes in November and December.

This city is a very important place for world leaders. It is a major hub for international meetings.

East African Legislative Assembly.jpg
East African Legislative Assembly.jpg
Arusha is the capital for the East African Community. It also hosts the African Court of the African Union. A branch of the United Nations works here too.
UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Arusha, Tanzania (33469820718).jpg
UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Arusha, Tanzania (33469820718).jpg
These groups make the city a busy place for diplomacy.

Arusha has a long and changing history. The area was first settled in the 1830s. The Arusha Maasai people lived there and traded goods. They traded things like honey and grain for milk and meat. In 1896, the Germans conquered the area.

clock tower May 1953.jpg
clock tower May 1953.jpg
They built a large military fort called a boma. Later, the British took control of the town in 1916. A railroad arrived in the late 1920s to help trade grow.

Many different kinds of people live in the city today. There are 617,631 people living in Arusha. Most residents are Tanzanian with mixed backgrounds. You will find people who are indigenous African, Arab-Tanzanian, and Indian-Tanzanian. There are also small groups from Europe and North America.

Arusha Clocktower.jpg
Arusha Clocktower.jpg
People follow many religions, including Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, and Hinduism.

Visitors can find many interesting things to see. The National Natural History Museum shows models of early human ancestors. You can even see a giant tortoise that is over 100 years old!

Regional Air Arusha.jpg
Regional Air Arusha.jpg
To get to the city, people use two different airports. The Arusha Airport is a busy hub in the west. You can also arrive by taking a bus on the Cape to Cairo Road. Many travelers use these paths to see the beautiful region.

367 words

Arusha is a major city located in the country of Tanzania.

Look at Mt. Meru Arusha Tanzania.jpg
Look at Mt. Meru Arusha Tanzania.jpg
It serves as the capital of the Arusha Region. The city sits on the southern slopes of Mount Meru. This mountain is part of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley. Because of its high elevation, the city has a subtropical highland climate. This means the air stays relatively cool and dry despite being near the equator.
Arusha, Tanzania (Explored) - Flickr - romanboed.jpg
Arusha, Tanzania (Explored) - Flickr - romanboed.jpg

The climate in Arusha follows a bimodal rainfall pattern. This means there are two distinct rainy seasons each year. The long rainy season, called the masika, occurs from March through May. These rains are quite reliable due to the influence of Mount Meru. The shorter rainy season, known as the vuli, usually happens in November and December. Between these periods, the region experiences a dry season called the kiangazi from June to October. The annual rainfall averages about 1,200 millimeters.

Arusha Clocktower.jpg
Arusha Clocktower.jpg

Arusha is a vital international diplomatic hub for the continent. It hosts several important intergovernmental organizations. The city is the headquarters for the East African Community. It also hosts the African Court of the African Union. For a time, the city hosted the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda from 1994 to 2015. Currently, a branch of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals operates there.

East African Legislative Assembly.jpg
East African Legislative Assembly.jpg
UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Arusha, Tanzania (33469820718).jpg
UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Arusha, Tanzania (33469820718).jpg

The history of the area began with the Arusha Maasai in the 1830s. These agro-pastoral people traded grains, honey, and tobacco for livestock and milk. In 1896, German forces conquered the region. The Germans built a large military fort known as a boma to show their power. Many Africans were forced to work on the construction of this fort. In 1916, during World War I, the British took control of Arusha from the Germans. The town grew significantly after the British moved the regional administration there. A railroad extension in the late 1920s helped increase local commerce.

Today, Arusha is a multicultural city with 617,631 residents. The population includes indigenous Africans, Arab-Tanzanians, and Indian-Tanzanians. There are also small minority groups from Europe and North America. People in the region practice many different religions. These include Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, and Hinduism. The city is home to many educational institutions. These include the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology and various international schools.

Visitors to Arusha can explore several cultural and scientific sites. The National Natural History Museum displays models of human ancestors from over 2 million years ago. The museum grounds also feature a giant tortoise that is over 100 years old. For art lovers, the Arusha Cultural Heritage Centre offers a wide range of African art. This includes works from the Tanzanian TingaTinga school. The city also features many places of worship, such as the Cathedral of Arusha.

Travel to the city is well-supported by various transport links. Arusha is served by two different airports. The Kilimanjaro International Airport handles international travelers. The Arusha Airport is a regional hub in the west of the city.

Regional Air Arusha.jpg
Regional Air Arusha.jpg
It serves more than 87,000 passengers every year. Travelers can also use the Central Bus Terminal to reach many other cities. The city is also located on the Cape to Cairo Road, a major route through the continent.

581 words
🖼️ Images & Media (11)
File:clock tower May 1953.jpg
clock tower May 1953.jpg
File:Arusha Clocktower.jpg
Arusha Clocktower.jpg
File:East African Legislative Assembly.jpg
East African Legislative Assembly.jpg
File:UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Arusha, Tanzania (33469820718).jpg
UN International Residual Mechanism for...
File:Look at Mt. Meru Arusha Tanzania.jpg
Look at Mt. Meru Arusha Tanzania.jpg
File:Regional Air Arusha.jpg
Regional Air Arusha.jpg
File:Central Bus Terminal Arusha City.jpg
Central Bus Terminal Arusha City.jpg
File:Cathedral of Arusha.jpg
Cathedral of Arusha.jpg
File:ALMC Hospital in Arusha.jpg
ALMC Hospital in Arusha.jpg
File:Arusha, Tanzania (Explored) - Flickr - romanboed.jpg
Arusha, Tanzania (Explored) - Flickr -...
File:Sheikh Amri Abeid Memorial Stadium.jpg
Sheikh Amri Abeid Memorial Stadium.jpg
Up Next
🗺️
Dar es Salaam
Geography
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.