Expert guide on Moshi, Tanzania
Moshi is a small town found at the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro with the population of 221,733 . The highest elevation of Moshi is 900m to 950m above the sea level.
Moshi takes its name from the Kiswahili word for “smoke”, possibly because Mount Kilimanjaro which is a dormant volcano today, has been spewing gas in the past and present too, and because of the fact that it is often covered with clouds and mist too. Owing to its volcanic soil and fed by the natural springs that run from the mountain glaciers, Moshi has lush vegetation and is the natural environ of numerous varieties of birds and butterflies
Moshi/Smoke name came from the history of the chagga people who were leaving on the slopes of mount Kilimanjaro around the area known as Kibosho, Materuni, Shimbwe as there’s was the railway station which was running by Germany Colonies that many people from those villagers were wondering as they can see the smoke around the little town as it was a Train. Therefore they had to call the town “Moshi” in swahili language.
Moshi sees a lot of guests owing to its proximity to Kilimanjaro, and many trekkers on climbing expeditions to the mountain use the town as their basecamp either en-route to or coming from the many parks and wildlife sanctuaries that Tanzania is known for. Considered to be the cleanest township in all of Tanzania, Moshi has a serene, tranquil ambience with Mount Kilimanjaro dominating its skyline.
Where is Moshi, Tanzania?
Location of Moshi Town
Moshi is located to the north of Tanzania, in the Kilimanjaro region and lies at an altitude of 700 meters above sea level to the north and 952 meters above sea level to the south. In the whole of Tanzania, Moshi is the smallest municipality with a size 23 square miles (59 square kilometers) and has a population of about a quarter of a million people, which is 250,000 people or below. On the map, Moshi can be found on the coordinates 3.3430° S, 37.3507° E
The people of Moshi (Tribes and Culture)
The native inhabitants of Moshi are the Chagga people that speak Kichagga (their mother-tongue language). The Chagga is a large tribe in Tanzania, living around Moshi and scattered across the country in other towns and cities within Tanzania and abroad.
History of Moshi Town, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
When Tanzania was colonised by the Germans, they started large scale farming projects and set up coffee farms and plantations on the foot slopes of Kilimanjaro and around Moshi. The town sprung up due to buildings meant for the colonialists, farmhouses, and settlements. An army base camp was built I Moshi during that time, way back in the year 1893.
The British came afterward after the second world war and took over Tanzania as their colony until independence in 1961. That is why Moshi has old architecture and buildings, especially around Moshi Town. These buildings were set up during colonial times and still exist up to today. Most of these buildings have been maintained and converted into restaurants, hotels, lodges, and even business buildings.
Moshi located 82 km away from Arusha City and it would take you 1 h 50 min driving. The nearest International airport to Moshi town is the Kilimanjaro International Airport which is only 53 min away (42.2 km)
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