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The small town of Mtwara is located on the coast
of south-eastern Tanzania, along the rugged
patch of coastline that leads to the country's
border with Mozambique. Elevated slightly along
the Makonde Plateau, the area is one of the more
remote locations in Tanzania. The town has one
site of particular interest, St. Paul's Church,
which houses some remarkable murals of Biblical
scenes painted by German priests.
Mtwara's proximity to the Mnazi Bay-Ruvuma
Estuary Marine Park means that visitors can
experience some of the most isolated dive sites
on the coast. Mtwara was originally built by the
British as a centre for a vast agriculture
scheme that involved groundnut plantations along
Tanzania's southern coast. The scheme was
implemented after the Second World War, when the
British had taken control of what was then
Tanganyika from the Germans, and the groundnuts
were expected to make up for post-war food
shortages in the United Kingdom and to export to
the rest of Europe. The plantations eventually
failed, but the town of Mtwara remains. Mtwara
makes an excellent supply stop for trips to the
Mnazi Bay-Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park and is a
good base for exploring nearby Mikindani. |
