City Africa
Zanzibar City
Zanzibar City is on an island in the Indian Ocean. Its old part is called Stone Town!
Zanzibar City is the main town of Zanzibar island, off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean. Its old quarter, Stone Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Swahili trading town shaped by Africa, the Arab region, India and Europe. Tanzania's 2022 census counted 709,809 people in the city.
Zanzibar City, on the western side of Unguja (Zanzibar island), had 709,809 urban inhabitants at Tanzania's census of 23 August 2022 (City Population, from the National Bureau of Statistics Tanzania); its Stone Town, a Swahili trading town, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
Photo: Paul Brockmeyer from Chicago, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Zanzibar City
Zanzibar City is on Zanzibar, an island near the coast of Africa.
The sea all around it is the Indian Ocean.
Zanzibar City is on Zanzibar island, which the French encyclopedia Larousse places in the Indian Ocean, 36 kilometers from the African mainland. Larousse calls the city the island's only large town.
Tanzania's census of 23 August 2022 counted 709,809 people living in the city. Its old part, Stone Town, has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 2000.
Larousse ('Zanzibar', island): an island of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean, 36 km from the African continent, 1,658 km², about 90 km long; 896,721 inhabitants (2012 census); the town of Zanzibar is the only notable urban area. City Population (from the National Bureau of Statistics Tanzania), 'Zanzibar', urban population: 110,531 (1978), 157,634 (1988), 320,701 (2002), 501,459 (2012), 709,809 (23 August 2022); fourth in its 2022 major-cities table after Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Dodoma. Larousse's city entry gives a much smaller 133,000 (2000 estimate). UNESCO: Stone Town of Zanzibar, inscribed 2000, criteria (ii)(iii)(vi), 96 ha with an 84.79 ha buffer zone.
- Island
- Zanzibar (Unguja), in the Indian Ocean, 36 km from the African mainland (Larousse)
- People in the city (census, 23 August 2022)
- 709,809
- Stone Town
- a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000
- Country
- Tanzania (Larousse)
A town on the sea
Look at the town on the edge of the blue sea!
Many boats float in the water.
Paul Brockmeyer took this photo from high above on 6 September 2006 and called it 'Stone Town, Zanzibar'. It shows a point of land packed with buildings, a harbor with many boats and some large ships, a shallow bay, dark green trees along the shore, and blue sea stretching to the horizon.
UNESCO says Stone Town sits on a point of land on the western side of Unguja island, which Larousse calls Zanzibar island. On Wikidata, Forodhani Gardens are about 1.4 kilometers west-northwest of the city's point.
Commons: 'Stone Town, Zanzibar (1)', a Flickr photo by Paul Brockmeyer (CC BY 2.0, reviewed by a Commons bot on 20 July 2011), dated 6 September 2006; his Flickr title is 'Stone Town, Zanzibar'. A 2006 photo: it shows the town as it was then. UNESCO: Stone Town lies on a promontory jutting out from the western side of Unguja island into the Indian Ocean. Wikidata, from the city point (Q2222874): Stone Town (Q844417), 'old part of Zanzibar City', 0.23 km NW; Ng'ambo (Q17079426), 'major part of Zanzibar City', 0.38 km NNW; Darajani Market (Q5222054), 'main bazaar in Stone Town', 0.84 km NW; Forodhani Gardens (Q3077682) 1.43 km WNW; the port of Zanzibar (Q111387084) 1.84 km W.
- In the photo
- Stone Town, Zanzibar, from high above, 6 September 2006 (Paul Brockmeyer)
- Stone Town
- on a point of land on the western side of Unguja island (UNESCO)
- Forodhani Gardens
- a garden about 1.4 km west-northwest of the city's point (Wikidata)
A Swahili trading town
Long ago, ships sailed between Africa and Asia.
Zanzibar was a busy trading town for them.
UNESCO calls Stone Town an outstanding example of a Swahili trading town, a kind of town that grew up along the coast of East Africa. For many centuries, ships carried goods across the sea between Asia and Africa, and UNESCO says Stone Town's buildings and streets show that trade.
UNESCO says the town brought together parts of the cultures of Africa, the Arab region, India and Europe over more than a thousand years.
UNESCO (brief synthesis): Swahili trading towns developed on the coast of East Africa and expanded under Arab, Indian and European influences while keeping their indigenous elements; Stone Town retains its urban fabric and townscape virtually intact. Criterion (iii): for many centuries there was intense seaborne trading activity between Asia and Africa, illustrated by the architecture and urban structure of the Stone Town. Criterion (vi): Zanzibar was one of the main slave-trading ports in East Africa and has great symbolic importance in the suppression of slavery. Larousse (island): the island and the town were a trading post on the East African coast from Hellenistic times.
- Stone Town
- an outstanding example of a Swahili trading town (UNESCO)
- Cultures
- Africa, the Arab region, India and Europe, over more than a millennium (UNESCO)
- 2000
- Stone Town joins the World Heritage List (UNESCO)
Harbor, gardens and market
Boats come and go from the harbor.
People shop at a big market called Darajani.
Larousse says Zanzibar island covers 1,658 square kilometers and is about 90 kilometers long, with the smaller island of Pemba to the north.
On Wikidata, Darajani Market, the main bazaar in Stone Town, is about 0.8 kilometers northwest of the city's point, Forodhani Gardens about 1.4 kilometers west-northwest, and the port about 1.8 kilometers west.
Larousse: Zanzibar island about 90 km long, 1,658 km²; Pemba, to the north, 70 km long, 984 km²; both on the continental shelf, about 30 km from the mainland. Wikidata from the city point: Darajani Market 0.84 km NW; Old Dispensary (Q4009183), a historic building in Stone Town, 1.23 km NW; Forodhani Gardens 1.43 km WNW; port of Zanzibar 1.84 km W. UNESCO's point for Stone Town (6°09′47″ S, 39°11′21″ E) is 1.26 km WNW of the city point.
- Port
- the port of Zanzibar, about 1.8 km west of the city's point (Wikidata)
- Darajani Market
- the main bazaar in Stone Town (Wikidata)
- Island size
- 1,658 km², about 90 km long (Larousse)
Hot and humid by the ocean
Zanzibar City is hot all year.
The warmest days come early in the year.
The World Meteorological Organization's averages for Zanzibar, for 1971 to 2000, show daytime highs between 28.6 °C and 32.8 °C in every month, and average lows between 19.7 °C and 23.6 °C. February has the hottest days, and July the coolest.
Larousse says the islands have the same climate as the Tanzanian coast, with about 1,500 millimeters of rain a year on average.
WMO World Weather Information Service, Zanzibar (Tanzania Meteorological Agency; period 1971-2000 as given in the data; the WMO point is 6.33 km SSE of the city point): mean daily maximum 28.6 °C (Jul) to 32.8 °C (Feb); mean daily minimum 19.7 °C (Sep) to 23.6 °C (Apr). The table's rainfall column adds up to only 172.3 mm, far from Larousse's figure, so it is not used here. Larousse: the islands' climate is that of the Tanzanian coast, with an average annual rainfall of about 1,500 mm.
- February, average daily high and low (WMO, Zanzibar, 1971–2000)
- 32.8 °C and 23.2 °C
- July, average daily high and low (same table)
- 28.6 °C and 21.0 °C
- Rain on the islands
- about 1,500 mm a year on average, as on the Tanzanian coast (Larousse)
Cloves and coconuts
Farms on the islands grow cloves, a spice.
Coconut palms grow there too.
Larousse says the main resources of the Zanzibar islands are clove trees, whose dried flower buds are the spice called cloves, and coconut palms. Around the villages, people also grow mangoes, papayas, cassava, sorghum, tomatoes and rice.
Most of what the islands sell abroad, Larousse says, is clove oil and copra, the dried flesh of coconuts.
Larousse (island): clove plantations, the islands' main resource, and coconut groves on the hilly 'Shamba land'; around the villages mango and papaya trees and food crops (cassava, sorghum, tomatoes, other vegetables), and rice; exports mainly clove oil (India the main buyer) and copra. Larousse (city): later turned to the export of cloves (grown on Pemba) and to fishing; food industries.
- Main crops of the islands
- clove trees and coconut palms (Larousse)
- Other foods grown
- mangoes, papayas, cassava, sorghum, tomatoes and rice (Larousse)
- Exports
- mostly clove oil and copra (Larousse)
Zanzibar City on the map
Find Africa on the globe. Look at its east coast, in the Indian Ocean. There is the island of Zanzibar!
Zanzibar City lies at about 6.17° south and 39.20° east, on the western side of Zanzibar island.
Larousse says Zanzibar and Pemba, to its north, both sit on the continental shelf, about 30 kilometers from the mainland. On Wikidata, Stone Town is about 0.2 kilometers northwest of the city's point.
Zanzibar City lies at about 6.17° S, 39.20° E (Wikidata point of Zanzibar City, Q2222874; the sheet point is 0.74 km N of it). UNESCO: Stone Town on a promontory on the western side of Unguja island. Larousse: Zanzibar and Pemba on the continental shelf, about 30 km from the continent; Zanzibar 36 km from it.
- Latitude
- about 6.17° south
- Longitude
- about 39.20° east
- Neighbor island
- Pemba, to the north (Larousse)
Amazing facts
-
Cloves, a spice, grow on the Zanzibar islands!
Larousse says clove trees, whose dried flower buds are the spice called cloves, are the main resource of the Zanzibar islands.
Larousse: clove plantations are the islands' main resource; exports are mostly clove oil and copra.
-
Stone Town mixes ideas from Africa, Arabia, India and Europe!
UNESCO says Stone Town's buildings bring together parts of the cultures of Africa, the Arab region, India and Europe, over more than a thousand years.
UNESCO: a culture that brought together and homogenized elements of the cultures of Africa, the Arab region, India and Europe over more than a millennium.
-
Zanzibar island is about 90 kilometers long!
Larousse says Zanzibar island is about 90 kilometers long and covers 1,658 square kilometers.
Larousse: about 90 km long, 1,658 km²; Pemba 70 km long, 984 km².
Words to know
- Swahili
- the culture and language of people along the coast of East Africa
- World Heritage Site
- a place UNESCO lists as important for all the world
- cloves
- a spice made from the dried flower buds of the clove tree
- copra
- the dried flesh of coconuts
- bazaar
- a market with many stalls and shops
- census
- an official count of all the people living in a place
Discovery challenge
-
Zanzibar City is on an island in which ocean?
Zanzibar island lies in which ocean?
In which ocean does Larousse place Zanzibar island, 36 km from the African mainland?
- The Indian Ocean
- The Atlantic Ocean
- The Arctic Ocean
Show the answer
The Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean!
The Indian Ocean.
The Indian Ocean.
-
What is the old part of Zanzibar City called?
Which part of Zanzibar City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Which part of Zanzibar City was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000?
- Stone Town
- Brick Village
- Glass City
Show the answer
Stone Town
Stone Town!
Stone Town.
The Stone Town of Zanzibar.
-
Which spice grows on the Zanzibar islands?
Which spice is the main resource of the Zanzibar islands, says Larousse?
Which tree's plantations does Larousse call the main resource of the Zanzibar islands?
- Cloves
- Vanilla
- Saffron
Show the answer
Cloves
Cloves!
Cloves, from the clove tree.
The clove tree.
-
Which month has the hottest days in Zanzibar?
In the 1971–2000 averages, which month has Zanzibar's highest average daytime temperature?
Which month has the highest mean daily maximum in the WMO 1971–2000 normals for Zanzibar?
- February
- July
- September
Show the answer
February
February!
February, with 32.8 °C.
February, 32.8 °C.
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Zanzibar City on its island in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Tanzania.
- Explain what a Swahili trading town is and why UNESCO lists Stone Town.
- Name crops that grow on a warm, humid island.
- Read census numbers from 1978 to 2022.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Why might a town on an island become a place where traders meet?
- How can buildings show that people from many places lived and traded together?
- What do you think it is like to live in a place that is hot all year?
Try at home or in class
- Spice sniff: with a grown-up, smell a few whole cloves and look for the tiny flower bud shape.
- Island map: draw Zanzibar about 9 centimeters long, Pemba to its north, and the mainland 3.6 centimeters away.
- Growth chart: draw bars for Zanzibar City's census counts from 1978 to 2022.
Key vocabulary: Swahili, World Heritage Site, cloves, copra, bazaar, census
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- Stone Town of Zanzibar , UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- Zanzibar , Larousse encyclopédie
- Zanzibar , Larousse encyclopédie
- Tanzania: Regions and Cities , City Population (Thomas Brinkhoff), from the National Bureau of Statistics Tanzania
- Zanzibar: climatological information (1971–2000) , World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service
- Stone Town, Zanzibar (1) , Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.