Mafia Archipelago
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Main Mafia Island in the Mafia Archipelago | |
  The Mafia Archipelago | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sea of Zanj in western Indian Ocean |
| Coordinates | 7°51′S 39°47′E / 7.850°S 39.783°E |
| Total islands | 9 |
| Major islands | Mafia Island & Juani Island |
| Area | 972 km2 (375 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Region | Pwani Region |
| District | Mafia District |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 46,438 (2012) |
| Languages | Swahili |
| Ethnic groups | Matumbi, Ndengereko & Rufiji |
The Mafia Archipelago or The Mafia Islands (Funguvisiwa vya Mafia, in Swahili) is a group of islands across the Mafia Channel in the Mafia District of Pwani Region's coast on the Sea of Zanj in Tanzania's Indian Ocean coast. The archipelago is composed of 9 islands and around 12 coral reefs. In total, the Mafia archipelago covers 972 km2 (375 sq mi) in total, of which 8.5 km2 (3.3 sq mi) 407 km2 are land and 565 km2 are water.[1] and has an average elevation of 53 m (174 ft).[2] Of the 12 reefs in the archipelago the most famous one is the Tutia Reef.[3] The largest island in the archipelago is Mafia Island also known as Chole Shamba locally. The other eight islands inside Mafia District in addition to Mafia Island are; Juani Island, Chole Island, Jibondo Island (Kibondo), Bwejuu Island, Shungumbili Island (Thanda), Barakuni Island, Miewi Island, and Niororo Island (Nyororo).[4]
Off Tanzania's central coast, close to the Rufiji Delta, is a collection of islands known as the Mafia Archipelago. The main island is up to 20 kilometers wide and roughly 50 kilometers long (from North to South). Mafia is not a coral island, unlike Zanzibar, but rather an elevated piece of the African continental shelf. However, the group's smaller islands, Chole, Juani, and Jibondo, are a part of the large coral reef system that runs down the East African Coast. Contrary to common belief, Mafia is not built entirely of sand and coconut roots. Instead, the island's soils vary greatly, from very sandy in the north to firm fertile soil portions that are dispersed throughout the southern portion of the island.[5]
Rice and cassava serve as the backbone of the diet in the middle ridge, which normally does not reach over 50 meters, while coconut palms are planted in the more arid regions as a commercial crop. As a new resource for the economy, cashew nuts are becoming more significant. The entire island is covered in inhabited and cultivated, with the exception of the eastern beaches where coral rock prevents cultivation.[6]
The eastern side of Mafia is exposed to the full force of the Sea of Zanj in Indian Ocean, and a 33 km outer fringing reef that is made up of the islands of Mafia, Jibondo, and Juani, with Kitutia Reef at its southernmost end, spans the length of the eastern seaboard of the Mafia Channel.[7]
The East African Equatorial current, which travels north, and two monsoon winds have an impact on Mafia Archipelago's hot and subhumid tropical climate. The northeast monsoon blows from November to March, while the southeast monsoon blows from June to October. We might observe the persistent rainfall in between the many monsoons. The normal annual temperatures are 26.6 °C and 1,900 mm of precipitation.[8]