Tanga Island[1] known during German East Africa as Toten Island in old colonial maps (Swahili Toten, adapted from German Toteninsel, meaning "Island of the Dead") is a small uninhabited and protected island situated north of the city of Tanga's harbour on Tanga Bay in Tanga Region, Tanzania. It is within the Tanga Bay. The island is located entirely with the Tanga Coelacanth Marine Park (TCMP). The island is administered by Tanzania Marine Parks and Reserves.[2] [3]

Tanga Island
Island within Tanga bay
Map showing the location of Tanga Island
Map showing the location of Tanga Island
location in Tanzania
Location Tanzania,
Tanga Region,
Tanga District
Nearest cityTanga
Coordinates5°3′20.29″S 39°6′27.11″E / 5.0556361°S 39.1075306°E / -5.0556361; 39.1075306
Length1.0 km (0.62 mi)
Width0.2 km (0.12 mi)
Established2010
Governing bodyMarine Parks & Reserves Authority (Tanzania)
WebsiteTanga Coelacanth Marine Park

Historical Site

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The island is a historical site that contains ruins of two Medieval Swahili mosques and tombs.[4] The current name comes from the German word for "dead bodies" alluding to the numerous graves on the island.[5] Until 1854 Toten Island was still inhabited by people. In 1884 the remaining people moved to what is present day Tanga city.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Cooke, H. J. "The coastal geomorphology of Tanga, Tanzania." Geographical Review (1974): 517-535.
  2. ^ "Marine Parks and Reserves Tanzania : Tanga Coelacanth Marine Park". Marineparks.go.tz. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  3. ^ Fraser, Catherine C. "Visual Clues to Interpreting Strindberg's" Spöksonaten"." Scandinavian Studies 63.3 (1991): 281-292.
  4. ^ James De Vere Allen. “Swahili Architecture in the Later Middle Ages.” African Arts, vol. 7, no. 2, UCLA James S. Coleman African Studies Center, 1974, pp. 42–84, https://doi.org/10.2307/3334723.
  5. ^ Tanzania By Jens Finke Published by Rough Guides, 2003 ISBN 1-85828-783-9, ISBN 978-1-85828-783-6, p. 169
  6. ^ http://www.urithi.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2&Itemid=1 [permanent dead link]