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Mafia Island - General Information

Mafia Island ("Chole Shamba") is part of the Tanzanian Spice Islands, together with Unguja (also known Zanzibar Island) and Pemba. As one of the six districts of the Pwani Region, Mafia Island is governed from the mainland, not from the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar, of which it has never been considered to be a part. The name Mafia derives from the Arabic morfiyeh, meaning group or archipelago, or from the Swahili mahali pa afya, meaning a healthy dwelling-place.

According to the 2002 Tanzania census, the population of the Mafia District was 40,801. The economy is based on fishing and subsistence agriculture. The island attracts some tourists, mainly adventure scuba divers, game fishermen, and people wanting relaxation. The archipelago consists of one large island (394kmsq) and numerous smaller ones. Some of these are inhabited, such as Chole Island (2kmsq), with a population of 800.

Chole Bay, the isle's protected deep-water anchorage and original harbour, is studded with islands, sandbanks and beaches. The main town is Kilindoni. The stretch of water between the deltas of the Rufiji River and the island is called Mafia Channel.

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Photo Info: A serene snapshot of Mafia Island's beach

The history goes back to the 8th century. The island once played a major role in ancient trade between the people of Far East and East Africa. It was a regular stop for Persian boats.

On the tiny island of Chole Mjini, just offshore in Chole Bay, once stood a settlement that constituted one of the most important towns controlling trade from the silver mines of Eastern Zimbabwe, which reached the town via the old ports of Kilwa and Michangani.

In the mid 1820s, the town of Kua on Juani Island was attacked by Sakalava cannibals arriving from Madagascar with 80 canoes, who ate many of the locals and took the rest into slavery.

Under a treaty of 1890, Germany took control of Mafia and constructed the buildings still evident on Chole. Germany paid Sultan Sayyid Ali bin Said al-Said of Oman M 4 million for both the island and part of the mainland coast. In January 1915, the island was taken by British troops as a base for the air and sea assault on the light cruiser Königsberg.