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Archipelago

    Tanzania

    5°39′S 39°33′E

    Zanzibar Archipelago

    The Zanzibar Archipelago (Funguvisiwa la Zanzibar, in Swahili, Arabic: أرخبيل زنجبار) is a group of islands off the coast of mainland Tanzania in the Sea of Zanj. The archipelago is also known as the Spice Islands.

    Misali Island and coral reef from above — atoll near Pemba Island in the Zanzibar Archipelago, Indian Ocean, Tanzania.
    Misali Island and coral reef from above — atoll near Pemba Island in the Zanzibar Archipelago, Indian Ocean, Tanzania.

    Jojona / CC BY-SA 3.0

    Chart

    54 landforms

    Overview

    The Zanzibar Archipelago (Funguvisiwa la Zanzibar, in Swahili, Arabic: أرخبيل زنجبار) is a group of islands off the coast of mainland Tanzania in the Sea of Zanj. The archipelago is also known as the Spice Islands. There are three main islands with permanent human settlements, Unguja Island (a.k.a. Zanzibar Island), Pemba Island, and Mafia Island. There is also a fourth coral island, Latham Island, that serves as an essential breeding ground for seabirds. There are also a number of smaller islets that surround these islands. Most of the archipelago belongs to Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania, while the neighboring Mafia Archipelago and its associated islets are parts of the Pwani Region in Mainland Tanzania.

    From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Census, cataloged

    • Major islands3
    • Minor islands19
    • Islets27
    • Rocks & skerries5

    Major islands

    3
    • Unguja

      Unguja

      Area
      1,561 km²
      High point
      130 m

      Unguja (also referred to as "Zanzibar Island" or simply "Zanzibar") is the largest and most populated island of the Zanzibar archipelago, in Tanzania. It is home to Zanzibar City, the capital of the Zanzibar region, which includes the historic Stone Town.

    • Pemba Island

      Pemba Island

      Area
      954 km²
      High point
      96 m

      Pemba Island (Arabic: الجزيرة الخضراء, al-Jazīra al-khadrāʔ; Swahili: Kisiwa cha Pemba) is a Tanzanian island forming part of the Zanzibar Archipelago, lying within the Swahili Coast in the Indian Ocean.

    • Mafia Island

      Mafia Island

      Area
      431 km²
      High point
      54 m

      Mafia Island or Chole Shamba (Kisiwa cha Mafia, in Swahili) is an island of the Mafia Archipelago located in Mafia District in the southern Pwani Region of Tanzania across the Mafia Channel.

    Minor islands

    19

    • Tumbatu

      Area
      18 km²
      High point
      29 m

    • Fundo Island

      Area
      8.8 km²
      High point
      25 m

    • Njao Island

      Area
      4.8 km²
      High point
      18 m

    • Uvinje

      Area
      1.2 km²
      High point
      11 m

    • Kokota

      Area
      0.98 km²
      High point
      12 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.85 km²
      High point
      27 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.42 km²
      High point
      13 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.4 km²
      High point
      32 m

    • Bawe Island

      Area
      0.38 km²
      High point
      11 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.28 km²
      High point
      11 m

    • Mnemba Island

      Area
      0.19 km²
      High point
      22 m

    • Chumbe Island

      Area
      0.16 km²
      High point
      15 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.16 km²
      High point
      7 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.14 km²
      High point
      12 m

    • Changuu

      Area
      0.13 km²
      High point
      21 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.11 km²
      High point
      23 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Uzi Island

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Vundwe Island

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    Islets

    27
    • Unnamed island0.08 km²
    • Chapwani11 m · 0.07 km²
    • Unnamed island8 m · 0.07 km²
    • Unnamed island2 m · 0.06 km²
    • Unnamed island8 m · 0.05 km²
    • Latham Island0.04 km²
    • Unnamed island8 m · 0.04 km²
    • Unnamed island6 m · 0.03 km²
    • Unnamed island7 m · 0.03 km²
    • Unnamed island5 m · 0.02 km²
    • Unnamed island6 m · 0.02 km²
    • Unnamed island6 m · 0.02 km²

    Rocks & skerries

    5
    • Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    • Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    • Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    • Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    • Unnamed island<0.1 ha

    Figures

    Comparative heights

    Sea level50 m100 m150 m130 mUnguja96 mPemba54 mMafia29 mTumbatu25 mFundo22 mMnemba21 mChanguu18 mNjao15 mChumbe12 mKokota11 mUvinje11 mBawe11 mChapwani8 mSnake
    High points by island, metres above sea level.

    Islands by area

    0.00010.0010.010.11101001,00010,000Unguja: 1,561 km²UngujaPemba: 954 km²PembaMafia: 431 km²MafiaTumbatu: 18 km²TumbatuFundo: 8.8 km²FundoNjao: 4.8 km²NjaoUvinje: 1.2 km²UvinjeKokota: 0.98 km²KokotaUnnamed island: 0.85 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.42 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.4 km²Unnamed islandBawe: 0.38 km²BaweUnnamed island: 0.28 km²Unnamed islandMnemba: 0.19 km²MnembaChumbe: 0.16 km²ChumbeUnnamed island: 0.16 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.14 km²Unnamed islandChanguu: 0.13 km²ChanguuUnnamed island: 0.11 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.08 km²Unnamed islandChapwani: 0.07 km²ChapwaniUnnamed island: 0.07 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.06 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.05 km²Unnamed islandLatham: 0.04 km²LathamUnnamed island: 0.04 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.03 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.03 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.02 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.02 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.02 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.02 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.02 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.01 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 1 haUnnamed islandSnake: 0.9 haSnakeUnnamed island: 0.5 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.5 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.4 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.4 haUnnamed island
    km², log scale. 3 without a known area.
    Unguja1,561 km²
    Pemba Island954 km²
    Mafia Island431 km²
    Tumbatu18 km²
    Fundo Island8.8 km²
    Njao Island4.8 km²
    Uvinje1.2 km²
    Kokota0.98 km²
    Unnamed island0.85 km²
    Unnamed island0.42 km²
    Unnamed island0.4 km²
    Bawe Island0.38 km²
    Unnamed island0.28 km²
    Mnemba Island0.19 km²
    Chumbe Island0.16 km²
    Unnamed island0.16 km²
    Unnamed island0.14 km²
    Changuu0.13 km²
    Unnamed island0.11 km²
    Unnamed island0.08 km²
    Chapwani0.07 km²
    Unnamed island0.07 km²
    Unnamed island0.06 km²
    Unnamed island0.05 km²
    Latham Island0.04 km²
    Unnamed island0.04 km²
    Unnamed island0.03 km²
    Unnamed island0.03 km²
    Unnamed island0.02 km²
    Unnamed island0.02 km²
    Unnamed island0.02 km²
    Unnamed island0.02 km²
    Unnamed island0.02 km²
    Unnamed island0.01 km²
    Unnamed island1 ha
    Snake Island0.9 ha
    Unnamed island0.5 ha
    Unnamed island0.5 ha
    Unnamed island0.4 ha
    Unnamed island0.4 ha
    Unnamed island0.4 ha
    Unnamed island0.3 ha
    Unnamed island0.3 ha
    Unnamed island0.3 ha
    Unnamed island0.2 ha
    Unnamed island0.2 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha

    Sources

    Facts

    • Geometry, areas and high points: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Copernicus GLO-30, via Talus.
    • Wikidata
    • Wikipedia

    Photographs