 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]
- ^ "Tanzania:Coastal Zone Tanzania (Districts and Wards) – Population Statistics, Charts and Map".
- ^ "Mafia archipelego Elevation".
- ^ Adibi, S. A. H., et al. "A study on the trend of sports fishery of Mafia Island (Tanzania) along the East African coast from 1961-1972." (1977).
- ^ "The Effects of Deforestation in Mlola Forest Reserves, Mafia District, Tanzania". Retrieved 2023-09-03.