Dar-es-Salaam is the capital of Tanzania. It is also spelt as Dar As-Salam. It is also the largest city and a major port of Tanzania. It was once a humble fishing village. It gained importance in the mid-19th century, when the Sultan of Zanzibar transformed it into a port and trading center. Since then, it has been growing continuously. It came under German control after they established a station there in 1887. Afterwards, it became the capital of German East Africa, then of Tanganyika in 1961 when it gained independence, and ultimately of Tanzania. Today, it is a modern and important city.

It is a major industrial and transportation center in Tanzania. Apart from having a major port, it is rail terminus. Moreover, it is economically important as most of Tanzania's agricultural and mineral exports pass through its port.

The city of Dar-es-Salaam has a population of 2.2 million people. Although the official language of Tanzania is Swahili and English, there are many African languages spoken as well. Today, Tanzania has many educational facilities including the University of Dar-es-Salaam, several libraries and research institute. The population consists of tribal groups, the majority of which are of Bantu origin. There are also people who are mixes of Arabs, Shirazis (from Persia), and Bantus. They are collectively known as Swahili.

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