Dar es-Salam is the most populous city in Tanzania, located on the east coast of the African continent next to the Indian Ocean. It was the capital of the country from 1963 to 1974, when it was relieved by the city of Dodoma although the process was not completed until 1996. It had previously been the capital of the German East African colony, later of the British protectorate of Tanganyika, and of the Republic of Tanganyika after its independence in 1963. In 1996 the capital of the country was transferred to Dodoma, in the interior of the country, but there are still agencies and government offices in Dar es-Salam.
It is the largest city and the richest in Tanzania, besides being the main economic and educational center of the country, as well as its most important port, through which a large part of the agricultural and mineral products produced in the area are exported. It is the capital of the homonymous region, which is administratively divided into three districts: Ilala, Kinondoni and Temeke.