Old Dar es Salaam

When the peoples from Earth first came to Tanit II in , they found a world of vast oceans and limitless possibilities. Dar es Salaam, named for the East African Federation city of the same name, was founded in 12232 HE (Holocene Era) and is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Tanit System. The city skyline is dominated by three massive, colourful and interconnected arcologies, one of which was the first arcology built on the planet. Below that is the old city, a collection of neighbourhoods, docks, and industrial areas that were once the heart of Dar es Salaam's success. The city buzzes with energy, and its age and reputation for resilience give it respect even from those who would see it diminished.

Demographics

The city has a large and diverse population, like most on Tanit II. Owing to time passage and intermixing, only broad ethnic backgrounds are recorded/maintained. As zoanids and synthroids are fully integrated into cultural communities, they are only part of the human/zoanid breakdown.

Species Demographics

• Human: 58%
• Zoanid: 24%
• Synthroid: 10%
• Chimerid: 8%

Ethnic/Cultural Background Demographics

• Bantu Peoples: 38%
• Caribbean Peoples: 15%
• Southwest Asian Peoples: 13%
• Southeast Asian Peoples:11%
• South Asian Peoples: 8%
• East Asian Peoples: 7%
• Oceanian Peoples: 5%
• Other: 3%

Government

Dar Es Salaam is an independent city-state, and is classified as a unitary state; meaning that there is a central authority that devolves power down to sub-levels of government.
At the top of the government is the Grand Council, made up of 15 members elected by the lower District Councils. This council makes the big decisions, manages the military, and determines what powers are devolved lower. For public communications and diplomatic events, they elect a member to be the High Chancellor. This position is mostly symbolic however.
The District Councils are who get the bulk of work done, with each district being allocated funds and resources to achieve their mandates. District Councils range in size from small (Temeke Plains with 32 members in addition to support staff) to huge (Ilala Tower, the original and largest arcology, with 300 members in its council alone).
At the bottom are the Ward Councils, a mix of elected and appointed politicians and career bureaucrats. For the average Darlite, this is the level of government they work with to get permits, change addresses, register for schools, and all the rest of the things that they need.
Elections for Ward Councils are biannual and last for two weeks; District Council elections are every five years and last for 30 days. Law forbids official campaigning before an election is called, but purportedly "grassroots" support groups and fandoms in some cases are often hard at work well before that. The Grand Council is elected every three years, and the process generally takes two to four weeks, depending on the political situation. The longest time it took to elect a new Grand Council was eight weeks, and that was of an active conflict.

Defences

There are three defensive forces in Dar es Salaam, the Dar es Salaam Defence Forces, the Dar es Salaam Combined Police Services, and the Interior and Coastal Militia.

The DSDSF

The Dar es Salaam Defence Forces have served the people of the city since 12248 HE, and continues to do so. The DSDF is made up of four components:

• the Maritime Defence Force
• the Aerospace Defence Force
• the Ground Defence Force

These groups are part of an integrated command structure to facilitate organic inter-operation, and it works most of the time too! Like most "ground" forces on Tanit II, amphibious operations are a core part of their operations. In Dar es Salaam, they also provide the naval infantry to the Maritime Defence Force. The aerospace Corps maintains atmospheric, trans-orbital, and deep space capability; it also has its own "ground" security forces in the form of the Orbital Drop Corps and Facility Security Regiment. The Maritime Force is the largest and most active, covering the roles of both a coast guard and military force.

The DSCPS

Before 12320 HE, the police situation was a mess of competing and often corrupt operations; this largely ended after amalgamation. Today, the Dar es Salaam Combined Police Services are a mostly unified force that covers the entirety of the territory claimed by Dar es Salaam and has an orbital presence on their holdings there. Thanks to Dar es Salaam's Universal Basic Income, education, healthcare, and public housing policies, the bulk of their work is dealing with organized crime (illegal gambling, prohibited drugs, smuggling, and banned media content), crimes of passion, and intoxicated sports fans. As a secondary duty, they have a paramilitary wing for counter-terrorism and special police operations.
The DSCPS has five major divisions:

• Administration
• Rural Police Operations
• Urban Police Operations
• Arcology Police Operations
• Paramilitary Operations

ICM

The Interior and Coastal Militia predate the DSDF by two years and were a major part of why they were formed. Initially literally a rag-tag militia, their successes and mistakes in defending early settlements that would become part of Dar es Salaam were why a professional force was created. Re-established in the Spacefall Century, they are more professional than their distant ancestors, but still very much citizen soldiers.
ICM units are led by DSDF officers who are assigned to the units on a long-term basis to ensure that they understand their capabilities and to avoid situations where they're seen as complete outsiders. The ICM does generate its own NCOs and some officers, but they're closely monitored and supported by the DSDF at all stages. Units perform regular training, work as local area experts to assist DSDF operations, do disaster relief, and are expected to act as a ready reserve in the case of war.
Unsurprisingly, their unit composition is in their name. Each numbered company is either an interior or a coastal unit. They are considered to be a light force with medium assets, and have traditionally been the first to encounter both military and terrorist hostiles in outside the main megalopolis while on regular patrols.

Industry & Trade

Dar es Salaam is famous for its food processing facilities and its huge fishing fleet. It's estimated that between those related fields, the undersea mining operations based from Dar es Salaam, and the many related and dependent industries, that 36% of the population is involved, somehow, with fishing. That doesn't mean that the megalopolis doesn't have impressive industrial abilities; products from their factories can be found virtually everywhere in the system.

Infrastructure

The deepest parts of Dar es Salaam's infrastructure are built on the roots of Earth technology and materials from the arguable height of human technological development. It's fused and integrated with centuries of Tanit based technology and materials, which sometimes leads to interesting effects. As with all modern settlements of any size, the technology used in Dar es Salaam's infrastructure (and construction) is as green as possible.

Power Grid

In addition to the three core fusion reactors that form the basis of the megalopolis' power grid, solar and tidal energy make up a significant contributions as well. The Old City and inland areas all make heavy use of solar energy, and the coastal areas, naturally, use tidal energy to supplement. Some groups have been pressing for more wind power, but solar groups and special interest groups in wards have been trying to block their development.

Sewage Systems

With over 4 million citizens and millions of visitors every year, there's a lot of sewage. The three arcologies have extensive and 98% efficient processing systems that break waste down into usable water chemical compounds that can used in agriculture and manufacturing. The Districts and Wards have less efficient systems, none are less than 87% efficient. Remaining waste is incinerated in plasma furnaces.

Industrial Facilities

Dar es Salaam is the oldest city on Tanit II, and is easily its second greatest industrial centre. Everything from submarines to container vessels to rifles to groundcars and more are manufactured there and shipped through the system. One area it absolutely has a lead in is its fishing industry and processing facilities. Of particular note is that Dar es Salaam provides fish to the entire Tanit System through their connections with orbital trade groups.

Districts

Dar Es Salaam has 15 districts, all named after districts and wards around the original city on Earth. Each district is classified by its size and broad socioeconomic status. There are no real areas of Dar es Salaam that a person can describe as being poverty stricken, but there are wards in almost ever district were the people are poorer.

Assets

In terms of assets, Dar es Salaam has the largest fishing fleet and most extensive food processing facilities on Tanit II, if not in the Tanit System. After the Second System War, legislation was implemented that mandates the city hold at least three years of rations and supplies on hand at all times; and these supplies must be of the highest quality. Another asset the megalopolis has is land. Dar es Salaam controls more actual land in a real way than any other city-state or nation on Tanit II, giving it space to expand if needed.

Guilds and Factions

There are many guilds, unions, and factions at work in Dar es Salaam.
The oldest Guild is the Fisher's Guild, which dominates the commercial fishing industry. In the past, there was issues of the Fisher's Guild using price fixing and even damaging the boats of small local fishers inan effor tto control all the fishing. These practices ended in a brutal crackdown by the government in its "Fresh Fish for All" push that freed local sales under two tonnes per month from the Guild (but placed them under heavily observed ward licences to avoid competition) provided the fish were sold fresh or chilled. Since then, the Guild has maintained its commercial dominance.
The United Trades Union is the largest union, and covers a broad swath of professionals and tradespeople. Remarkably quiet most of the time, the UTU has had to prove in the past that it has teeth. The UTU enjoys a fairly positive public perception, but is frequently targeted by capitalists and their political pawns who see them as a barrier to lower manufacturing costs.
in 12450, the International Deepsea Workers Union was founded, and swiftly spread across Tanit II before any governments could really react. This organization represents divers, sub operators, and deepsea miners in addition to many others like support crews, and came into being following the disastrous KV-12 Event. Prizing safety above almost everything else, the IDWU is not a large union, but it is an influential one. Ironically, their safety efforts have led to a fall in memberships, something they hope won't result in another event.

History

Dar es Salaam is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement on Tanit II, and its history reflects that. Through its existence, it has weathered the following events among many more:

• The Spacefall Century, including two strikes by serious debris and one strike by a derelict vessel
• The Frontier War, a conflict with Jin Ning over territory inland
• The First System War
• The 2
• The Second System War
• The Antecessor Religious Riots, where some Christian sects went into open riot (and arguably rebellion) over the reveal of the extinct Antecessors and their city.
• The Fresh Fish for All Riots, where DSCPS fought with the Fisher's Guild when they attempted to destroy the Small Docks area.
• The Sevens War, a period of arguable civil war after a highly contentious Rugby 7's championship that saw every ward and district line up behind the home team and take the fight to the streets. The conflict lasted four weeks.

Points of interest

Demo Park

A perpetual favourite is the Dar es Salaam Polytechnic Demonstration Park, where students bring their latest inventions to test. There are multiple areas, each with different conditions, high levels of protection, and a viewing area. Demo Week has become a ticketed event and a major student goal. Making it into Demo Week alone is enough to guarantee a career start somewhere, but for the top 10 invention creators? It's a fast track to the big time. All visitors are advised to bring their own safety hats and glasses or to rent from the shop, just in case.

Kizimkazi Mosque

The original mosque on Earth was lost to rising sea levels in 12216 HE, and on arriving on Tanit II, a seaside spot near Dar es Salaam reminded the colonists from lost Zanzibar of the land the ancient mosque had stood on. The first mosque was built there in 12239 HE from mud brick as more durable materials were limited. This led to centuries of rebuilding efforts. In 390 TE (12790 HE), the mosque was rebuilt and expanded using the new corabrick material, and became an overnight sensation among the planet's Muslim population. Already famous for its age, corabrick allowed the local Muslim artists, including their imam, to fully express the beauty of their faith. While the Kizimkazi Mosque is a point of interest and a tourist attraction, it is a functional mosque first and foremost and its top priority remains the Muslim population.

Kusini Pier

A massive spit of corabrick that extends 1000m into the sea at the southern end of the megalopolis, Kusini Pier has become a major market space. Hundreds of stalls and shops line it from start to finish, and a large market on the land end has developed as well. Everything from food to fabric to jewellery to electronics to art can be purchased here. It's also famous for its live cooking displays.

Wee Scotland

Only a few city blocks in size, Wee Scotland is one of the most vibrant cultural spots in its district. Traditional foods, crafts, art, and music are all found there. Despite its small population, it manages to put up teams for almost every ward and district level sport. The teams seldom do well, but you wouldn't know it from the noise coming from the pubs there.

Tourism

The Dar es Salaam Tourism Board is a busy place, as the megalopolis itself and the large areas of land controlled by it give it huge advantages over many other places. Their primary targets for tourism are orbital and system populations. The reason is simple, Dar es Salaam, New Mombasa, Jin Ning, Nuevo Republica Dominicana, Kingston, and other locations on Tanit II only really offer each other different cultural experiences, making it harder to attract vacationers outsid eof Storm Season, not impossible, just harder. So they target people off planet. Dar es Salaam sees significant and growing tourism every year, possibly only outdone by Agala Mumbai, who managed to turn their storm season into a massive "experiential environmental tourism" draw.

Architecture

The bones of the city might be from Earth, but corabrick is the main material now. The architectural remains largely true to a modernized interpretation of traditional designs in many ways. There's a strong focus on natural airflow and cooling. Colours are common, with pinks, coral shades, blues, and whites being favoured. People learned quickly on Tanit II that not being ready for storm season isn't an option, so buildings may appear over engineered to off-world visitors.

Geography

Dar es Salaam is located on the eastern shores of the largest landmass on Tanit II.

Climate

Warm, Dar es Salaam is warm. Nestled in a subtropical zone, it sees the usual rainy and dry season cycle that's broken by the severe storm season annually.

Natural Resources

When it comes to natural resources, Dar es Salaam has been blessed. Of note are its coral, ore, and food resources. Undersea mining operations are the second largest employer in Dar es Salaam after the fishing industry, and it's the number four provider of artisanal and construction grade coral. 
Dar es Salaam is also a logging power, with the second largest forested areas on Tanit II after Nuevo Republica Dominicana. Wood and terrestrial plant fibres are rare luxury goods on Tanit II, making everything from a simple wooden stool to a bolt of bamboo fabric incredibly costly. Dar es Salaam manages its timber and bamboo areas rigorously to ensure a continual amount of production.

Founding Date

12232 HE

Alternative Name(s)

Dar es Salaam, The Fishery City, The Sanctuary

Type

Megalopolis

Population

4.8 million

Inhabitant Demonym

Darlite(s)

Notes: Dar es Salaam is a massive city that has achieved megalopolis levels of population density despite not haivng th population that one might expect for a city with that description. The population is diverse, and in game terms, Dar es Salaam is the secondary starting location recommended for players after New Mombasa.
A big thing with this city is its age. It's the oldest city not just on Tanit II, but also in the Tanit System as a whole. It has an old city district that deeply resembles old cities from Earth. It has those deep roots. So lean into them!