Tanzania is a sovereign state in eastern Africa comprising the mainland part of Tanganyika and the Zanzibar Archipelago.
Once part of the larger colony of German East Africa, Tanganyika comprised today's Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania.
The journalist HM Stanley found the long lost explorer and missionary David Livingstone at Ujiji, on the bank of Lake Tanganyika in present day Tanzania on November 10, 1871. He greeted him with the famous words "Dr Livingstone I presume".
Tanganyika was conquered by Britain during World War 1. After World War I the parts that are today's Rwanda and Burundi became a League of Nations mandate governed by Belgium. The major part, however, came under British rule and was transferred to Britain under the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. This was confirmed by a League of Nations Mandate in 1922. The territory later came under United Nations trusteeship between 1946 and 1962.
On December 9, 1961 Tanganyika became independent as a Commonwealth Realm, with Julius Nyerere (April 13, 1922 – October 14, 1999) as prime minister. He gave up the post some six weeks after independence to devote himself to the development of the Tanganyika African national union but on December 9, 1962, when Tanganyika became a republic, he returned to become the nation's first president.
The islands of Zanzibar were once part of the Persian Empire, then under the Caliphate of Oman.
During the 19th century, Zanzibar became the center for the Arab slave trade. Between 65 and 90 percent of the Arab-Swahili population of Zanzibar was enslaved.
Zanzibar was conquered by the British in the late 19th century in an attempt to stop their slave trade. It was a British Protectorate between 1890 and 1963, when it became an independent sultanate. An uprising followed and its sultan was overthrown in 1964.
In 1964, the islands of Zanzibar joined Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, later in the year changed to the United Republic of Tanzania. The name "Tanzania" was created as a clipped compound of the names of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
The flag of Tanzania was adopted on June 30, 1964 to replace the individual flags of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The design of the present flag incorporates the elements from the two former flags.
Julius Nyerere became president of the new United Republic of Tanzania and dominated the nation's politics for the next 20 years, being re-elected in 1965, 1970, 1975 and 1980. Known throughout Tanzania by the Swahili honorific Mwalimu ("teacher"), he is described as the "Father of the Nation". A genuine Christian socialist Nyerere attempted to put into practice the philosophy that he fervently believed would secure as country's future. He was recognized as one of Africa's most respected politicians.
Afro hairstyles were banned in Tanzania in the 1960s because they were seen as symbols of neocolonialism.
Julius Nyerere announced that he would retire after presidential elections in 1985, leaving the country to enter its free market era — as imposed by structural adjustment under the IMF and World Bank – under the leadership of Ali Hassan Mwinyi.
Today Tanzania is a de facto one-party state with the democratic socialist Chama Cha Mapinduzi party in power.
The United Nations estimated Tanzania's 2016 population at 55,572,201.
Since 1996 Tanzania's official capital city has been Dodoma where the president's office, the National Assembly, and some government ministries are located.
The highest point in Africa, the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, is in Tanzania.
In May 2016, Pizza Hut delivered a pepperoni pizza to the top of Kilimanjaro. This was the world’s highest ever pizza delivery and celebrated Tanzania becoming the 100th country with a Pizza Hut restaurant.
In Tanzania foreign films are pirated on video and narrated in Swahili by a video jockey known as "VJ" or "video joker" in order to be intelligible to a local audience. The VJ provides live narration over the movie for translation, contextualization or comedy purposes.
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| Location of Tanzania. By A2508b1979 - Wikipedia |
HISTORY
Once part of the larger colony of German East Africa, Tanganyika comprised today's Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania.
The journalist HM Stanley found the long lost explorer and missionary David Livingstone at Ujiji, on the bank of Lake Tanganyika in present day Tanzania on November 10, 1871. He greeted him with the famous words "Dr Livingstone I presume".
Tanganyika was conquered by Britain during World War 1. After World War I the parts that are today's Rwanda and Burundi became a League of Nations mandate governed by Belgium. The major part, however, came under British rule and was transferred to Britain under the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. This was confirmed by a League of Nations Mandate in 1922. The territory later came under United Nations trusteeship between 1946 and 1962.
On December 9, 1961 Tanganyika became independent as a Commonwealth Realm, with Julius Nyerere (April 13, 1922 – October 14, 1999) as prime minister. He gave up the post some six weeks after independence to devote himself to the development of the Tanganyika African national union but on December 9, 1962, when Tanganyika became a republic, he returned to become the nation's first president.
The islands of Zanzibar were once part of the Persian Empire, then under the Caliphate of Oman.
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| A 1572 depiction of the Zanzibar city of Kilwa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site |
During the 19th century, Zanzibar became the center for the Arab slave trade. Between 65 and 90 percent of the Arab-Swahili population of Zanzibar was enslaved.
Zanzibar was conquered by the British in the late 19th century in an attempt to stop their slave trade. It was a British Protectorate between 1890 and 1963, when it became an independent sultanate. An uprising followed and its sultan was overthrown in 1964.
In 1964, the islands of Zanzibar joined Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, later in the year changed to the United Republic of Tanzania. The name "Tanzania" was created as a clipped compound of the names of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
The flag of Tanzania was adopted on June 30, 1964 to replace the individual flags of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The design of the present flag incorporates the elements from the two former flags.
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| Tanzania flag |
Julius Nyerere became president of the new United Republic of Tanzania and dominated the nation's politics for the next 20 years, being re-elected in 1965, 1970, 1975 and 1980. Known throughout Tanzania by the Swahili honorific Mwalimu ("teacher"), he is described as the "Father of the Nation". A genuine Christian socialist Nyerere attempted to put into practice the philosophy that he fervently believed would secure as country's future. He was recognized as one of Africa's most respected politicians.
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| Julius Kambarage Nyerere on a visit to the Netherlands in 1965. |
Afro hairstyles were banned in Tanzania in the 1960s because they were seen as symbols of neocolonialism.
Julius Nyerere announced that he would retire after presidential elections in 1985, leaving the country to enter its free market era — as imposed by structural adjustment under the IMF and World Bank – under the leadership of Ali Hassan Mwinyi.
Today Tanzania is a de facto one-party state with the democratic socialist Chama Cha Mapinduzi party in power.
FUN TANZANIA FACTS
The United Nations estimated Tanzania's 2016 population at 55,572,201.
Since 1996 Tanzania's official capital city has been Dodoma where the president's office, the National Assembly, and some government ministries are located.
The highest point in Africa, the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, is in Tanzania.
In May 2016, Pizza Hut delivered a pepperoni pizza to the top of Kilimanjaro. This was the world’s highest ever pizza delivery and celebrated Tanzania becoming the 100th country with a Pizza Hut restaurant.
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| A panorama of Mount Kilimanjaro. Picture taken in Moshi, Tanzania By Muhammad Mahdi Karim |
In Tanzania foreign films are pirated on video and narrated in Swahili by a video jockey known as "VJ" or "video joker" in order to be intelligible to a local audience. The VJ provides live narration over the movie for translation, contextualization or comedy purposes.
The late Queen vocalist Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar. His original name was Farrokh Bulsara.
Despite containing a sizable Muslim population that despises homosexuality and Western liberal values, Zanzibar's tourism industry thrives because of Queen fans that visit the island to see Freddie Mercury's birthplace.
Almost 38 per cent of the land area of Tanzania consists of National Park or Conservation Areas.
Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania is home to the world's only tree climbing lions.
Tanzania's Serengeti plain hosts the largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world, which helps secure it as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa.
Chumbe Island in Tanzania is home to the coconut crab, the world's largest species of crab. It can grow up to a meter in length.
Over 100 different languages are spoken in Tanzania, making it the most linguistically diverse country in East Africa. The official languages are Swahili and English.
Tanzania is the largest producer of cloves in the world. Cloves are the country's main export.
Tanzania has never won an Olympic gold medal but Filbert Bayi and Suleiman Nyambui both earned silver track and field medals at the Moscow Olympics in 1980.
Source Daily Express
Despite containing a sizable Muslim population that despises homosexuality and Western liberal values, Zanzibar's tourism industry thrives because of Queen fans that visit the island to see Freddie Mercury's birthplace.
Almost 38 per cent of the land area of Tanzania consists of National Park or Conservation Areas.
Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania is home to the world's only tree climbing lions.
Tanzania's Serengeti plain hosts the largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world, which helps secure it as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa.
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| Wildebeest migration in the Serengeti. By Daniel Rosengren |
Chumbe Island in Tanzania is home to the coconut crab, the world's largest species of crab. It can grow up to a meter in length.
Over 100 different languages are spoken in Tanzania, making it the most linguistically diverse country in East Africa. The official languages are Swahili and English.
Tanzania is the largest producer of cloves in the world. Cloves are the country's main export.
Tanzania has never won an Olympic gold medal but Filbert Bayi and Suleiman Nyambui both earned silver track and field medals at the Moscow Olympics in 1980.
Source Daily Express
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