History
of Tanzania: - Tanzania one of the largest, wildest animal
populations in the world. Wildebeest, monkey, antelope, lion, cheetah,
crocodile, gazelle, flamingo - you name them, Tanzania's had great White
plunderers shoot them. But these days they use cameras rather than guns
.
. The history begins around 1800, when the Masai warrior tribes
were migrating from Kenya to Tanzania. While the country's coastal area had
long witnessed maritime squabbles between Portuguese and Arabic traders, it
wasn't until the middle of the 18th century that Arab traders and slaves
dared venture into Masai territory in the country's wild interior. European
explorers began arriving in earnest in the mid-19th century, the most famous
being Stanley and Living Stone.
.
. Tanganyika African National
Union (TANU) found in 1954 that they became effective. Tanganyika won
independence in 1961 with Nyerere as the country's first president. Zanzibar
was stuck with its British stiff upper lip for another two years. The early
1960s saw Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda linked in an unlikely economic
threesome, sharing a common airline, telecommunication facilities,
transportation and customs.
.
. Many factors have contributed to
the woes of modern Tanzania, and not all have been self-inflicted - it is,
after all, one of the world's poorest countries. Even the incorporation of
Zanzibar, once one of Africa's richest countries, has only created new
problems. Adopting a multi-party political system doesn't seem to have
helped much either. Zanzibar and the neighbouring island of Pemba have
experienced violent unrest and political scare-mongering ever since an
election stalemate on Zanzibar divided the islands. Meanwhile, the mainland
- under President Benjamin Mkapa - has had to cope with a flood of Rwandan
refugees fleeing fighting in their homeland. In late 1996 the Mkapa
government issued a statement backed by the United Nations declaring that
Rwandan refugees were to leave Tanzania. Amid reports of excessive force and
rape, thousands still remain in Tanzania. In August 1998, terrorists bombed
the US embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, killing over 250 people and
injuring more than 5000. Such tensions have not helped a country already
destabilized by long-standing tribal friction, particularly among the Chagga
(Mt Kilimanjaro region). It's unlikely Tanzania will dissolve into the
tribal conflicts which have haunted neighbouring Rwanda and Kenya over the
last few years - certainly not if Mkapa, who was re-elected president in
October 2000, has anything to say about it - but political paralysis and
deep rifts between minorities look set to stay with Tanzania for a long time
yet.
.
.
Full
Country Name - United Republic of Tanzania
Area - 945,090
sq km (364,879 sq mi)
Population - 31,270,820
Capital
City - Dodoma
People - 99% native African (over 100 tribes),
1% Asian, European and Arabic
Languages - Swahili, English,
indigenous.
Religion - 40% Christian, 33% Muslim, 20%
indigenous beliefs
Government - Republic (multi-party state)
Visa
- Three month visas are easy to obtain on arrival at all the major
borders and at the international airports at Dar es Salaam. All visitors
require a visa except citizens of some Commonwealth countries (Canada and
the UK excepted), Scandinavian countries, the Republic of Ireland, Rwanda
and Sudan. For these nationalities, a free visitor's pass, valid for one to
three months, can be picked up at the point of entry (you'll be asked how
long you plan to stay - three months is no problem). You will need proof of
yellow fever vaccination if traveling to Zanzibar.
.
.
Time -
GMT / UTC plus three hours.
.
Climate
- Tanzania's widely varying geography accounts for its differing
climatic conditions. The Coastal strip along the Indian Ocean and the
offshore island of Pemba and Zanzibar have a hot, humid, tropical climate
alleviated by sea breezers. The long rainy season is from around mid march
to mid may, when it rains almost every day. The short rainy season is during
November and December though it frequently in January too.
Currency
- Tanzanian Shilling ( TSh )
.
Cities
- Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's premier city. The busy central
streets around the colourful Kariakoo Market and clock tower are a world
away from the tree-lined boulevards of the government quarters to the
north.Dar's
National Museum is next to the Botanical Gardens in the
city center. About 10km (6mi) from the city center, the Village Museum is
also worth a look. It's a living breathing village of authentic dwellings
from various parts of Tanzania. Traditional dances are performed here on the
weekend.
Oyster Bay, a beautiful (for now) stretch of tropical
coastline, is the city's nearest beach.
Zanzibar Ah Zanzibar - the
world's oldest and sexiest Spice Girl. Trading under the name Spice Island,
this paradise off Tanzania's east coast has lured travelers for centuries.
Zanzibar's Stone Town is one of the most fascinating places on Tanzania's
east coast. It's a chaotic, and often crumbling, labyrinthine cluster of
winding streets lined with whitewashed coral-rag houses with magnificently
carved (but fast vanishing) brass-studded doors. There are endless little
shops, bazaars, mosques, courtyards an old fort, two former sultans'
palaces, two huge cathedrals, faded colonial mansions, a disused
Persian-style public bathhouse and reminders of a once thriving slave trade.
Dotted around the island are historical sites such as the ruined
Maruhhubi
Palace, built in 1882 by Sultan Barghash to house his harem. To take it
all in, a 'Spice Tour' is recommended. Plenty of guides are on offer for
such tours, which include palace ruins, the Mangapwani Caves, and various
spice and fruit plantations at the island's heart. There's also
Jozani
Forest, 24km (15mi) south-east of Zanzibar town, a sanctuary for the
rare red colobus monkey and the Zanzibar duiker (small antelope).
Mt
Kilimanjaro National Park is one of Africa's most magnificent sights.
Snowcapped and not yet extinct, at 5895m (19,335ft) it's the highest peak on
the continent. The rainforest is home to animals including elephant,
buffalo, rhino, leopard and monkey. You may also stumble across herds of
eland on the saddle between the summits of
Mawenzi and Kibo. It's a
traveler's dream to scale the summit.
Serengeti National Park Serengeti,
which sprawls across 14,763 sq km (5757 sq mi), is Tanzania's most
famous game park. Here you can get a glimpse of what much of East Africa
must have looked like in the days before the 'great White hunters'. The
wildebeest has a starring role in the amazing annual migration. Serengeti is
also famous for its lion, cheetah and giraffe populations. Don't forget to
bring your binoculars.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area The views from
the 600m (1968ft) tall Ngorongoro Crater rim are spectacular but the real
treasure lies on its 20km (12.4mi)-wide floor. It's been compared to
Noah's
Ark and the Garden of Eden. Noah might be a bit a disappointed by
dwindling animal numbers these days, but he'd have no trouble finding lion,
elephant, rhino, buffalo and many of the plains herbivores such as
wildebeest, Thomson's gazelle, zebra and reedbuck, as well as thousands of
flamingo wading in the shallows of
Lake Magadi, the soda lake on the
floor of the crater.
Pemba While most travelers do Zanzibar
(Unguja), very few make the journey a little farther north to the laid-back
island of Pemba, also part of the Zanzibar archipelago. It's not that there
are no historic sites to visit, or a lack of good beaches, because there are
plenty of these. No, the island is just a bit tricky because there's little
public transport off the islands' main road. Jeepneys (jitney bus converted
into a jeep) are on the increase however. Pemba's earliest ruins are those
of Ras Mkumbu, on the peninsula west of Chake Chake, where the Shirazis
settled about 1200 AD. To the east are the remains of a palace destroyed by
the Portuguese in 1520. The island's other main attraction are the
surrounding coral reefs, rated by many divers as the best in the world.
There are flights from Zanzibar to Pemba every Wednesday, and the most
reliable boat connections are between Zanzibar and Mkoani on the island's
south-west end.
. .
Restrictions - It's good idea to have a valid
vaccination certificate for yellow fever before arriving in Tanzania.
