Tanzania is located in East Africa and bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the North, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the West and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the South.
The country’s Eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean. I have never visited Tanzania, but I flew over it once in 2004 on my way to London in the United Kingdom.
Here are 17 Interesing Facts you might not know about Tanzania
1. The country is about the same size as Nigeria and has a population of +/- 65 million.
2. Tanzania is probably one of the oldest known continuously inhabited areas on the planet. Fossil remains of humans and pre-human hominids has been found dating back over 2 million years in the region.
3. From the late 19th Century until 1919 modern day Tanzania (then called Tanganyika), Burundi and Rwanda was known as German East Africa.
4. A mandate determined by the League of Nations after the 1st World War designated Tanganyika as an area to be managed by the British. The small regions of Burundi and Rwanda were handed over to be managed by Belgium by the same mandate.
5. British rule ended in 1961 when Tanganyika gained independence.
6. Julius Nyerere was the first prime minister of Tanganyika, serving from May 1961. When the country became a republic in 1962, he became its first president. He later led the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964 to form Tanzania, becoming the country’s founding president until 1985.
7. After the Zanzibar revolution in 1964 the independent republic of Zanzibar merged with mainland Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanzania.
8. Dodoma has been the capital of Tanzania since 1974, when it was officially designated to replace Dar es Salaam. However, the move was gradual, and Dar es Salaam (the largest city in the country) remains the main commercial and economic hub.
9. Mount Kilimanjaro (the highest mountain in Africa) is located in the North East of the country. It is a dormant volcano and stands at 5,895 metres (19,341 feet) above sea level.
10. Swahili and English are the 2 official languages of Tanzania.
11. The name “Tanzania” is a portmanteau of the two states that merged to create it: the first three letters of “Tanganyika” and “Zanzibar” combined with the suffix “-ia” to form Tanzania.
12. The country is home to Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake, as well as Lake Tanganyika, the continent’s deepest lake, making it uniquely positioned beside two of Africa’s most remarkable bodies of water.
13. Tanzania has more land dedicated to national parks and conservation reserves than almost any other country, with around 38% of its territory protected.
14. The country has around 120 ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups, yet does not have a single dominant ethnic group, which is unlike most of its neighbours.
15. On the semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago, around 99% of the population is Muslim, even though mainland Tanzania is roughly 60% Christian and 35% Muslim.
16. Mount Kilimanjaro attracts an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 climbers per year, and it is considered the world’s highest free-standing mountain, meaning it rises independently rather than as part of a mountain range.
17. The Kalambo Falls, located on the Kalambo River at the Zambian border, is the second-highest uninterrupted waterfall in Africa.
Well, there you have it, 17 Interesting facts that you might not have known about Tanzania. If I’ve left out something important, feel free to comment below.
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