The United Republic of Tanzania

Date of Independence: April 26, 1964 Capital: Dar es Salaam Languages: Kiswahili, English Ethnic groups: over 120 ethnic groups Major Religions: Christianity, Islam, indigenous religions Currency: Shilling Population: 37.4 million (2005)

Two former British territories, Tanganyika and Zanzibar united after independence to form The United Republic of Tanzania. Tanzania’s modern history is marked by the fluctuating influences of Portuguese and Arab traders, and German and British colonial powers.

The coastal areas were favored trading posts and settlements of Roman and Arab traders from as far back as the first century A.D. By the 12 th century, traders and immigrants came to the coastal areas from as far as Persia and India. These traders inter-married with the natives and established sophisticated cities along the coast and on the island of Zanzibar.

In the early 16 th century, the Portuguese attempted to lay claim to the eastern coast of Africa. They spent the early part of the century waging wars of dominance on cities along the coast as far north as Mombassa ( Kenya). Despite efforts to establish a firm Portuguese presence, they were easily ousted a century later with the help of traders from the Sultanate of Oman. In 1832, the Sultan of Oman, established his capital on Zanzibar and claimed portions of the coastal mainland.

The Arabs finally lost control of the region in the late 19 th century when Germany established dominance of the mainland, and Britain seized control of Zanzibar. With the defeat of Germany after the World War I, Britain also took control of Germany’s mainland territory and renamed it Tanganyika.

In 1946, Tanganyika became a United Nations trust territory, and Britain was charged with preparing the country for independence. Tanganyika became independent in 1961 and Zanzibar in 1963. In 1964, Tanganyika and Zanzibar joined together and later became the United Republic of Tanzania, with Julius Nyerere as Prime Minister.

Ninety-eight percent of Tanzania's population is black African, divided into more than 120 ethnic groups. The remaining population is descended from a mix of Arab, Persian and Indian immigrants who inter-married with the ethnic groups found on the coast. Swahili and English are the official languages of Tanzania, with Swahili being the most common form of communication. On the island of Zanzibar, the population is almost entirely Muslim. On the mainland, roughly 45 percent are Christian, 35 percent are Muslim, and 20 percent adhere to indigenous beliefs.

Tanzania is home to the Serengeti National Park. Established in 1941, it is inhabited by more than 200 species of birds and 35 species of plains mammals, including cheetahs, leopards, lions, and giraffes, zebras, gnus (large African antelopes also called wildebeests), gazelles, and elephants. The Serengeti is the only national park in Africa where seasonal migrations of plains animals take place. In 1981 the park was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Sources:

The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, available at : http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/tz.html

Country Profile: Tanzania, BBC News, available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1072330.stm

Tanzania, MSN Encarta, available at: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761562305/Tanzania.html

Tanzania, Wikipedia, available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanzania