Tanzania

• 1. Ancient Origins And Migrations

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  A 1.8-million-year-old stone chopping tool sits on display at the British Museum, recovered from Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania's Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This artifact anchors a deep history where Tanzania remains one of Earth's oldest continuously inhabited regions. The indigenous populations of eastern Africa include the linguistically isolated Hadza and Sandawe hunter-gatherers who have lived in these lands for millennia. A first wave of migration brought Southern Cushitic speakers south from Ethiopia and Somalia into Tanzania. These people are ancestral to modern groups like the Iraqw, Gorowa, and Burunge. A second movement saw Eastern Cushitic people arrive from north of Lake Turkana roughly 4,000 years ago. Another group known as Southern Nilotes, including the Datoog, moved south from the South Sudan, Ethiopia border region between 2,900 and 2,400 years ago. These migrations coincided with the settlement of Mashariki Bantu peoples from West Africa near Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. The iron-making Mashariki Bantu migrated out of these regions across the rest of Tanzania between 2,300 and 1,700 years ago. They brought west African planting traditions and yams as their primary staple crop. Eastern Nilotic peoples such as the Maasai represent a more recent migration from present-day South Sudan within the past 500 to 1,500 years. The Pare people became main producers of sought-after iron for communities occupying mountain regions of north-eastern Tanzania. The Haya people on western shores of Lake Victoria invented a high-heat blast furnace over 1,500 years ago that allowed them to forge carbon steel at temperatures exceeding 1,500 degrees Celsius. Travellers and merchants from the Persian Gulf and India visited the east African coast since early in the first millennium AD. Islam was practiced by some on the Swahili Coast as early as the eighth or ninth century AD.

• 2. Colonial Struggles And Independence

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  Germany conquered the regions that are now mainland Tanzania minus Zanzibar in 1885 and incorporated them into German East Africa. A bloody rebellion known as the Maji Majis Rebellion occurred between 1905 and 1907 when several African tribes rose up against colonial authorities. Forced labour and deportation policies triggered this uprising which combined with famine to cause approximately 300,000 deaths among a population of about four million Tanganyikans. The Supreme Council of the 1919 Paris Peace Conference awarded all of German East Africa to Britain on the 7th of May 1919 despite strenuous objections from Belgium. British colonial secretary Alfred Milner negotiated an Anglo-Belgian agreement on the 30th of May 1919 where Britain ceded north-western provinces of Ruanda and Urundi to Belgium. The Treaty of Versailles took effect on the 10th of January 1920 when German East Africa was officially transferred to Britain, Belgium, and Portugal. On that same date Tanganyika became the name of the British territory. During World War II about 100,000 people from Tanganyika joined Allied forces alongside 375,000 other Africans who fought with those forces. Tanganyikans served in units of the King's African Rifles during campaigns in Somalia Abyssinia Madagascar and Burma against Italian Vichy French and Japanese enemies respectively. In 1954 Julius Nyerere transformed an organization into the politically oriented Tanganyika African National Union or TANU. A campaign to register new members launched within a year made TANU the leading political organisation in the country. Modern British rule ended on the 9th of December 1961 when Elizabeth II continued to reign through the first year of Tanganyika's independence as Queen of Tanganyika represented by the governor general. Tanganyika joined the British Commonwealth in 1961. On the 9th of December 1962 Tanganyika became a democratic republic under an executive president.

• 3. Political Unification And Socialist Era

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  The Zanzibar Revolution overthrew the Arab dynasty in neighbouring Zanzibar accompanied by the slaughter of thousands of Arab Zanzibaris which had become independent in 1963. The archipelago merged with mainland Tanganyika on the 26th of April 1964 forming the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. On the 29th of October of that same year the country was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania combining Tan from Tanganyika and Zan from Zanzibar. President Nyerere emphasized constructing a national identity for citizens of the new country despite more than 130 languages spoken within its territory. In 1967 Nyerere's first presidency took a turn to the left after the Arusha Declaration codified commitment to socialism as well as Pan-Africanism. After the declaration banks and many large industries were nationalised. Tanzania aligned itself with China which from 1970 to 1975 financed and helped build the TAZARA Railway from Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. From the late 1970s Tanzania's economy took a turn for the worse amid an international economic crisis affecting both developed and developing economies. In 1978 neighbouring Uganda under leadership of Idi Amin invaded Tanzania. This disastrous invasion culminated in Tanzania invading Uganda with aid from Ugandan rebels to depose Idi Amin as a result. However the war severely damaged Tanzania's economy. The nation received two silver medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow both in running events. Through the 1980s conservation-oriented national parks such as Serengeti and Kilimanjaro were included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. From the mid-1980s the regime financed itself by borrowing from the International Monetary Fund and underwent some reforms. Since then Tanzania's gross domestic product per capita has grown and poverty has been reduced according to a report by the World Bank.

• 4. Geography And Natural Wonders

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  Mount Kilimanjaro stands at 5,895 meters above sea level making it Africa's highest mountain and the world's highest single free-standing mountain above sea level. Three of Africa's Great Lakes lie partly within Tanzania including Lake Victoria which is Africa's largest lake and Lake Tanganyika known as the continent's deepest lake. Lake Malawi lies to the southwest while Kalambo Falls in southwestern Rukwa region ranks as the second-highest uninterrupted waterfall in Africa near southeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika on border with Zambia. The eastern shore remains hot and humid with Zanzibar Archipelago just offshore where Menai Bay Conservation Area serves as Zanzibar's largest marine protected area. Tanzania contains around 20% of species of Africa's enormous warm-blooded animal populace found over its 21 National parks reserves 1 conservation area and 3 marine parks spread across zone exceeding 42,000 square kilometres shaping around 38% of nation's area. On Tanzania's Serengeti plain white-bearded wildebeest other bovids and zebra participate in large-scale annual migration. Tanzania has largest lion population in world and home to about 130 amphibian and over 275 reptile species many strictly endemic included in International Union for Conservation Nature Red Lists. In western Tanzania Gombe Stream National Park was site of Jane Goodall's study of chimpanzee behaviour starting in 1960.

• 5. Economic Sectors And Development

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  Tanzania's economy heavily based on agriculture which in 2013 accounted for 24.5 per cent gross domestic product providing 85% exports and half employed workforce. Maize largest food crop mainland in 2013 totaled 5.17 million tonnes followed by cassava sweet potatoes beans bananas rice millet sugar cotton cashew nuts tobacco coffee sisal tea beef lamb chicken pork. Approximately 68 percent Tanzania's 61.1 million citizens live below poverty line of $1.25 a day while 32 percent population malnourished. Industry construction major growing component contributing 22.2 per cent GDP 2013 including mining quarrying manufacturing electricity natural gas water supply construction. Mining contributed 3.3 per cent GDP 2013 vast majority mineral export revenue from gold accounting 89 per cent value those exports 2013. Tanzania gold production reached 46 metric tonnes 2015 also exports sizeable quantities gemstones including diamonds tanzanite. Only 15 percent Tanzanians had access electric power 2011 rising to 35.2 per cent 2018 government-owned Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited TANESCO dominates electric supply industry. In 2013 49.7 percent Tanzania's electricity generation came from natural gas 28.9 percent hydroelectric sources 20.4 percent thermal sources 1.0 percent outside country. Travel tourism contributed 17.5 per cent gross domestic product 2016 employed 11.0 per cent country labour force 1,189,300 jobs 2013 overall receipts rose US$1.74 billion 2004 to US$4.48 billion 2013.

• 6. Demographics And Social Dynamics

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  According 2024 estimate Tanzania population around 67.5 million making most populous country located entirely south equator under-15 age group represented 44.1% population distribution significantly uneven. Most people live northern border coast remainder country sparsely populated density varies Katavi Region Dar es Salaam Region approximately 70% population rural declining since at least 1967. Population consists about 125 ethnic groups Sukuma Nyamwezi Chagga Haya peoples each population exceeding 1 million majority Tanzanians native African descent citizens Indian descent constitute significant demographic minority particularly prominent business entrepreneurship. Thousands Arabs Indians massacred during Zanzibar Revolution 1964 as 1994 Asian community numbered 50,000 mainland 4,000 Zanzibar estimated 70,000 Arabs. At foundation United Republic Tanzania 1964 child mortality rate 335 deaths per 1,000 live births since independence rate declined 62 per 1,000 births. Over 100 languages spoken Tanzania making most linguistically diverse country East Africa national language Swahili English used foreign trade diplomacy higher courts medium instruction secondary higher education Arabic widely spoken Zanzibar reflecting history trading center dominated Arabs. Christianity largest religion substantial Muslim Animist minorities. Children rural areas suffer substantially higher rates malnutrition chronic hunger although urban-rural disparities narrowed regarding stunting underweight. USAID reports 16% children underweight 34% experience stunted growth result malnutrition 10 regions house 58% children suffering stunted growth while 50% acutely malnourished children found 5 regions.