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 10 facts about Tanzania:
- It’s the world’s 31st-largest country (after Egypt). The country is about the same size as Nigeria and has a population of +/- 43 million.
- 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.
- From the late 19th Century until 1919 modern day Tanzania (then called Tanganyika), Burundi and Rwanda was known as German East Africa.
- A mandate determined by the League of Nations after the 1st World War designated Taganyika 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.
- British rule ended in 1961 when Tanganyika gained independence.
- Julius Nyerere was the first prime minister of Tanganyika.
- After the Zanzibar revolution in 1964 the independent republic of Zanzibar merged with mainland Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanzania.
- Since 1996 Dodoma has been the capital of the country, before this Dar Es Salaam (the largest city in Tanzania) was the capital city.
- Mount Kilimanjaro (the highest mountain in Africa) is located in the North East of the country. This mountain has an inactive volcano and is 5,893 meters high (19,334 feet).
- Swahili and English are the 2 official languages of Tanzania.
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