(“Land of the Endless Plains)
Background information; by edgardowelelo@yahoo.com
Vast in both scope and diversity, Tanzania lies between the shores of Lake Victoria (Nyanza) and the shimmering silver – blue strand of the Indian Ocean. World – renowned for her abundance of wildlife and uniquely in spoiled landscape, she is home to the exotic spice isle of Zanzibar and the magnificent snowcapped dome of Mount Kilimanjaro.
TALLEST, DEEPEST AND LARGEST
Tanzania features Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, its deepest and largest lakes (Tanganyika and Victoria respectively), its largest protected area (J.K.Nyerere National Park, formerly Selous Game Reserve) and the world’s largest intact volcanic crater, the 20 km wide Ngorongoro crater. Tanzania is also unique in that almost one quarter of its total area has been turned over to conservation in the form of more than 20 national parks and 31 game reserves (in which some of them have been upgraded to the status of national parks in very recent years). Large expanses of her coastal waters are also conserved as marine parks.
THE “BIG FIVE” AND BIODIVERSITY ON A GRAND SCALE
This global wildlife stronghold is home to an unrivalled diversity of wildlife including some 430 species of mammals, 1,060 species of birds and a stunning 1,370 species of butterflies. The famous Serengeti, meanwhile boasts the greatest concentration of large animals on earth.
THE LEGENDARY SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO
At 5,895 meters above sea level, the majestic snow – capped Mt. Kilimanjaro is not only the highest mountain in Africa, but also the highest free standing peak in the world. Crowned by one fifth of the ice in Africa, the “shinning Mountain” is the mecca of every amateur climber in the world and is easily conquered by nearly 70,000 people every year.
THE ENDLESS PLAINS OF THE SERENGETI
The Serengeti is one of the world’s most magnificent natural arenas. Known to the local people as “Siringet” which means “the place of the endless plains” it is also the venue for “the greatest wildlife shows on earth” the annual migration of over one million wildebeest and their attendant cast of herbivores and predators.
THE SPECTACULAR SELOUS, CURRENTLY J.K. NYERERE NATIONAL PARK
A World Heritage Site, the largest expanse of game reserve in Africa and home to the largest concentration of elephants in the world, the stunning 55,000 Sq.km Selous Game Reserve is four times the size of Serengeti and larger than Switzerland. Currently, over 30,000 Sq.km of Selous Game Reserve is set aside as J.K.Nyerere National Park, and it is now the largest National Park in Tanzania and Africa. And yet, despite its abundant array of hippos, buffaloes, crocodiles, lions and rhinos, this magnificent ecosystem remains virtually untouched by man.
ZANZIBAR AND ITS PRISTINE BEACHES
Off the coast of Tanzania floats the fabulous archipelago of the spice Islands – Zanzibar and Pemba. Here, where the ancient Swahili culture flourishes almost unchanged and the dhows sail as they have for thousands of years, there are silver beaches and clear blue sea. There are spice gardens and Sultan’s palaces, and the chance to wander through the ancient lanes of Stone Town with its antique emporiums, “House of Wonders”, Dr. Livingstone’s house, Old Slave Market and Old Slave Market and Arab Fort.
THE CRADLE OF HUMAN KIND
Tanzania is home to some of the oldest human settlement on earth. Fossils found in and around Oldupai Gorge (Olduvai) in Ngorongoro district, Arusha region – Northern Tanzania, include parathropus bones thought to be over 2 million years old and the Laetoli footprints, which are the oldest known footprints of our ancestors and estimated to be about 3.6 million years old.
CAPTIVATING CULTURE, WELCOMING PEOPLE
From the Swahili people of Zanzibar to the Chagga, who inhabit the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzanian people are as diverse as the land Itself. Vibrant and welcoming, they offer some heritage rich in song, dance, music, theatre, Makonde sculpture and art and a cuisine ranging from the delicate coconut and spiced dishes of Zanzibar to the cosmopolitan choices of Dar es Salaam and Arusha.
RETAIL THERAPY TANZANIA
Tanzania Take – Homes include semi – precious Tanzanite, jewelry, Makonde woodcarvings, soapstone sculpture, musical instruments, basket ware, maasai beadwork, sisal mats, brightly colored sarongs known as Kangas (for women) and Kikois (for men), spices, curios and paintings.
TANZANIA ACTION
For those in search of action and adventure, Tanzania is the venue of choice. Her Indian Ocean coastland offers some of the world’s finest big game fishing, dive sites and watersports and her marine parks some of the best whale – watching, dolphin diving and turtle tracking. The national parks offer climbing, hiking, trekking, game drives, ornithological tours, river cruises and more. And her towns and cities offer everything from lush golf courses to state – of – the art fitness clubs and spas.
QUICK TANZANIA FAST FACTS
- Name: The United Republic of Tanzania
- Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique, Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.
- Capital: Administrative; Dodoma / Commercial: Dar es Salaam.
- Areal / size: 947,300 Sq.km
- Borders: Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia
- Climate: Tropical with an average day temperature of 30°
- Language: Kiswahili and English
- Currency: Tanzania shilling