Tanzania: An Introduction

Allow me to introduce you to my native country, Tanzania. This is a very brief overview of this expansive and wonderfully unique land. I hope that you will appreciate the facts relatively unknown by many. Enjoy!

Geography

The United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania in Swahili) is a country on the east coast of Africa. It is bordered by Kenya and Uganda on the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique on the south. To the east it borders the Indian Ocean. The country is named after Tanganyika, its mainland part, and the Zanzibar islands off its east coast.

Tanzania is the world's 31st-largest country. It is mountainous in the north-east, where Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, is situated. To the north and west are the Great Lakes of Lake Victoria (Africa's largest lake) and Lake Tanganyika (Africa's deepest lake, known for its unique species of fish). Central Tanzania comprises a large plateau, with plains and arable land. The eastern shore is hot and humid, with the island of Zanzibar lying just offshore.

Tanzania contains many large and ecologically significant wildlife parks, including the famous Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park in the north, and Selous Game Reserve and Mikumi National Park in the south. Gombe National Park in the west is known as the site of Dr. Jane Goodall's studies of chimpanzee behavior.

Zanzibar is the collective name for two islands in Tanzania, Unguja and Pemba. The word "Zanzibar" is derived from the Persian word Zangi-bar ("Coast of the blacks") and it is also known as Zanji-bar in Arabic. It is a common misconception even amongst Tanzanians that Zanzibar is an island on its own rather than it being a collective name of the Unguja and Pemba islands. The capital of Zanzibar, located on the island of Unguja is Zanzibar City. The City's Stone Town is a World Heritage Site.

About 50 kilometers to the north of the island Unguja, lies the island of Pemba also known as 'Al Jazeera Al Khadra' (The green island, in Arabic). This island is popular for large scale farming of cash crops such as cloves.

Mafia Island ("Chole Shamba") is located south of Zanzibar. Together with Unguja and Pemba they form the Tanzanian spice islands. Mafia is governed by the mainland ahas never been a part of Zanzibar. This island is a great retreat for scuba divers, game fishermen and those seeking simple relaxation.

History

In 1964, Tanganyika united with Zanzibar, forming the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, later renamed to the United Republic of Tanzania. In 1996, Tanzania's capital was officially moved from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma, although many government offices still remain in the old capital.

Julius Kambarage Nyerere (April 13, 1922 - October 14, 1999) was the first president of Tanzania (In office Oct 29th 1964 – Nov 5th 1985). Popularly known as Mwalimu (Teacher) due to his profession before he turned in to politics, to-date, he is effectively known as the founding father of the nation.

Ali Hassan Mwinyi was the second president of Tanzania (In Office Nov 5th 1985 – Nov 23rd 1995). Often reffered to as “Mzee Rukhsa” (everything goes), he took the country through it’s first steps away from the socialist policies previously in place.

Benjamin William Mkapa was the third president of Tanzania (In office Nov 23rd 1995 - Dec 21 2005). During his term, he continued the liberalization of the economy that began under his predecessor. He privatized most of the state owned corporations and pursued free market policies designed to attract foreign investment.

Comrade Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete is the current president of Tanzania. He assumed office on 21st Dec 2005 after winning the elections as a candidate for the CCM (Chama cha Mapinduzi) party. His governing philosophy and political views are influenced by those of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.

Culture

Kiswahili/Swahili and English are the two main languages spoken in Tanzania. It is the most widely spoken language of sub-saharan Africa. The name kiswahili comes from the plural of the Arabic word 'sahel' meaning 'boundary" or "coast" used as an adjective to mean "coastal dwellers".

Kiswahili is the language of education in the primary schools of Tanzania with English a subject in the curriculum. The curriculum is taught in English from secondary school (GCSE) through to University level. With over 150 tribes in Tanzania, traditional languages still do exist although their use is increasingly on the decline, particularly in the urban areas.

Standard Kiswahili is based on Kiunguja, the dialect of Zanzibar town. There are numerous local dialects of Kiswahili, including the following.
Kiunguja: spoken in Zanzibar town and environs on Zanzibar island. Other dialects occupy the bulk of the island.
Kitumbatu and Kimakunduchi: the countryside dialects of the island of Zanzibar. Kimakunduchi is a recent renaming of "Kihadimu"; the old name means "serf", hence it is considered pejorative.
Kimrima: spoken around Pangani, Vanga, Dar es Salaam, Rufiji and Mafia Island.
Kimgao: spoken around Kilwa and to the south.
Kipemba: local dialect of the island of Pemba.
Mijikenda, a group of dialects spoken in and around Mvita island. Includes Kimvita, the other major dialect alongside Kiunguja.
Kingare: subdialect of the Mombasa area.
Chijomvu: subdialect of the Mombasa area.
Chi-Chifundi: dialect of the southern Kenya coast.
Kivumba: dialect of the southern Kenya coast.
Kiamu: spoken in and around the island of Lamu (Amu).
Kingozi: this is a special case as it was the language of the inhabitants of the ancient town of "Ngozi" and is perhaps the basis of the Swahili language. This is the standard dialect used when writing swahili poetry.

Sheng: a sort of street slang, this is a blend of Swahili, English, and some ethnic languages spoken in and around Nairobi in informal settings. Sheng originated in the Nairobi slums and is considered fashionable and cosmopolitan among a growing segment of the population.

Despite increasing foreign contact, Tanzania has persistently maintained its cultural heritage. Ancient rituals and customs are still observed by many tribes and daily life largely follows traditional practices. Life's most important events, birth, puberty, marriage, and death, are all celebrated through age-old traditional ceremonies. In marriage, for example, the custom of giving dowry's is still respected. The aspiring groom still acquires his bride by giving cows, goats, local brew, hoes or machetes to his delighted father-in-law.

Yet, the practice of arranged marriages is gradually disappearing in many places, particularly the towns and cities. Here the younger generation is often free to marry for love alone. Today it is no longer strange for a Nilotic Luo from the shores of Lake Victoria to meet and marry a Bantu Ngoni from Lake Nyasa, even though traditional procedures will be adhered to on both sides. And, once married, old customs prevail.

According to swahili custom, the man is the master in the home and in all family matters. Most tribal traditions also allow him to marry more than one wife if he so wishes, although the advert of Christianity and modem civilization has convinced most to be content with just the one. Even Moslems, whose Islamic faith allows polygamy, are settling more and more for a one-wife family.

In Tanzania, as in many other African countries, the family is an extended one, including cousins, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, and even in-laws. The family clan remains a strong entity in most tribes. Family disputes are resolved by a panel made up of clan members and all events, be they happy or sad, are shared by the whole clan.

Folk tales are a common way by which the elders teach the young. Legends tell of cultural heroes and important ancestors who were intelligent, courageous and generous. Young people learn about these illustrious ancestors through story telling. Among the Bahaya, the young groom researches his family history that has been preserved and passed down through legends and chooses an important ancestor that he will try to emulate and that will be his role model. In a very real sense, these ancestors participate and influence the lives of people today. Heroes also include ritual specialists, not just political heroes.

Among the Maasai, for example, there is a traditional healer and ritual expert who is an important character in legends. The Chaga, who live on the slopes of Mt. Kilamanjaro tell many stories about the mountain; one of them is the story of Kibo and Mawenzi, the names of the two peaks. Kibo was very careful with her food while Mawenzi was a spendthrift and did not worry about storing and saving food for lean times. When she did not have enough to eat she would visit her sister Kibo and Kibo would always feed her. After three days in a row of Mawenzi coming over to beg for food, Kibo in anger hit her on the back with a spoon, this explains Mawenzi's rugged appearance today.

Sources: (wwww.globalvolunteers.org), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia,
www.tanzaniatouristboard.com/