In Focus: Tanzania Profile

Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania in Swahili), is a country on the east coast of Africa. The country is named after Tanganyika, its mainland part, and the Zanzibar islands off its east coast. The country has been a member of the Commonwealth since gaining independence in 1961. 

Tanzania boasts some of the continents finest natural wonders: to the north-east, Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest peak; to the north and west are the Great Lakes of Lake Victoria (Africa's largest lake) and Lake Tanganyika (Africa's deepest lake); and in the far north, the enormous and ecologically stunning Serengeti National Park.

Lonely Planet Guide to Tanzania:

"Step out into the vast open plains of Tanzania and you suddenly feel very, very small. And so you should. You've just joined one of the largest, wildest animal populations in the world. Wildebeest, monkey, antelope, lion, cheetah, crocodile, gazelle, flamingo - they're all out there.

Language and Ethnicity

Tanzania's 100 or more different tribal groups are mostly of Bantu-speaking origin. The Arab influence on Zanzibar and Pemba Islands is evident in the people, who are a mix of Shirazi (from Persia), Arabs, Comorians (from the Comoros Islands) and Africans from the mainland. Asians are a significant minority especially in the towns and cities. Europeans (either by descent or expatriate) are a smaller minority. The major non-Bantu-speaking people on the mainland are the Nilotic speakers such as the Maasai who inhabit parts of northern Tanzania.

Swahili and English are the official languages, with English the principal language of commerce. There are also many local African tongues, reflecting the tribal diversity of the country. Outside the cities and towns, far fewer local people speak English than in comparable areas in Kenya. It's said that the Swahili spoken on Zanzibar is of a much purer form than elsewhere, and quite a few travellers head to the island to learn it.

Religion

The two main religions are Christianity and Islam, with a signficant Hindu minority in urban areas. The majority of Muslims are concentrated along the coast and in the islands. Compared to Islam, Christianity took a long time to make an impact, and even then (during the 19th century) it was practiced mainly among tribes of the interior. There are still some tribes who follow neither of the big-name religions and instead worship the ancient spirit of their choice. Principal among them are the Maasai, who put their faith in the god Engai and his Messiah, Kindong'oi, from whom their priests are said to be descended. It's claimed that there is no religious bias present in the country's political and civil administration.

Music and Culture

Tanzanian music and dance dominates much of East Africa. Strong in rhythm and renowned for hard-hitting lyrics, the country's Swahili-based sounds are kept very much alive by a thriving dance-band scene. Remmy Ongala is the country's best known export. Zanzibar is at the heart of the distinctive taarab, or sung poetry, tradition. The goddess of this haunting style is Siti bint Saad, the first East African singer to make commercial recordings, way back in 1928.

There's precious little difference between local food in Kenya and Tanzania - which is not great news for gourmets. As in Kenya, nyama choma (barbecued meat) has taken over in a big way, especially in restaurants with attached bars. But on the coast and on Zanzibar and Pemba Islands, there's a delicious range of traditional Swahili dishes based on seafood. The national brew is Safari Lager and a popular local liquor is a lethal white-rum-style concoction called konyagi."

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