Tanzania - Tourism and Travel

The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa, along the coast of the Indian Ocean. The island of Zanzibar, in the Indian Ocean, is part of Tanzania.

Tanzania has an area of 364,900 square miles (945,087 square kilometers).

Most of mainland Tanzania consists of savanna plateau east of the Great Rift Valley.

Western Tanzania contains part of a huge plateau in between the eastern and western arms of the Great Rift Valley. This plateau has been leveled by erosion. Some outcrops of resistant rock, known as inselbergs, remain.

Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, is in northern Tanzania, near the border with Kenya. Mount Kilimanjaro, an extinct volcano, is 19,330 feet (5,892 meters) high. It used to be famous for its snow-capped peak. However, this snow has almost completely melted because of climate change.

Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania has a diameter of about 12 miles (20 kilometers). This crater is a remnant of past volcanic activity in the region.

Lake Victoria lies between the borders of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa, with an area of 26,591 square miles (68,870 square kilometers).

It is the third largest lake on Earth, after the Caspian Sea and Lake Superior.

Lake Victoria is located in a basin between the eastern and western arms of the Great Rift Valley. It has many coral reefs and islands.

Part of Lake Tanganyika is in Tanzania.

Lake Tanganyika is the world's second deepest lake, after Lake Baikal. It follows the valley floor of the western arm of the Great Rift Valley for 400 miles (644 kilometers).

Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania contains some of the oldest known hominid fossils.

Tanzania has a tropical climate.

The capital of Tanzania is Dodoma.

43,739,000 people live in Tanzania.

These are members of more than 120 native African tribes plus some Europeans, Arabs and Asians who together make up about 1% of the population.

English and Kiswahili are official languages Other languages spoken include Sukuma, Nyamwezi, Makonde, Hehe, Sukuma, Yao and Sandawe.

33% of the people are Christian, 33% are Muslim and 30% practice traditional religions.

About 90% of the workforce is involved in agriculture, which forms the basis of the economy.

Rich volcanic soils and the soils of the Lake Victoria basin support crop-growing.

Tobacco, cotton, coffee and cashew nuts are important exports. Cloves are exported form Zanzibar.

Important industries include gold and diamond mining and agricultural processing.

Tourism is increasing in importance.

Tanzania has many national parks where rare African animals find refuge. Tourists who visit these parks help to pay for conservation projects.

Tanzania relies heavily on foreign aid.

The official currency of Tanzania is the Tanzanian shilling, which equals 100 cents.

Tanzania has a presidential system of government.

It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.