Tanzania

The name “Tanzania” is the result of a merger between the names “Tanganyika” (the name of the British trusteeship corresponding to mainland Tanzania) and “Zanzibar” and was adopted after the union in 1964.

Tanzania, or United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa. It borders Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south, and the Indian Ocean to the east.

It is a federal republic.

Dar es Salaam is the largest city and the capital, although administrative functions are being transferred to Dodoma, a city in the center of the country.

Tanzania is an excellent tourist destination at all times of the year. From the end of June to October the air is fresh and the climate dry; October and November are very pleasant months because the landscape begins to become green thanks to the first short rains; from the end of December to February the temperatures increase but without becoming suffocating; from March to May there is the rainy season, when the landscape becomes lush and very rich.

The population consists of more than 120 different ethnic groups, including the Sukuma, the Nyamwezi, the Hehe-Bena, the Gogo, the Haya, the Makonde, the Chagga and Nyakyusa. Other minority groups include the Pare, the Shambaa and Ngoni. Most Tanzanians are Bantu peoples. Among the Nilotic peoples will include the nomadic Maasai. The population includes Arabs, Indians, Pakistanis, Chinese and European small communities.
No ethnic group prevails over the others, because they consist of a few individuals.

In Tanzania, the two most widely practiced religions are Christian and Muslim, while Zanzibar is a high prevalence of the latter.

The official language is Swahili, but English is the second language used by the Tanzanians.

The dish is ugali, a substantial dough made with cornmeal or cassava served with a sauce.

Traditional music is the Tanzanian Taarab, Swahili culture, with Indian and Arabic influences. Initially, a court musician of the Omani sultans, now played mainly at weddings.
The traditional dance is the ngoma and is characterized by movements executed with considerable fluency and accompanied by intense rhythms. This dance is used to communicate feelings such as gratitude and praise to the ancestors.
The best known form of visual art is the dye-dye in bright colors with themes naive and surreal. The subjects are often stylized animals.
The writer and poet Shaaban Robert (1909-62) is considered the national poet, from his writings: “yangu Maisha (my life).

Zanzibar

The territory of Zanzibar is an archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, opposite the eastern coast of Tanzania. It consists of two main islands: Unguja (Swahili name for Zanzibar) to the south and Pemba to the north.

The climate is hot and humid, but the monsoons bring sea breezes that relieve the heat. There are two rainy seasons: the major one from March to May and the minor one from November to early December.

Zanzibar Town is the heart of the archipelago and is located in the western part of the same island. Stone Town (or “stone city”) is the heart of the city and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stone Town is made up of a tangle of cobbled streets where it is very beautiful to walk and notice the different architectural styles: Arab-style houses built next to Indian or European and African-style buildings. The alleys are animated by a great variety of oriental-style bazaars and the numerous people you will meet who will offer you to drink a good cup of coffee or visit their shop.

The most characteristic element of Zanzibar architecture is the carved wooden doors, a symbol of the family’s wealth and social position.

In Zanzibar Town you can enjoy excellent coffee, take percussion lessons at Dhow Countries Music, visit some museums, admire the splendid sunset from the Forodhani Gardens (where, among other things, every evening it will be possible to taste local dishes at low prices) , get to know the old slave market and walk around the city immersing yourself in a melting pot of different cultures.

Zanzibar is a perfect island for resting or carrying out sporting activities such as snorkeling and diving.

You can also take the spice tour, in the center of the island there are still plantations, and you will be invited to taste cloves, black pepper, cardamom, breadfruit…

About 35km south-east of Zanzibar Town is the Jozani Forest, where red colobus monkeys live, a species of monkey that lives only on this island.

Zanzibari cuisine is renowned for its unusual combinations of flavours, which reflect the eventful past of the island and the archipelago, combining and combining Arabic, Indian and European recipes, often modified to adapt to the typical local food products, linked to the coastal tradition (fish and seafood) and agricultural export production (spices, tropical fruit).

The majority of the population is Muslim and is also conservative. It is therefore advisable not to dress scantily, but to cover your shoulders and not to wear shorts (or skirts) that are too short.