Welcome to our new blog where we introduce you to the many amazing and diverse countries that we operate in. Starting off with an introduction to Tanzania. This blog will make you aware of just how much adventure is waiting for you just around the corner when you book your trip with Adventure Africa International.
African Experts:
So what makes us experts on Africa? Well, we are African born and bred. We are travellers and adventurers, fishermen and photographers, divers and hikers. With a passion for our continent and its diversity. Air – Land – Water; we want to share with you what we’ve seen and experienced. For it cannot be described in writing (but we’ll do our best to in this blog!). With a lifetime spent fishing, freediving, and sailing it’s oceans. Wandering through its deserts, hiking through its forests, and exploring its wide open savannah plains. As tour operators we partner up with other like minded operators. As a result we can offer you the best possible adventures to explore and experience the magic of Africa.
This blog begins with an introduction to Tanzania, one of the most exciting and diverse destinations in Africa. Lying only 6 degrees below the equator, Tanzania is blessed with a tropical climate and over 1,000 km of Indian Ocean coastline dotted with tropical islands. Mount Kilimanjaro, the active volcano of Ol Donyo Lengai, is Africa’s highest and most iconic peak, sitting at the heart of the country. There are plenty of wild places in Tanzania. Ranging from deserts, tropical rain forests, pristine lakes, mountain ranges and cool highlands. These exciting landscapes are also home to some of the top African wildlife areas in the world. And, with over 120 different tribes, there is plenty of culture and history found here.
Safari Destination:
In Tanzania you find the best safari destinations on the planet. In fact, the word safari (meaning ‘travel’) comes from the Swahili language which is spoken across Tanzania. The annual migration of some 1.5 million wildebeest and zebra through the Serengeti Plains is one of the world’s largest migrations of large mammals. A truly awesome experience to witness. Lions, elephant, leopard, African buffalo, kudu, eland, gerenuk, giraffe, warthog, chimpanzee and countless other animals make Tanzania world famous for its wildlife. To see the Big 5 in abundance you need to put Tanzania at the top of your list. Several mountains, including the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro, offer some of the best hiking in Africa. The Zanzibar Archipelago and its historic Stone Town, that once ruled East Africa, offers a glimpse of bygone times of Swahili culture.
Early History:
The history of Tanzania is a long and fascinating one with many twists and turns through the years. Tanzania is home to the “Cradle of Mankind” in the Olduvai Gorge. Here stone tools and fossils have been found that date back to prehistoric times. At nearby Laetoli the oldest known hominid footprints, the Laetoli Footprints, are estimated to be about 3.6 million years old. With the oldest hominid fossils ever discovered in Tanzania also estimated to be 3.6 to 3.8 million years old. More recently (about 2,000 years ago) saw the arrival of Bantu-speaking people who arrived from Western Africa. This was in a series of migrations collectively referred to as the Bantu Expansion. The arrival of the Bantu people brought about the Iron Age and much development. This can still be witnessed at several archaeological sites throughout the country.
Later in history came the development of the Swahili language and culture. Originating from Bantu tribes in northern Kenya and spreading down the coast of eastern Africa. The Swahili towns along the coast began a network of trade connections, linking the coast to the less accessible interior. With the arrival of these trade links also came Arab and Indian traders. As a result the region established itself as a major location on the trade map.
Exploration:
Meanwhile the interior region (known as the African Great Lakes Region) was to become the attention of European explorers. Including the German missionary Johannes Rebmann (the first European to see Mt Kilimanjaro in 1848) and British explorers Richard Burton and John Speke who crossed the interior to Lake Tanganyika in June 1857. The well known Scottish explorer and missionary David Livingstone also went to Zanzibar. Using it as his base to travel inland and find the source of the Nile. Henry Morton Stanley followed Livingstone, meeting him at Lake Tanganyika with the famous greeting of “Dr Livingstone, I presume?”. In 1877, the first of a series of Belgian expeditions arrived on Zanzibar and later expeditions also reached the interior regions.
These early explorers made way for the influx of the European imperial powers of the time. This began with Germany who made the area a part of German East Africa. However, the British (and to a lesser extent the Belgian) interests were also focused on the region. As a result several skirmishes were fought in the area during the years of World War I. Following the war and the Treaty of Versailles the area was split into Tanganyika and Ruanda-Urundi with the British taking control of Tanganyika.
Zanzibar:
In Zanzibar the history took a slightly different turn with other external and internal influences steering it. The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama landed on the coast in 1498, the first known European to do so. His arrival was to lead later on to a Portugese invasion and subsequent capture of the main islands of Zanzibar (Unguja and Pemba) in 1505. The Portuguese rule of Zanzibar lasted until the early 18th century. Then Arabs from Oman took over in the region. The Omani Sultan Seyyid Said moved his capital to Zanzibar City in 1840. Further developing the trade routes which stretched as far as Lake Tanganyika and Central Africa. During this time, Zanzibar was run by the ruling Arab elite, becoming the centre for the Arab slave trade.
The development of clove plantations made Zanzibar world-famous for their trade in spices and the islands became known as the Spice Islands. Producing approximately 90% of the world’s supply of cloves at the time. As a result the British saw the benefits of the spice trade but at the same time wanted to bring an end to the slave trade. In 1822, the British signed the first of a series of treaties with Sultan Said to curb the slave trading. However, it was not until 1876 that slavery in Zanzibar was finally prohibited. In 1890 Zanzibar also became a British protectorate.
Recent History:
More recently in history Tanganyika gained independence from the British, in 1961. Influential in it’s independence was Julius Nyerere who rose from school teacher to become the first president of Tanganyika in 1962. Nyerere is often affectionately called “mwalimu” (teacher) and is still highly praised for his dedication in leading his country to independence.
Zanzibar soon followed suit and received its independence from the United Kingdom on 10th December 1963. Becoming a constitutional monarchy under the Sultan. However, the Zanzibari people soon rose up in revolt against the Arab elite. This caused the brief but bloody Zanzibar Revolution where between 5,000 and 15,000 Arabs and Indians were killed. In 1964 a new government was formed, with its leader Abeid Karume as President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council.
On 26th April 1964, Tanganyika united with Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The country was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania, the name being a blend of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Under the terms of this union, the Zanzibar Government remained semi-autonomous and still does to this day.
Go Explore:
Tanzania is a stable and thriving nation, with a wealth of natural resources and cultural heritage making it a unique and exciting travel destination. Tourism is one of the main factors in the recent development of Tanzania and it is now well established in the world travel circuit. Despite its more famous attractions, it still offers plenty to explore that is off the beaten track. From luxury safaris to budget travel, Tanzania has something for every adventurer at heart. So follow in the footsteps of the famous Burton and Speke and search out your next adventure in the wild places of Tanzania.
Click here for more info on our Tanzanian activities.
