From Africa’s highest mountain to some of the world’s most remarkable wildlife, these are the most interesting facts about Tanzania.
Fast facts
Official name: United Republic of Tanzania
Population: 67.46 million
Area: 947,300 sq km
Capital city: Dodoma
Major languages: Swahili, English, Arabic
Major religions: Christian 63.1%, Muslim 34.1%
Time zone: UTC+3 (East Africa Time)
Interesting facts about Tanzania
1. Tanzania is a country located in East Africa bordering eight countries: Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia.
2. Tanzania is East Africa’s largest country, Africa’s 13th largest and the world’s 32nd largest.
3. Tanzania is one of the oldest inhabited countries on earth. Traces of fossil remains of humans and hominids have been found in the Olduvai Gorge, dating anywhere from 1.9 million to 19,000 years ago. The country’s earliest known people were hunters and gatherers, who lived in the region as far back as 8,000 BCE
4. However, hominin footprints have been discovered in Laetoli, an archaeological site in northeastern Tanzania, which are believed to be over 3.6 million years. The footprints are thought to come from early human ancestors known as Australopithecus afarensis.
5. Tanganyika and Zanzibar have come under Portuguese, German and British control since the 15th century. In 1961, Tanganyika became independent, followed by Zanzibar in 1963. In 1964, the Sultanate of Zanzibar was overthrown and the two states merged to create Tanzania.
6. The Sultanate of Zanzibar used to be part of the Omani Empire. Oman’s capital was once moved to Africa: Stone Town on the island of Zanzibar. The then sultan, Said bin Sultan, liked the outpost so much he relocated the capital from Muscat to Zanzibar in 1832.
7. The country’s name is a combination of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, from when the two states merged in 1964.
8. The Tanzanian flag is made up of green and blue triangles separated by a black diagonal stripe with yellow borders. Black represents the people, green agriculture and the land, yellow the country’s mineral wealth and blue the Indian Ocean.
9. Tanzania has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In Africa, only South Africa (10), Ethiopia (9), Morocco (9) and Tunisia (8) have more.
10. Freddie Mercury, legendary lead singer of the British rock band Queen, was born in Tanzania. He was born in 1946 on the island of Zanzibar. He was brought up there until eight years old when he went to school in India before permanently leaving for England with his family in 1964 following a revolution in Zanzibar.
11. Tanzania is home to Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, at 5,895m (19,340ft). Kilimanjaro is also the world’s highest freestanding mountain, meaning it is not attached to a mountain range.
12. Tanzania is one of the best places in the world to see wildlife, including the celebrated Big Five game animals of lion, leopards, rhino, elephants and buffalo in the country.
13. The UNESCO-listed Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is known for its annual migration of millions of animals such as wildebeest, gazelles and zebras, and their predators. The migration has been described as “one of the most impressive natural events in the world”.
14. The UNESCO-listed Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania is one of the world’s largest caldera and is also known for its diversity of wildlife. The conservation area’s landscape has been described as “one of the greatest natural wonders of the planet”.
15. Tanzania’s population includes over 120 different indigenous African peoples, although due to migration many of these are slowly disappearing.
16. Tanzania is located along the East African Rift (or Great Rift Valley), where two tectonic plates are moving apart, essentially splitting the continent of Africa in two. The rift has been forming for 30 million years and causes extensive volcanism and huge lakes to form in the area.
17. As such, Africa’s largest lake is mainly located in Tanzania. Lake Victoria, also called Victoria Nyanza, has an area of 69,484 sq km (26,828 sq mi) and a coastline of 3,220km (2,000mi). It is also the world’s second-largest freshwater lake after Lake Superior in North America.
18. Lake Tanganyika is the longest freshwater lake in the world at 660 km (410mi) and the second deepest at 1,436m (4,710ft) after Lake Baikal in Russia. Tanzania shares Lake Tanganyika with DR Congo, Burundi and Zambia.
19. Dar es Salaam is Tanzania’s largest city and was named by the first sultan of Zanzibar. In Arabic, the name means “abode/home of peace”.
20. Stone Town of Zanzibar used to be a principal trading town and was heavily influenced by Arab, Indian, and European cultures which are reflected in its architecture, port and townscape. The UNESCO-listed site was also one of the main slave-trading ports in East Africa.
21. The capital city, Dodoma, means “it has sunk” in the native Gogo language. Legend has it, an elephant once drowned in the area during the rainy season and locals were so shocked by the event that ever since it’s been known as the place “it (the elephant) sunk.
22. The highest altitude pizza delivery on land took place in Tanzania. In 2016, a pizza was delivered to the summit of Kilimanjaro. It took four days to deliver the pizza from a new restaurant to the top of the highest mountain in Africa.
23. Ugali is the Tanzanian national dish. Made from cassava or maize flour, the staple dish is usually served with a sauce containing meat, fish, beans or greens.
24. The shortest war in history was fought in Tanzania. In 1896, the 40-minute Anglo-Zanzibar War was fought between the British Empire and the Sultanate of Zanzibar.
25. Around 43.7% of Tanzania’s total land area is protected. However, much of the wildlife resides outside existing protected areas, putting its survival at risk.
26. Some of the world’s most expensive timber comes from Tanzania. The under-threat species of mpingo tree (Dalbergia melanoxylon) is a dark, dense wood used widely in musical instruments such as clarinets, oboes and bagpipes.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. A teacher for seven years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.