Tanzania

Tanzania is a country in East Africa in the African Great Lakes region. Borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; The Comoros and the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi in the south; Zambia to the southwest; and Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa, is located in northeastern Tanzania.

Many important hominid fossils have been found in Tanzania, such as 6 million years old Pliocene hominid fossils. The genus Australopithecus spread throughout Africa 4–2 million years ago; and the oldest remains of the genus Homo are found near Lake Olduvai. After the emergence of Homo erectus 1.8 million years ago, humanity spread throughout the Old World, and then in the New World and Australia under the guise of Homo sapiens. H. sapiens also overtook Africa and absorbed the more ancient archaic species and subspecies of humanity.

Later, in the Stone and Bronze Age, prehistoric migrations to Tanzania included southern Kushite speakers who migrated south from present day Ethiopia; Eastern Kushites, who migrated to Tanzania from the north of Lake Turkana about 2000-4000 years ago; and the southern Nilots, including the datogi, which originated from the present border region of South Sudan and Ethiopia between 2900 and 2400 years ago. These movements occurred at about the same time as the West African Mashariki Bantu settlement in the Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika regions. They subsequently migrated across the rest of Tanzania between 2,300 and 1,700 years ago.

German rule began on mainland Tanzania in the late 19th century when Germany formed German East Africa. This was followed by British rule after World War I. The mainland was ruled as Tanganyika, and the Zanzibar archipelago remained a separate colonial jurisdiction. After obtaining the respective independence in 1961 and 1963, the two entities merged in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. The countries joined the British Commonwealth in 1961, and Tanzania is still a member of the Commonwealth as one republic.

The United Nations estimates that Tanzania has a population of 56.31 million, slightly less than South Africa, making it the second most populous country entirely south of the equator. The population consists of about 120 ethnic, linguistic and religious groups. The sovereign state of Tanzania is a presidential constitutional republic, and since 1996 its official capital is Dodoma, where the president's office, the National Assembly and all government ministries are located. Dar es Salaam, the former capital, retains most of the government offices and is the country's largest city, main port and leading trade center. Tanzania is a de facto one-party state ruled by the Chama Cha Mapinduzi Democratic Socialist Party.

Tanzania is a mountainous area with dense forests in the northeast where Mount Kilimanjaro is located. The three Great Lakes of Africa are partly located in Tanzania. To the north and west are Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake, and Lake Tanganyika, the continent's deepest lake, famous for its unique fish species. To the south is Lake Malawi. It is hot and humid on the eastern coast; the Zanzibar archipelago is located very close to the coast. Menai Bay Nature Reserve is the largest marine protected area in Zanzibar. Kalambo Falls, located on the Kalambo River on the border with Zambia, is the second highest continuous waterfall in Africa.

Christianity is the most widespread religion in Tanzania, but there are also significant Muslim and animist minorities. More than 100 different languages ​​are spoken in Tanzania, making it the most linguistically diverse country in East Africa. There is no official de jure language in the country, although the national language is Swahili. Swahili is used in parliamentary debates, in lower courts and as a teaching medium in primary schools. English is used in foreign trade, diplomacy, in higher courts and as a medium of instruction in secondary and higher education; Although the Tanzanian government plans to end the use of English as the primary language of instruction, it will be available as an optional course. Approximately 10 percent of Tanzanians speak Swahili as their first language, and up to 90 percent speak it as a second language.