Tanzania is an East African country located south of the equator and much known for its vast wilderness. Dodoma is its capital and was formed as a sovereign state in 1964 through the union of the theretofore separate states of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Though not the capital, Dar-es-Salaam is the largest city and port in the country.

Tanzania is gifted with the plains of Serengeti National Park, a safari mecca populated by the “big five” mammals; elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhino, and Kilimanjaro National Park, which is a home to Africa’s highest mountain (mountain Kilimanjaro).

Tanzania is boarded by Uganda, Lake Victoria, and Kenya to the north, by the Indian Ocean to the east, by Mozambique, Lake Nyasa, Malawi, and Zambia to the south and southwest, and by Lake Tanganyika, Burundi, and Rwanda to the west.

Tanzania is historically a low populated country with human settlement which makes it a better home for wildlife like; Large herds of hoofed animals known as wildebeests, zebras, giraffes, buffalo, gazelles, elands, dik-diks, kudu, rhinoceroses, elephants and chimpanzees . Its parks has Predators like hyenas, wild dogs, and the big cats; lions, leopards, and cheetahs, Crocodiles and hippopotamuses are commonly found on riverbanks and lakeshores. There are numerous bird species that nearly amount to 1,500 varieties and a good number of snakes and lizards.

The country is blessed with conservation areas, and national parks, that include: Serengeti National Park, the Selous Game Reserve, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Kilimanjaro National Park.

Ethnicity and languages in Tanzania.

Tanzania’s population includes the sukuma of the north, Nyamwezi in the west-central region, the Hehe in the south, the haya in the northwest corner, the Chaga of the Kilimanjaro region and the Makonde in the southeast are Bantu. The Nilotics group is represented by the Maasai, Baraguyu, Arusha and the Samburu.

The Ismāʿīlīs, the Bohras, the Sikhs, the Punjabis, and the Goans represent the Asian and European minorities that settled in the up-country during colonial rule.

Tanzania has two official languages, Swahili (Kiswahili) and English. Swahili, the national language, and almost all the people in the country can speak it. It is used as a medium of instruction in the first seven classes of primary education. It has been promoted broadly in the country through poetry, drama and literature. English is used as the language of education at higher levels of education and government offices. Still, each ethnic group has its language that it uses.

Religion

The biggest number of people in Tanzania are Muslims though; there are some good numbers of Christians. Tanzania: Religious affiliation

The arts of Tanzania

Oral storytelling traditions and tribal dancing are an important part of the cultural life of the rural population. The University of Dar es Salaam has an active theatre arts group. Makonde carvers from southern Tanzania are renowned for their abstract ebony carvings, and Zanzibar is famous for its elaborately carved doors and Arab chests. Basket weaving, pottery, and musical instrument making are prevalent in many rural areas.

Throughout the 20th century, traditional musical themes and sounds were coupled with a variety of influences to produce popular music. In the 1930s music exhibiting Cuban elements was popular; in the 1960s Congolese music, with its distinctive guitar sound and blend of Cuban and African rhythms, was favoured. In the early 21st century rap and reggae emerged as choice musical genres, and mchiriku, a techno-style sound influenced by traditional rhythms, also became popular.