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| Karibu Tanzania | ||
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Tanzania sits on the coast of the Indian ocean and the capital, Dar es Salaam, means "Haven of Peace". From Mt. Kilimanjaro, to the Selous game park, to the spice island of Zanzibar, from Tanzania's reputation as a safe haven for refugees and a long time activist in Pan-African causes, Tanzania is a country which boasts a rich history and culture and is undeniably one of the continent's richest assets. One of the things which sets Tanzania apart from other countries in Africa is the language. Though there are several ethnic groups in the country, all with their own language, Swahili is spoken all over the country. This has served as a unifying factor for Tanzanians, making their sense of national unity stronger than any ethnic divisions. 
When most people think of Tanzania, or Africa in general, they think of animals, bush, and people living in huts. Well, Africa is all of that. You have the major metropolitan cities of Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Harare, Abidjan, Dakar, and Conakry. You also have the bush, and people and animals that coexist in those areas. That's the wonderful thing about Africa, its diversity. The above picture is of the Maasai, who live in northern Tanzania and southern Kenya. 
Gia in front of one of the classroom buildings at the University of Dar es Salaam. Gia is straight out of NYC. She was one of my roommate's the year I spent in Tanzania. While in Tanzania Gia converted to Islam and founded Gia-Rae Clothing, which takes traditional African material and turns them into contemporary and urban designs. The University of Dar es Salaam has produced some of the most controversial and dynamic leaders in Africa, including President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and John Garang of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). This university was once a hub of political activities in the area.
Damian and Karl in downtown Dar es Salaam Background Info: Population: 31,270,820 Languages: Swahili is a Bantu language and is a mix of African languages and Arabic. Swahili is spoken all over Tanzania, as well as Kenya, parts of Ugangda, the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi. There are also over 120 ethnic groups each with their own language. Ethnicity: The over 120 ethnic groups make up 99% of the population with no one group having a significant parcentage of that 99%. There is also a large Indian and Arab population that is a result of trade (including the Arab slave trade) and British colonialism. My family comes from the South, Mbeya, near the Malawi border. They are Ndali, which is one of the smaller groups, but which is closely related to the larger Nyakusa, who also live in the region. There are large mountains in the area, and Mbeya town is nestled in them, making the region beautiful, but chilly. Religion: The country is about 40% Muslim, 40% Christian, and 20% other The region's history goes back to the beginnings of civilization with the finding of the remains of some of the oldest inhabitants of earth in the Olduvai Gorge. More recently area was one of the trading centers between East Africa and the Middle East. The area was also a port for the Arab slave trade. After the coming of the Europeans the region became a German colony (under the name Tanganyika), and then later, a British protectorate. Tanganyika became independent on Dec. 9, 1961; Zanzibar on Dec. 10, 1963 and on April 26, 1964, the two nations merged into the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The name was changed to Tanzania six months later. 
The woman in the picture is wearing a kanga. They are used for EVERYTHING. To wrap around your cloths, as aprons, to sit on, by muslim women (such as this one), as towels, to make cloths, to wrap babies, etc.
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To have your web page or any other web page listed send me an email at the address on my home page Other Tanzanian home pages: 
Mwalimu Nyerere not only helped bring Tanzania to independence in 1961, he governed as president from independence until he became the first African president to voluntarily resign in 1985. Born in 1922 Nyerere was a socialist and a Pan-Africanist. During his career he was one of the original signatories of the Charter for the Organization of African Unity (OAU), he successfully promoted national unity in Tanzania, and he was also influential in peace and liberation efforts in apartheid South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, and other parts of Southern Africa, as well as Nigeria, Burundi and Rwanda. As an outspoken advocate of African issues he gained the respect of not only his peers and the nation, but the entire world. 
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