History : Tanzania Tourism & Travel Guide

The Sundawe woman

History: A German colony from the 1880s, Tanzania was colonized by the British from 1919-1961. Julius Nyerere became Minister of British-administered Tanganyika in 1960 and continued till its independence in 1961. Tanganyika and Zanzibar were merged in 1963 to form a single country-Tanzania. It adopted a socialist economy but failed to establish economic stability. It declared a war on Uganda in 1979, when it tried to invade parts of northern Tanzania. This war forced the ousting of the notorious Idi Amin.
 

Geography: Tanzania is mountainous in the north-east, where Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, is situated. To the north and west are the Great Lakes of Lake Victoria (Africa's largest lake) and Lake Tanganyika. Central Tanzania comprises a large plateau, with plains and arable land. The eastern shore is hot and humid, with the island of Zanzibar lying just offshore. Tanzania contains many large and ecologically significant wildlife parks, including the famous Serengeti National Park in the north.