20 MOST INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TANZANIA

When you decide to go for a Safari country you will have to consider some incredibly facts and attractions that will make your safari a life experience.  How about these facts;-

1. 1.      At 947,300 square kilometres (365,800 sq mi), over four times the size of Great Britain, Tanzania is the largest country in Eastern Africa. It is the world's 31st-largest country and the 13th largest in Africa.

1. 2.      About a third of the country's total area is protected areas covers 28% of the total land area (94.8 million ha), 1% is Ngorongoro Conservation, 14% is Game Reserves, 8% is Game Controlled areas. Other areas includes Marine Park, Forest Reserve and the like.

1. 3.      The word Tanzania is derived from the two nations of Tanganyika and Zanzibar which before 1964 were seperate. Tanganyika in Kiswahili, the local dialect (Swahili) is translated to mean "sail in the wilderness" and Zanzibar is derived from the Arabic words "Zayn Z'al Barr" which mean "fair is this land".

1. 4.      Serengeti translates from Masai as 'endless plains' or 'an extended area', one of the most famous park in the world where only here you can witness the Nature Greatest Show on Earth- the Great Wildebeest Migration

1. 5.      The remains of the earliest humans, including the legendary 2 million year old Homo habilis were found in the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. Olduvai Gorge was designated part of a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. Although Olduvai Gorge has often been called the “Cradle of Mankind,” a different World Heritage site called the “Cradle of Humankind” is located in South Africa.

1. 6.       At 264 square kilometres and 610 metres deep, the extinct Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken caldera in the world. The Crater is a microcosm of Tanzania's safari scenery, big game viewing and the world famous flamingos in Ngorongoro

1. 7.      Tanzania is home to over 120 different tribal groups

1. 8.       Lake Manyara National Park is home to the unique tree- climbing lions. These lions climb to the uppermost portions of the enormous Acacia trees in the area, and spend their days languishing on the branches which are some seven or eight meters above the ground.

1. 9.      At 5895 metres (19,341 feet) tall, Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world (rather than being part of a mountain range).

1. 10.  The Amani Nature Reserve in eastern Tanzania is said to be the only location on earth where African Violets in fact grow wild.

1. 11.  Tanzania is approximately 3 hours ahead of GMT which means that the time in Dar es Salem is 7 hours ahead of New York and 2 hours ahead of London.

1. 12.  The Manta Resort in the Pemba Island is the only and first resort in Africa with underwater rooms

1. 13.  Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is the second largest of the lakes of eastern Africa. It is the longest freshwater lake in the world (410 miles [660 km]) and the second deepest (4,710 feet [1,436 metres]) after Lake Baikal in Russia. Comparatively narrow, varying in width from 10 to 45 miles (16 to 72 km), it covers about 12,700 square miles (32,900 square km) and forms the boundary between Tanzania and Congo (Kinshasa).

1. 14.  With a surface area of 68,800 square kilometres (26,600 sq mi), Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest lake by area, and it is the largest tropical lake in the world. Lake Victoria is the world's 2nd largest freshwater lake by surface area; only Lake Superior in North America is larger. In terms of its volume, Lake Victoria is the world's ninth largest continental lake, and it contains about 2,750 cubic kilometers (2.2 billion acre-feet) of water.

1. 15.  Covering almost 50,000 square km, an area greater than Switzerland, the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania is one of the largest areas set aside for wildlife preservation anywhere in the world.

1. 16.  The town of Bagamoyo is the oldest town in Tanzania, founded by the end of the 18th century. It was the original capital of German East Africa and one of the most important trading ports along the East African coast. Today, the town has circa 30,000 inhabitants and is the capital of the District of Bagamoyo, recently being designated as a World Heritage Site.

1. 17.  Zanzibar International Film Festival is the one of the most famous events to occur in Zanzibar. It is thought to be the largest cultural event in East Africa, giving out 12 international awards presented by 5 international juries, and has a major impact on Zanzibar’s economy.

1. 18.  As well as tourism and raffia (used for textiles, ropes, roof coverings etc) Zanzibar’s economy is dependent on the islands spices. In fact many know Zanzibar as The Spice Islands due to their production of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper.

1. 19.  Mafia Island and its chain of small islets in southern Tanzania, offshore from the eastern extent of the Rufiji River, one of the largest delta systems in Africa. Mafia Island is the site of Tanzania's first marine park, Mafia Island Marine Park (MIMP), which was established in 1995.

1. 20.  Ol doinyo Lengai(pronounced ol doyn-yo len-guy) is an active volcano in the Eastern Rift Valley, and it is home to the Masai God Eng'ai, who signals her wrath with eruptions and drought. The name means 'Mountain of God' in the language of the Masai people who inhabit this area. Ol doinyo Lengai is a unique and extremely fascinating volcano that towers above the East African Rift Valley in Northern Tanzania.

                TANZANIA- THE BEST SAFARI COUNTRY OF AFRICA