Tanzania
has been home, haven, and stopover to
countless people of many different
origins. Her history has been influenced
by a procession of people from the
original Bantu settlers from South and
West Africa to the Arabs from Shiraz in
Persia and the Oman, from the Portuguese
to the Germans and the British.
Tanzania
was still known as Tanganyika when she
achieved her independence in 1961. When
Zanzibar became independent in 1964, the
two countries united as the United
Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. In
late 1964 they renamed their country the
United Republic of Tanzania.
Tanzania
offers some of the greatest wildlife
viewing on earth amidst a dramatic
setting of snowy peaks, volcanic craters
and the Maasai steppe of endless plains.
Unfenced and untamed, the animals roam
free across the vast grasslands, and
hordes of wildebeest and Zebra migrate
annually followed by a host of
predators. Few countries in the world
can compare to Tanzania in natural
beauty and cultural diversity. Tanzania
offers an incredible array of wildlife
and unique cultures in a spectacular
setting.
The
Northern safari
circuit, which is the most
popular area for first time visitors,
includes: The snow capped Mt.
Kilimanjaro - the highest mountain in
Africa; Arusha National Park of Momella
lakes, Ngurdoto crater and Mount
Meru; Tarangire National Parks famous
for its dramatic baobab trees; Lake
Manyara National Park with its tree
climbing lions and flamingos and water
birds at its lake shores; the
incomparable Ngorongoro crater, a
natural 20 km amphitheatre; and the
mighty Serengeti, teeming with 3.5
million animals and famous for its
dramatic annual migration of wildebeest.
All of the
National Parks and Reserves abound with
plains animals, bird life, and local
tribal history. Here you find elephants,
rhinos, lions, leopards, buffalo,
elands, orix, impalas, hyenas, jackals,
foxes, crocodiles, kudus, waterbucks,
bushbucks, dik diks, klipspringers, Grant
& Thomson gazelles, topis, hartebeest,
cheetahs, serval cats, spring hares and
many other species. As for birdlife,
Tanzania is a jewel for the
ornithologist. Professionals and
amateurs alike will find water birds, bird's
of prey, forest species, and plains
species. Over 1040 species of birds have
been sighted in Tanzania.
The
Tanzanian climate is tropical. The
central plateau is dry and arid with hot
days and cool nights, while the
north-west highlands are cool and
temperate. June to September is the
cooler season. The long rains are from
March to May and the short rains are
between October and December. The
hottest months are between October and
February. On the coast it rains in
November and December and from March to
May. Coastal areas are hot throughout
the year.
