TANZANIA IN BRIEF

Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania is the country that was formed by the union of Tanganyika (current referred as Tanzania Mainland) and Zanzibar (Unguja and Pemba) in 1964. It is located in East Africa, bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north; Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern border lies on the Indian Ocean. The official capital of Tanzania is Dodoma, where the country's parliament and some government offices are located. Dar es Salaam, the major seaport for the country and its landlocked neighbors, is the country’s principal commercial city and de facto seat of most government institutions. Tanzania is divided into thirty administrative regions, twenty-five in the mainland and five in Zanzibar (three in Unguja, two in Pemba).

Of the five East African countries (i.e. Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania), Tanzania is the biggest by area. The country has a spectacular landscape of mainly three physiographic regions namely the Islands and the coastal plains to the east; the inland saucer-shaped plateau; and the highlands.

The Great Rift Valley that runs from north east of Africa through central Tanzania is another landmark that adds to the scenic view of the country. The rift valley runs to south of Tanzania splitting at Lake Nyasa; one branch runs down beyond Lake Nyasa to Mozambique; and another branch to north-west alongside Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and western part of Uganda. The valley is dotted with unique lakes which include Lakes Rukwa, Tanganyika, Nyasa, Kitangiri, Eyasi and Manyara. The uplands include the famous Kipengere, Udzungwa, Matogoro, Livingstone, and the Fipa plateau forming the southern highlands. The Usambara, Pare, Meru, Kilimanjaro, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Oldonyo Lengai, all form the northern highlands.