Tanzania

I

Introduction

Tanzania, officially United Republic of Tanzania, republic, south-eastern Africa, bordered on the north by Lake Victoria and Uganda, on the north-east by Kenya, on the east by the Indian Ocean, on the south by Mozambique, Lake Malawi, and Malawi, on the south-west by Zambia, and on the west by Lake Tanganyika, Burundi, and Rwanda. The country includes the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, and other offshore islands in the Indian Ocean. The total area of Tanzania is 945,100 sq km (364,900 sq mi), of which 942,453 sq km (363,882 sq mi) is on the mainland. The capital of Tanzania is Dodoma, located in the centre of the country and the place where the National Assembly meets. The former capital of the country was Dar es Salaam, located on the coast.

II

Land and Resources

The landscape of mainland Tanzania is generally flat and low along the coast, but a plateau at an average altitude of about 1,220 m (4,000 ft) constitutes the greater part of the country. Isolated mountain groups rise in the north-east and south-west. The volcanic Mount Kilimanjaro (5,892 m/19,330 ft), the highest mountain in Africa, is situated near the north-eastern border with Kenya.

Zanzibar, separated from the coast of the mainland by a channel some 32 km (20 mi) wide, is about 90 km (55 mi) long, and covers an area of approximately 1,650 sq km (637 sq mi). It is the largest coral island off the coast of Africa. Pemba, some 40 km (25 mi) north-west of Zanzibar, is about 68 km (42 mi) long, and has an area of approximately 984 sq km (380 sq mi). Both Zanzibar and Pemba are mostly low-lying.

A

Rivers and Lakes

Three of the great lakes of Africa lie on the borders of Tanzania and partially within it. Lake Tanganyika lies on the western border, Lake Victoria on the north-west, and Lake Malawi on the south-west. Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika lie in the Rift Valley, a tremendous geological fault system extending from the Middle East to Mozambique.

B

Climate

Tanzania’s climate is varied and controlled largely by altitude and distance from the sea. On the coastal plain of mainland Tanzania, the climate is tropical, being hot and humid. Temperatures average 26.7° C (80° F) and rainfall varies from 1,016 to 1,930 mm (40 to 76 in). The inland plateau is hot and dry, with rainfall averaging from 508 to 762 mm (20 to 30 in). The semi-temperate highlands in the south-west are wetter.

The climate on the islands is generally tropical, but the heat is tempered by a sea breeze throughout the year. The annual maximum and minimum mean temperatures for the city of Zanzibar are 29.2° C (84.5° F) and 24.7° C (76.5° F) respectively; for Wete in Pemba, they are 30.3° C (86.5° F) and 24.5° C (76.1° F) respectively.