The United Republic of Tanzania is the largest country of East Africa. To its East lies the Indian Ocean. The Northern boundaries of the country are surrounded by Kenya and Uganda. Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique form its southern boundaries. To its west lies the country of Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda. Tanzania was formed in 1964 due to the amalgamation of the two sovereign countries of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
The country derives its name from the main land region of Tanganyika and the island region of Zanzibar. Geography of Tanzania is indeed unique. It consists of few of the most varied landscapes on the face of the Earth.
Tanzania possesses three of the “Great Lakes of Africa”. The Victoria Lake lies to the north of the country, the Tanganyika Lake lies to its west and the Nysya Lake lies in the southern region of Tanzania. Tanzania also has the highest point of Africa, in the form of Mount Kilimanjaro. In spite of being within a desert, its peaks remains snow capped throughout the year, because of its high altitude. The north eastern part of Tanzania is mountainous. Besides Kilimanjaro it houses another important mountain peak named, Mount Meru. Both these mountains are active volcanoes.
The western part of Tanzania consists of the famous Serengeti national Park. The annual migration of millions of wildebeests makes the Serengeti National Park so very famous. Tanzania has the largest density of wild animals in the world. The Serengeti National Parks is rich in wildlife and contains animals like, Lions, Leopards, Rhinoceros and Buffaloes, besides Wildebeests.
Tanzania is a country which has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Several evidences of Prehistoric life can be found strewn across the area near the Olduvai gorge, near the Serengeti national Park. Remains of artifacts and hominid fossils can also be found in the Kalambo Falls region, bordering Zambia.
Central Tanzania consists of a large plateau. To the southern side of the country lie the grasslands and the National Parks of Tanzania. The present capital of Tanzania, Dodoma, lies here. The Eastern coast of Tanzania has a maritime climate. The island of Zanzibar lies to the east of the mainland and is separated from it by a 22 meter long channel. Pemba is another island lying to the north of Zanzibar, which is also a part of Tanzania.
The climate of Tanzania varies from hot and humid in the coastal regions to mild temperate in the plateau regions. Tanzania has been divided into twenty five regions, twenty of which lies on the mainland. Three of its regions lies in the island of Zanzibar while the other two on the island of Pemba.
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