Most African countries were colonised by the Europeans. All of them are now independent and on December 9, 1961, Tanzania, a country on the east coast of Africa, gained independence from its British colonisers. It became a republic a year later and in 1964 it joined Zanzibar to become what is now known as Tanzania.
This week we’re celebrating Tanzania’s upcoming Independence Day (Wednesday 9th December) by bringing you some highlights on this east African nation.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Julius Nyerere - first Prime Minister and later president of Tanzania (1961 -1985). An anti-colonial activist and widely regarded as the founding father of Tanzania.
Swahili - one of Tanzania’s two national languages (the other is English). Swahili is also the most widely spoken language on the African continent with over 100 million speakers - if you’ve seen the Lion King you’ve heard a fair bit of swahili. Simba = lion 🦁
Leveling Up - Tanzania was 1 of 7 countries that moved up to the status of lower-middle-income in 2020!
Mount Kilimanjaro - the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free standing mountain in the world. Oh, and it’s also a dormant volcano 🌋
Gold - main export and like we said before, the land is rich. Always has been!
Tanzanite - the country has its very own gem (named by Tiffany & Co) and it’s also part of the trio of December birthstones.
Tourism - experience your dream safari at the Serengeti National Park or enjoy a 5-star beach resort getaway in Zanzibar.
Ngorongoro Crater - a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, the world's largest intact volcanic caldera and home to the highest density of big game in Africa. It’s often referred to as ‘Africa’s Garden of Eden’ due to its dazzling beauty and being a paradise for animals.
We hope you learned a few new fun facts about Tanzania. It feels great to celebrate the good stuff!
