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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 the 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 together with 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
dik, klipspringer, Grant & Thomson gazelle, topis, hartebeest,
cheetahs, serval cats, spring hare and many other species. As
for birdlife, Tanzania is a jewel for the ornithologist. Professionals
and amateurs 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. |
