Tanzania

Tanzania is the revered promised land at the end of the Great Rift Valley; a colossal cut-out of
East Africa that’s really not like anywhere else in the region. It ranges from the powder-sand
beaches of glimmering white on the Zanzibar Archipelago to the cloud-beating, snow-topped
summits of monstrous Mount Kilimanjaro in the north.

Unguja

Once trodden by sultans and British imperialists, the capital of Stone Town here bursts with
coral-stone forts, Persian palaces, and European frontispieces.And then there are the beaches,
from seaweed spattered Kendwa to whiter-than white Nungwi and its salt-washed bungalows
on the shore HeY this little isle in the Indian Ocean really did earn its place as the byword for
tropical perfection.

Mount Kilimanjaro National Park

A reserve that surely needs no introduction, the exotic reaches of the Mount Kilimanjaro
National Park have been a symbol of Africa’s rich biodiversity and eye-popping backcountry
since they were first inaugurated by the German colonists back in the 1920s.Today, they
magnetise backpackers and intrepid walkers, who flock to strap on the hiking boots and scale
the summit of Africa’s highest peak.There are oodles of options for those eager to get to the top
of Mount Kilimanjaro, ranging from the easy-going Marangu trek to the panoramic Machame
route.On top of that there’s game viewing to boot, with creatures like the hardy tree hyrax,
colobus monkeys and elephants all roaming the wilds.

Ruaha National Park

Sprawled out over an area almost exactly the size of Wales, the Ruaha National Park has
expanded and expanded over the years to become the single largest game reserve in the entire
of East Africa.Today, it ranges more than 20,000 square kilometers over baobab forests, gallery
woods and acacia-dotted plains.And despite its size, Ruaha’s relative inaccessibility ensures
there are no booming crowds of safari-goers here.Instead, the game experience is up-close-and-
personal, with cheetahs and leopards and wild dogs all part of the action.You can also expect a
large elephant population, with estimated numbers putting the population at over 100,000
individuals.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is nothing short of legendary on the safari circuit of East
Africa.A huge dustbowl of savannah and fig tree forests, undulating hills of mud-caked plains
and dramatic cliffs, it’s delineated by the colossal caldera of an ancient volcano – the largest of
its kind on the planet, in fact.Hidden behind the serrated peaks that make the great crater, the
wildlife here has been able to thrive and survive like nowhere else on the continent.You’ll find
rare crater lions and black rhinoceroses, blue wildebeest and the endemic Tanzanian cheetahs,
all of which roam the lost hinterland between the peaks.

Stone Town

Okay, so historic Stone Town has already had a mention along with picture-perfect tropical
Unguja, the Zanzibar island where it makes its home.But this fascinating place is worthy of a
listing in its own right too.After all, there’s really nothing that can live up to its immersive
patchwork of Omani forts and arabesque houses, the richly-adorned House of Wonders (once
trodden by sultans) and Persian hammams left over from the Arabs.There’s also an Anglican
church that sticks out like sore thumb, and a palpability to the Swahili culture here that’s not on
offer elsewhere in Tanzania.

Selous Game Reserve

UNESCO-attested and hailed by loyal safari-goers the world over, the Selous Game Reserve is a
real monster of an area.It encompasses no less than 54,000 square kilometers in the heart of
south-eastern Tanzania, and boasts a biodiversity to match.There are hippos in the ox-bow
lakes, swaying baobab trees, wandering elephants at the mud fords, marauding wild dogs, and
Cape buffalos to name just a few of the eye-catching fauna.Come and explore this vast
hinterland of miombo woodland and seasonal floodplains along the Rufiji River, and you’re in
for a true experience of the African wilds.
Kigoma

Kigoma is beset by the deep blue waters of Lake Tanganyika, which encompasses the town on
three sides.Boats bob around its timber jetties, while larger ships graze against the shores here
too.In fact, the town represents one of the major ports on the water, and vessels still ferry
passengers all the way from Kigoma to Zambia during the week.The town is known for its ease-
of-access to the chimp-dotted forests of the Gombe National Park, the trekking trails of the
Mahale Mountains, and for the sandy beaches and lapping waters that make it a great place to
kick-back and relax inland.

Tarangire National Park

The mixture of scrawny acacia boughs and the colossal outlines of baobab trees make the
landscapes of Tarangire National Park ones to remember.They sit on the edge of the northern
Crater Highlands of the country, close to Ngorongoro and the sprawling city of
Arusha.Crisscrossed by countless herds of wildebeest and zebra, impala and bucks, the area
makes for fine game viewing.However, there are two more treats awaiting in the backcountry
here worth of remark: the otherworldly termite mounds that pepper the plains, and the large
population of wild elephants that can often be seen roaming.

Religious Beliefs In Tanzania

Tanzania is an East African nation with an estimated population of 51.8 million people. The
country has two major religious groups, namely Christians and Muslims. Christianity is the
predominant religion with more than half of the Tanzanian population identifying as Christians.
Tanzanians generally identify as either Christian or Muslim, though many of these still practice
folk beliefs as well. Minority groups such as Traditional Africanist, Buddhist, and Hindus are also
present in the country.

Roman Catholic Christianity

Roman Catholics make up 31.3% of the Tanzanian population. The first Catholic evangelists in
Tanzania were Portuguese missionaries who arrived along with Vasco Da Gama in 1499. They
did not succeed in their mission due to the Arab conquest in the 17th Century. The second
Catholic evangelists arrived in the 19th Century led by the Holy Ghost Fathers, the Benedictine
Monks, and the White Fathers. They trained locals to be catechists who helped in the efforts to
evangelize. The missionaries played a significant role in the development of Tanzania by building
numerous schools and hospitals.

Protestant Christianity

Tanzanian Protestants are estimated to comprise 27% of the population. Most Protestant
missionaries arrived in the 19th Century along with the Catholic missionaries. Some of the
missionaries were the Augustana Lutheran Mission, Seventh-Day Adventists, and the Moravian
Mission. During the colonial era, the Protestant missionaries were involved in fierce competition
with Catholic missionaries in evangelizing the locals. The competition was so bad that the
colonial government assigned different areas for the different missionary groups. Nonetheless,
Protestant missionaries brought development to Tanzania by building schools, hospitals, and
social halls. Today, the main Protestant groups in Tanzania include Lutherans, Moravians,
Anglicans, Pentecostals, and Adventists.

Islam

Islam is also a major religious belief system in Tanzania, with 35.1% of the population following
Islam. In fact, 99% of residents of Zanzibar Island in Tanzania identify as Muslims. Islam was
introduced in Tanzania by Arab traders who settled as traders in Zanzibar in the 13th Century.
When the Arab Muslims encountered Christian missionaries in the 15th Century, they clashed
and drove out the Christian missionaries from Tanzania.The second encounter between Arab
Muslims and Christian missionaries in the 19th Century was equally hostile. The reason for
hostility was that the missionaries campaigned against slavery which was primary business of
the Arabs. Eventually, the slave trade was abolished. In modern day, the relationship between
Muslims and Christians is not hostile. Islam is mainly practiced in coastal areas and the islands
of Zanzibar and Pemba. The Islam sects in the country include the suni (14.4%), shia (7%), sufi
(1.4%), Ahmadiyya Islam (5.6%), and non- denominational Islam (7.0%)
Indigenous Spirituality

Indigenous Spirituality followers are a minority group with only 1.8% of the population. These
people believe in a supreme being just as the Christians and Muslims do. However, they engage
in ancestor worship in contrast to the Christians and Muslims. They seek the help of traditional
healers and diviners in times of sickness and calamities.

Religious Diversity and Cooperation

The Tanzanian constitution provides for the freedom of religion. This provision has enabled
different religious groups to coexist peacefully. Religious holidays such as Christmas, Easter, Idd-
ul-Fitr, and Prophet Mohammed's birthday are all given equal emphasis in Tanzania.The
different religious groups in Tanzania played a key role in shaping the Tanzanian society. The
Arab Muslims brought Islam and introduced the Swahili language, the official language in
Tanzania. Christian missionaries developed the nation by providing education and healthcare to
the residents. The Indigenous Spirituality people have helped in preserving Tanzanian traditions.
In the country there are also people who do not identify with any religion constituting 1.7% of
the total population in the country.