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Tanzania
GeographyTanzania is located in Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique covering 364,898 sq miles (945,087 sq km). Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa, bordered by three of the largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa in the southwest. Climate in Tanzania varies from tropical along the coast to temperate in the highlands. Population37,187,939 Native African 99% (of which 95% are Bantu consisting of more than 130 tribes), other 1% (consisting of Asian, European, and Arab) LanguagesKiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguju (name for Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in Zanzibar), many local languages note: Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety of sources, including Arabic and English, and it has become the lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of most people is one of the local languages CapitalDar es Salaam Political StatusShortly after independence, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule came to an end in 1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s. Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and popular opposition have led to two contentious elections since 1995, which the ruling party won despite international observers' claims of voting irregularities. ReligionMainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 35% Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim |
Within Africa
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