Quick Tanzania Facts

So I've decided to tell you all a little bit about Tanzania. Mainly because I was looking it up out of interest, but I think other people will enjoy knowing about the country in which I will live for the next 27 months.

Tanzania recieved independence from Great Britain in the early 1960's and in 1964 Tanganyika merged with Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania). The capital of Tanzania is Dar es Salaam (Swahili translation: City of Peace). Jakaya Kikwete is the president, and has been since 2005. Election is Tanzania are held every five years, and presidents can be elected for up to two terms.



This is the flag of Tanzania. The green stripe represents the natural vegetation in Tanzania, the yellow stripes represent the rich mineral deposits, the black stripe represents the native kiswahili culture, and the blue represents the Indian Ocean.

Tanzania is in eastern Africa. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean, Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia (as well as a few other countries). It is the 38th largest country in the world with a total area of 947,300 sq kilometers (about twice the size of California). The USA is the 9th largest with 9,826,675 sq kilometers. Tanzania is the home of Mt.Kilamanjaro - the highest point in all of Africa, Lake Victoria (the 2nd largest freshwater lake in the world), and Lake Tangyika (the second deepest freshwater lake in the world).



The two official languages in Tanzania are Swahili (of Kiswahili) and English. On the mainland, 30% of people are Christians, 35% Muslim, and 35% with indigenous beliefs. A 2007, CIA survey estimates that about 6.2% of adults are living with HIV/AIDS. This is the 12th highest percentage in the world. America is the 68th ranked at 0.6%.

The climate in Tanzania varies considerably depending on which part of the country you are in. Temperatures can range anywhere between 10 C (around 20 degrees Farenheit) in the northern highlands between June and October to somewhere in the low 30's C (about 90 Farenheit) on the coast between December and March (Ohhh this should be fun to pack for!) There are two rainy seasons from March to May and from November to December.



Sources:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tz.html
http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Tanzania-CLIMATE.html
http://www.africatravelguide.com/tanzania-climate-geography
http://tanzaniatouristboard.com/about_tanzania/weather_and_climate

So that's it. 10 Days. I am READY TO GO!