Tanzania Overview

The United Republic of Tanzania is located in the middle-eastern region of Africa. Tanzania, which has a coast to the Indian Ocean in its east; Kenya, Uganda in the north; Rwanda, Burundi, Congo in the west; It borders Zambia, Malawi, Congo to the south and Mozambique to the west. Since 1996, Dodoma, the capital of the country, has been hosting official structures, especially the parliament. But from the date of independence until 1996, Dar es Salaam, the eastern coastal metropolis, was the capital of the country. Today, although Dar es Salaam hosts many administrative buildings and official institutions, it continues to be only a commercial city.

A Brief History of Tanzania

Tanzania is known as the cradle of humanity, the first known human fossils have been found in the Olduvai Strait area. Leota footprints, the first human footprints, are also found in Tanzania. The first known human hunter-gatherer traces were also found in Tanzania. In recent ages, the effects of Persians and Arabs are observed in the establishment of the first cities. After Vazcı de Gama set foot on the east African coast in 1498, the Portuguese colonial period began in 1525. Until the 18th century, Portuguese colonial influence ended with the arrival of the Arabs in Oman, but after the 1880s it became a German colony until 1919. Tanzania, which lived in the British period between 1919 and 1961, gained its current political position on April 26, 1961.

Geography in Tanzania

Tanzania, with an area of ​​945,087 square kilometers, is the thirty-first country in the world with the largest lands. The northeastern part of the country is generally mountainous and includes Kilimanjaro Mountain, which is the highest point in Africa. There is a chain of lakes in the north and west. These include Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, and Tanganikayer, the deepest lake on the continent. Lake Tanganyika, in particular, is famous for its diverse unique fish species. The middle belt of the country consists of fields and plateaus suitable for agriculture. The eastern parts are generally hot and humid as they are located on the ocean shore. Zanzibar Island is located slightly off the coast of the eastern Indian Ocean.

Climate in Tanzania

The tropical climate is seen in Tanzania. In high altitude regions, temperatures range between 10 and 20 C throughout the year. In the rest of the country, the temperature rarely drops below 20 ° C. The hottest months prevailing in the country are between November and February (25 - 31 ˚C), the coldest months are the period between May and August (15-20 C).

There are two different precipitation regimes in Tanzania. The first one is the rainfall in the period of December-April, which is single-hilly, and the other is the rainfall in October-December and March-May period with two hills. While the first of these is observed only in the south, southwest, central and western parts of the country, the second is only observed in the northern regions. The period of March-May in the two-hill rainfall regime is called "long rains" or Masika, while the period October-December is called "short rains" or Vuli.

Coffee Production in Tanzania

Tanzania coffee was brought from Ethiopia in the 16th century. Coffee cultivation, whose commercial importance was understood with the 19th century Alaman colonial period, increased its importance with the British period and has become one of the important export items of the country today. Today, Tanzania, which produces 40-50 thousand tons of coffee per year, exports more than 90% of its production. 70% of the coffees produced in Tanzania are Arabica and 30% are Robusta. Arabica coffee trees are grown in high altitude areas such as Mount Kilimanjaro, while robusta coffee trees are grown in low altitude regions such as Lake Victoria. Tanzanian coffees; It is known as Arusha, Moshi, and Kilimanjaro.