Amy's Africa Trip

Officially the United Republic of Tanzania, it is a country on the East coast of Africa, bordering with the Indian Ocean.  Bordered by Kenya and Uganda on the North, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the West and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique on the South.

The country is named after Tanganyika, its mainland part, and the Zanzibar islands off the East coast.  The country has been a member of the Commonwealth since gaining indepence in 1961.  In 1964, Tanganyika united with Zanzibar, forming the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, later renamed to the United Republic of Tanzania.  In 1996, Tanzania's capital was officially moved from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma.

Tanzania is very mountainous in the North-East, where Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa's highest peak) is situated. To the North and West are the Great Lakes of Lake Victoria (Africa's largest lake) and Lake Tanganyika.  Central Tanzania comprises of a large plateau, with plains and arable land.  The Eastern shore is hot and humid, with the island of Zanzibar lying just offshore.

Tanzania contains many large and ecologically significant wildlife parks, including the famous Serengeti National Park in the North.  It has one of the largest wild animal populations in the world.  One of the other treasures of the world which can be found there is the Olduvai Gorge, an archaelogical site located in the Eastern Serengeti plains where the first and oldest descendant of humankind was found.

The African population in Tanzania consists of more than 120 ethnic groups, each has its own language, but the national language is Swahili, a language belonging to the family of the Bantu languages. 

The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for half of the GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 90% of the work force.  Tanzania has vast amounts of natural resources including gold deposits - gold mines such as that at Tulawaka have reserves of over 500,000 ounces of gold.

The amazing natural wonders of Tanzania are in stark contrast to the everyday realities of life for most Tanzanians.  It is one of the poorest countries in the world and the HIV/AIDS epidemic is currently wiping out an entire generation.  Despite such set backs Tanzania has managed to emerge from the grip of colonial powers to become relatively politically stable.

The town of Bagamoyo is the oldest town in Tanzania, founded by the end of the 18th century.  It lies 75km North of Dar es Salaam close to the island of Zanzibar.  It was the original capital of German East Africa and one of the most important trading ports along the East African coast.  Today the town has around 30,000 inhabitants and is the capital of the District of Bagamoyo, recently being designated as a world heritage centre.

Bagamoyo's history has been influenced by Indian and Arab traders, by the German colonial government and by Christian missionaries.  About 5km south of Bagamoyo, the Kaole Ruins with remnants of mosques and various tombs can be dated back to the 13th Century and show the importance of Islam in those early Bagamoyo times.

In the first half of the 19th century, Bagamoyo became a trading port for ivory and the slave trade.  This explains the meaning of the word Bagamoyo ("Bwaga-Moyo") which means "Lay down your Heart" in Swahili, as the slaves were shipped by dhow to Zanzibar and never saw their home country again.  Slave trade officially ended in the year 1873, but well to the end of the 19th century slaves were sold and traded in Bagamoyo. 

Today, Bagamoyo is a centre for dhow sailboat building. The Department of Antiquities in Tanzania is working to maintain the ruins of the colonial era in and around Bagamoyo and to revitalize the town.  The Bagamoyo College of Arts is an internationally famous arts college in Tanzania, teaching traditional Tanzanian painting, sculpture, drama, dancing and drumming.