Zanzibar

Seventh Standard

Subject:-Geography

Topic:- Tanzania

Subtopic:-Zanzibar

Source:- Wikipedia

 

Zanzibar

                              Zanzibar  is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It is composed of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 kilometres (16–31 mi) off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, informally referred to as Zanzibar), and Pemba. The capital of Zanzibar, located on the island of Unguja, is Zanzibar City, and its historic centre, known as Stone Town, is a World Heritage Site.

Zanzibar’s main industries are spices, raffia, and tourism. In particular, the islands produce cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper. For this reason, the islands, together with Tanzania’s Mafia Island, are sometimes called the Spice Islands (a term also associated with the Islands in Indonesia). Zanzibar is the home of the endemic Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkey, the Zanzibar Servaline Genet, and the (possibly extinct)Zanzibar Leopard.

Geography

Coastline off Zanzibar

Zanzibar is located in the Indian Ocean, 6° south of the equator and 36 km from the Tanzanian mainland coast. It is 108 km long and 32 km wide, with an area of 2,461 km² (950 sq mi). Zanzibar is mainly low lying, with its highest point being 120 metres. It is in the UTC +3 time zone and does not use Daylight Saving Time. Zanzibar is characterised by beautiful sandy beaches with fringing coral reefs and the historic Stone Town – said to be the only functioning ancient town in East Africa. The coral reefs that surround the East Coast are rich in marine diversity.

Climate

The heat of summer is often cooled by strong sea breezes, particularly on the north and east coasts. Being near to the equator, the islands are warm all year. Rains occur in November but are characterised by short showers that do not last long. Longer rains normally occur in April and May although this is often referred to as the “Green Season”, and it typically does not rain every day during that time.

Wildlife

A red colobus in a tree in Zanzibar

The main island of Zanzibar, Unguja, has a fauna reflecting its connection to the African mainland during the last Ice Age. Endemic mammals with continental relatives include the Zanzibar red colobus, one of Africa’s rarest primates, with perhaps only 1,500 existing. Isolated on this island for at least 1,000 years, the Zanzibar red colobus (Procolobus kirkii) is recognized as a distinct species, with different coat patterns, calls, and food habits than related colobus species on the mainland. The Zanzibar red colobus live in a wide variety of drier areas of coastal thickets and coral rag scrub, as well as mangrove swamps and agricultural areas. About one third of them live in and around Jozani Forest. The easiest place to see the colubus are on farm land adjacent to the reserve. They are accustomed to people and the low vegetation means they come close to the ground.

Rare native animals include the Zanzibar leopard, which is critically endangered and possibly extinct, and the recently described Zanzibar servaline genet. There are no large wild animals in Unguja, and forest areas such as Jozani are inhabited by monkeys, bush-pigs, small antelopes, civets, and, rumor has it, the elusive leopard. Various species of mongoose can also be found on the island. There is a wide variety of birdlife and a large number of butterflies in rural areas.

Pemba Island is separated from Unguja island and the African continent by deep channels and has a correspondingly restricted fauna, reflecting its comparative isolation from the mainland. The island is home to the Pemba Flying Fox.

Ethnic origins

The people of Zanzibar are of diverse ethnic origins. The first permanent residents of Zanzibar seem to have been the ancestors of the Hadimu and Tumbatu, who began arriving from the East African mainland around AD 1,000. They belonged to various mainland ethnic groups, and on Zanzibar they lived in small villages and did not coalesce to form larger political units. Because they lacked central organization, they were easily subjugated by outsiders.

Ancient pottery implies trade routes with Zanzibar as far back as the time of the ancient Assyrians. Traders from Arabia, the Persian Gulf region of modern-day Iran (especially Shiraz), and west India probably visited Zanzibar as early as the 1st century. They used the monsoon winds to sail across the Indian Ocean to land at the sheltered harbor located on the site of present-day Zanzibar City. Zanzibar is mostly populated by African people of Swahili origin, but there is also a minority population of Asians, originally from India and Arab countries. A significant proportion of people also identify as Shirazi..

Produce vendors at a market.

Standard of living and health

Considerable disparities exist in the standard of living for inhabitants of Pemba and Unguja, as well as the disparity between urban and rural populations. The average annual income is US$250. About half the population lives below the poverty line. The child mortality rate in Zanzibar is 73 out of 1,000 live births, which is 21.5 percent lower than the rate in mainland Tanzania.Malnutrition affects an estimated one in three of Zanzibar’s people. Life expectancy at birth is 57 years, which is significantly lower than the 2010 world average of 67.2.

Religion

The most commonly practised religion is Islam. About 95 percent of Zanzibar’s population follow the laws of Islam (see Islam in Zanzibar). Its history was influenced by the Arab  and Persian people. The remaining 5 percent are mostly Christians.

Economy

Aquaculture of red algae (Eucheuma),Jambiani, Zanzibar.

The clove, originating from the Moluccan Islands (today in Indonesia), was introduced in Zanzibar by the Omani sultans in the first half of the 19th century. Zanzibar, mainly Pemba Island, was once the world’s leading clove producer, but annual clove sales have plummeted by 80 percent since the 1970s. Zanzibar’s clove industry has been crippled by a fast-moving global market, international competition, and a hangover from Tanzania’s failed experiment with socialism in the 1960s and 1970s, when the government controlled clove prices and exports. Zanzibar now ranks a distant third with Indonesia supplying 75 percent of the world’s cloves compared to Zanzibar’s 7 percent.

Zanzibar exports spices, seaweed, and fine raffia. It also has a large fishing and dugout canoe production. Tourism is a major foreign currency earner. There is also a possibility of oil availability in Zanzibar on the island of Pemba, and efforts have been made by the Tanzanian Government and Zanzibar revolutionary Government to exploit what could be one of the most significant discoveries in recent memory. Oil would help boost the economy of Zanzibar, but there have been disagreements about dividends between the Tanzanian mainland and Zanzibar, the latter claiming the oil should be excluded in Union matters. A Norwegian consultant has been sent to Zanzibar to investigate its oil potential.

Education

In 2000 there were 207 government schools and 118 privately owned schools in Zanzibar. There are also two universities and one college: Zanzibar University, the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) and the Chukwani College of Education. The primary and secondary education system in Zanzibar is slightly different than that of the Tanzanian mainland. On the mainland, education is only compulsory for the seven years of primary education, while in Zanzibar an additional three years of secondary education are compulsory and free. Students in Zanzibar score significantly less on standardized tests for reading and mathematics than students on the mainland.

Transport

Zanzibar has a total road network of 1,600 kilometres of roads, of which 85 percent are tarmacked or semi-tarmacked. The remainder are earth roads, which are rehabilitated annually to make them passable throughout the year. There is no public transport owned by the government at the moment in Zanzibar, but the Daladala (as it is officially known in Zanzibar) is the only kind of public transport owned by private owners; the term Daladala originated from the Swahili word DALA or five shillings during the 1970s and 80s (at that time public transport cost five shillings).

Zanzibar now has an improved and thriving sea transport network, by which public owned ships and private speed boats serve the ports of Zanzibar, which was renovated by the help of European Union. There are five ports in the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba. The Zanzibar Port Corporation (ZPC) is a public entity, which has full autonomy for operation and development of ports. The port handles more than 90 percent of Zanzibar trade. Malindi port was built in 1925 as a modest lighter port.The port is in a poor state in terms of infrastructure (quays, container stacking yard, etc.) as well as very limited operational area and storage facilities.

Zanzibar is well connected to the rest of the world. Zanzibar’s main airport, Zanzibar International Airport, can now handle larger planes, which has resulted in an increase in passenger and cargo inflows and outflows.

Culture

Zanzibar’s local people are from a mixture of ethnic backgrounds, indicative of its colourful history. Zanzibaris speak Swahili, a language which is spoken extensively in East Africa. Many believe that the purest form is spoken in Zanzibar, as it is the birthplace of the language. Many locals also speak English.

Zanzibar’s most famous event is the Zanzibar International Film Festival, also known as the Festival of the Dhow Countries. Every July, this event showcases the best of the Swahili Coast arts scene, including Zanzibar’s favorite music, Taarab. Important architectural features in Stone Town are the Livingstone house, The Old dispensary of Zanzibar, the Guliani Bridge, Ngome kongwe (The Old fort of Zanzibar) and the House of Wonders. The town of Kidichi features the Hamamni Persian Baths, built by immigrants from Shiraz, Iran during the reign of Barghash bin Said.

Zanzibar also is the only place in Eastern African countries to have the longest settlement houses formally known as Michenzani flats which were built by the aid from East Germany during 1970’s to solve housing problems in Zanzibar.

Media and communication

In 1974, Zanzibar became the first area in Africa to introduce colour television. Because of longstanding opposition to television by President Julius Nyerere, the first television service on mainland Tanzania was not introduced until 1994. The broadcaster in Zanzibar is called Television Zanzibar (TVZ). Among the famous reporters of TVZ during the 1980s and 1990s were the late Alwiya Alawi 1961–1996 (the elder sister of Inat Alawi, famous Taarab singer during the 1980s), Neema Mussa, Sharifa Maulid, Fatma Mzee, Zaynab Ali, Ramadhan Ali, and Khamis. Zanzibar has one AM radio stationand twenty-one FM radio stations. In terms of landline communications, Zanzibar is served by the Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited and Zantel Tanzania.

Sport

Football is the most popular Sport in Zanzibar, overseen by the Zanzibar Football Association. Zanzibar is an associate member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

 

Dar es Salaam

Seventh Standard

Subject:-Geography

Topic:- Tanzania

Subtopic:-Dar es Salaam

Source:- Wikipedia

 

Dar es Salaam

 Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country’s richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: Kinondoni to the north, Ilala in the centre of the region, and Temeke to the south. The Dar es Salaam Region had a population of 2,497,940 as of the official 2002 census. Though Dar es Salaam lost its official status as capital city to Dodoma in 1974 (a move which was not complete until 1996), it remains the centre of the permanent central government bureaucracy and continues to serve as the capital for the surrounding Dar es Salaam Region.

Geography

Dar es Salaam is located at 6°48′ South, 39°17′ East (−6.8000, 39.2833). The city is situated on a massive natural harbour on the Eastern coast of Africa, with sandy beaches in some areas. Administratively, Dar es Salaam is broken into three districts: Ilala, Kinondoni, and Temeke.

Climate

Being situated so close to the equator and the warm Indian ocean, the city experiences generally tropical climatic conditions, typified by hot and humid weather throughout much of the year. Dar es Salaam features a tropical wet and dry climate, with two different rainy seasons. Annual rainfall is approximately 1,100 mm (43 in) and in a normal year there are two distinct rainy seasons: “the long rains”, which fall during April and May, and “the short rains”, which fall during October and November.

On December 20, 2011, the heaviest rains in 57 years resulted in unprecedented flooding that devastated many areas of the city. As of December 23, the flooding had caused 13 casualties and left nearly 5,000 people homeless.

Population

Dar es Salaam is the largest city in Tanzania with 3-4 million people. With a population rate increase of 4.39% annually the city has become the third fastest growing in Africa (9th fastest in the world), after Bamako and Lagos, respectively. The metro population is expected to reach 5.12 million by 2020.

Economy and infrastructure

 

Dar es Salaam.

Located on a natural harbour on the Indian Ocean, it is the hub of the Tanzanian transportation system as all of the country’s main railways and several highways originate in or near the city. Its status as an administrative and trade centre has put Dar es Salaam in position to benefit disproportionately from Tanzania’s high growth rate since the year 2000 so that by now its poverty rates are much lower than the rest of the country. The Benjamin William Mkapa Pension Tower with more than 21 stories is the tallest building in the city and the country. Dar es Salaam and other Tanzanian cities have had, in the past few years, a major construction boom, despite a much higher demand for electricity, which is rationed around the country. In the past 10 years, Dar es Salaam has had a face-lift, but the major infrastructural problems remain. Among those problems are an outdated transport infrastructure and power rationing, which continues to badly affect the Tanzanian economy. Air Tanzania, the national airline, has its head office in Dar es Salaam.

Transportation

The Julius Nyerere International Airport is the principal airport serving the country, named after the country’s first President. The TAZARA Railway connects Dar es Salaam to the neighbouring country of Zambia. The Central Line (Railway) runs west from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika via Dodoma. Dala dalas are used by the majority of the population of Dar es Salaam as a cheap, though often overcrowded, means of public transportation. These minibuses are operated by both a driver and a conductor. The conductor collects the fare and signals the driver to leave. These minibuses tend to be overcrowded with passengers sometimes hanging outside the door.

Culture

Downtown Dar es Salaam includes many small businesses, many of which are run by traders and proprietors whose families originated from the Middle East and Indian sub-continent — areas of the world with which the settlements of the Tanzanian coast have had long-standing trading relations. During the daytime the heavy weight of traffic, office workers, busy merchants, street vendors and restaurateurs of the area lend it a frenetic and slightly claustrophobic air. However, after nightfall the area is relatively quiet as much of the city’s nightlife is located in more residential districts away from the city’s mainly commercial centre.

The sprawling suburbs furthest from the city centre are generally populated by Tanzanians of African descent, with the exception of Oyster Bay, where there is a large population of foreign expatriates. Although there is no racial hostility, the various ethnic communities of Dar es Salaam do not tend to mix heavily. The edges of Dar es Salaam are spreading rapidly, severely taxing the transportation network (which aside from ferries, lacks any kind of mass transit facilities) and raising the prospect of future urban overcrowding.

Food

Due in part to the growth of the expatriate community and the increasing importance of tourism, the number of international restaurants has risen very rapidly over recent years. The city now offers a rich and internationalized diversity of cuisine, ranging from traditional Tanzanian Barbecue style options such as Nyama Choma (Roasted meat – served with rice or ugali) and Mishkaki (Shish kebab – usually barbecued and served with salt, hot peppers, chapati, fries, and rice on the side), and the long-established traditional  Indian  and Zanzibari cuisine, to options from all corners of the globe including Chinese, Thai,   Turkish, Italian, and Japanese food.

Restaurants like City Garden, Addis in Dar, and Best Bite are only a few of the most popular restaurants located in Dar es Salaam. Even fast food restaurants like Steers and Subway now have prominent places in the restaurant sector of Dar es Salaam. People who prefer neither fast food  or traditional restaurants buy their food from street vendors, who usually sell good food for very affordable prices. Samosas are common street food items within the city. Primary and Secondary school students are usually more likely to buy food from street vendors than other age demographics.

Entertainment

There is also a lively music scene in Dar es Salaam which is divided between several styles. The longest standing segment is live dance bands such as Kilimanjaro, Twanga Pepeta and FM Academia. Taarab which was traditionally strong in Zanzibar has also found a niche but remains small compared both to dance music and “Bongo Flava”, a broad category that represents the Tanzanian take on Hip Hop and R&B, which has quickly become the most popular locally produced music. This type of music is especially strong among the youth and it seems that its pull is reducing the interest in performing and hearing dance music. Songs by artists such as Ferooz name check Dar districts such as Sinza. Traditional music, which locally is used to refer to tribal music is still performed but typically only on family oriented occasions such as weddings.

Much like the popular music of other major cities Dar es Salaam’s hip music of the day bongo flava is a cultural escape for youths that speaks to topics of everyday life such as “HIV/AIDS, scraping a life together, the difficulty of meeting basic needs, class and wealth barriers, holding your head high despite everything.”

Tourism

A variety of museums, including the National Museum, the Village Museum and the Botanical Garden are all very close by. Within an hour’s drive north is Bagamoyo, which is home to the Kaole ruins. There are beaches on the Msasani peninsula north of Dar es Salaam and in Kigamboni to the south where residents and tourists alike frequently visit. Trips to the nearby islands of the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve are a popular daytrip from the city and a favourite spot for snorkeling, swimming and sunbathing. In addition to that, Bongoyo Island is just a boat ride away from Msasani Slipway.

Although the variety and population of coral and fish species are not as numerous as other sites on Zanzibar, Pemba, and Mafia Island, the Bongoyo Island Marine Reserve is well worth a visit and is a great way to spend a day out and see the coast. The National Stadium hosts Dar es Salaam’s Young Africans Football Club, Simba Football Club, other Tanzanian football clubs, and many other international matches. Zanzibar consists of beautiful spice tours, unique red monkeys and the must see “Stone Town”. Safaris are also a must in Dar es Salaam with Selous, Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park and one of the wonders of the world, the Ngorongoro Crater not forgetting Mount Kilimanjaro.

Newspapers

Dar has a considerable number of newspapers available, particularly obviously from sellers prowling through stationary traffic at road intersections. English-language ones, with online presences, include “The Citizen” and “The Guardian”. There are several times this number of Swahili-language ones available (this is only a crude estimate from observations in late 2011). Given that Internet access is still relatively expensive, it is likely that the online presence of Swahili language newspapers (and other culture information) is highly biased against.

Education

Dar es Salaam is also the educational centre of Tanzania. The city is home to many Educational Institutions. The University of Dar es Salaam is the oldest and largest public university in Tanzania. It is situated on the western side of the city of Dar es salaam, occupying 1,625 acres (6.58 km²) on the observation hill, 13 kilometers from the city centre. The university is home to approximately 16,400 undergraduates and approximately 2,700 postgraduates. Dar es Salaam also boasts some of the finest schools in Tanzania, most of which are private. The following are schools that provide secondary education, O Levels and A Levels in Tanzania, according to the National Examination Council Of Tanzania (NECTA) syllabus.