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Basking South of the Equator lies the United Republic of Tanzania (URT), a country just over half the size of Western Europe. It is a modern and progressive state endowed with stability, rich history, natural resources and friendly people. The country is located to the eastern side of the African continent. For most of these states, Tanzania is their unique gateway to the world for Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara are the country's marine ports competent to handle the region's exports and imports.

The United Republic, was born out of a union of two countries namely the Islands of Zanzibar and Pemba and Tanganyika. This historical landmark took place in April 26th 1964 some 35 years ago todate. Marked by Lake Victoria to the north, Lake Tanganyika to the West and Lake Nyasa to the South, the United Republic of Tanzania is surely a great Lakes country! This large country has an area of 945,200. While it is of same size as Germany and France combined, it is larger than the state of California doubled and it is the seventh largest country in Africa. It is only 7% of Tanzania which is under water. The coastline, quite short if compared with that of Great Britain, is only 800km long.

The Rich Geography of Tanzania

With charming and spectacular landscape, when compared to Kenya and Uganda, Tanzania is the biggest country in East Africa. The country is further qualified as falling in three physiographic regions namely the Islands and the coastal plains to the east; the inland saucer - shaped plateau and the highlands. The silversands, oysters and numerous types of coral reefs accommodated in the relatively unpolluted marine environment make the Tanzanian coast an automatic attraction to people fond of viewing and interacting with coastal nature. The northern coastal plains are featured by the famous and tantalizing Amboni underground caves. It is not only the stalagmites and stalactites, or the underground rivers that mystify these parts of the sub-world, but also the swams of bats which live here. A visit to this site tells the eye that these may be some the only remaining vampires on earth.

It is on the Coastal plain that the country's eastern commercial centres of Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Tanga and Mtwara are situated. However, Dar es Salaam has kept growing and now it is signaling its primacy as its growth rate is 9.5% while the current statistics (1999) show that its population stands at 3.0 million. In fact, it is projected that by the year 2002, the city will have a population of 6.2 million. The most important HEP stations such as Nyumba ya Mungu, Pangani, Kidatu and Kihansi are also located on the fall line towards the sea.

The famous Kilimanjaro is wholly located in Tanzania. Some 30 south of the Equator. Imagine of snow on the Equator? This is not a fanciful-tale. rises from the Sea Level to 5,895 metres thus making Kilimanjaro the mountain Africa and the tallest-free-standing maintain in the world. Behold, this is a dormant volcano created only some 750,000 years ago. The ice is smelting fast. Beware late comers will miss it.

The Tanzania Great Rift Valley (TGRV) which splits into the western, southern and Eastern branches, is yet another landmark that adds to the scenic view of the country. The rift valley starts far away south in Mozambique, splitting north of Lake Nyasa, from which one branch runs north west into Rwanda and Burundi, while the other runs into Kenya and beyond but to the north east.

This magnificient feature actualizes not only the touch on one's heart but also renders one to be stunned with when the eyes venture across the vertical walls of the rifts which run for hundreds or even thousands of kilometres on both sides of this great God-made valley. In the valley, dotted are the unique lakes which include Lake Rukwa and Lake Tanganyika in the western branch; Kitangiri, Eyasi and Manyara in the eastern rift while in the southern Rift lies Lake Nyasa. More fascinating, is the fact that Lake Tanganyika is the longest in the world (32,893kms) and second deepest (135 meters) after Lake Baikal.

The country rises to the north east and to the south west. The famous Kipengere, Udzungwa, Matogoro and Livingstone mountain ranges do form the southern Higlands. The Usambara, Pare, Meru and Kilimanjaro mountains, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Oldoinyo Lengai, all form the Northern Highlands. From this highlands and the central plateau, four drainage systems start and these are the Indian, Atlantic, Mediterranean and Inland drainage systems. Within these systems, we find Pangani, Ruvu, Wami, Rufiji, Ruvuma and Malagarasi as major rivers. Most of them have high economic potential for fishing, HEP production and Irrigated farming.

A quarter of the land surface of Tanzania is protected as a wildlife reserve or as an indigenous forest, which has created vast wilderness areas. With Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, rain forests, rivers and lakes, floodplains and deltas, woodlands and plains, and a stunning coastline with islands of unexplored coral reefs, Tanzania offers an incomparable diversity of wildlife and scenery.

The great variety of habitats has created unique flora and fauna; the plains of the Serengeti support the richest wildlife populations on earth and are renowned for the annual migration of wildebeest and zebra; the Selous with its winding Rufiji river full of hippo and crocodiles; the high rain forests of Lake Tanganyika, home to wild chimpanzees and many other primates; great herds of buffalo in the wetlands of Katavi and Rukwa and the unique Ngorongoro crater a volcanic caldera of breathtaking beauty that supports a bewildering variety and density of wildlife throughout the year.

This great country can be explored by land in comfortable Land Rovers or Land Cruisers or by flying into an area and taking safaris from there. Safaris to may be by vehicle, on foot, on horseback, or even from a balloon. Time on safari can easily be complemented by time on a deserted beach or island before the African Dream comes to an end.