About Tanzania
Tanzania is a land of incredible natural beauty and wonder. Its landmass is of 364,898 sq miles (945,087 sq km), 4 times the size of UK, made up of the former mainland country of Tanganyika and the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia?. Its coastline is of 1,424 km, of which over 500 miles is pure white sandy and unspoiled beaches.
Tanzania is a country made up of a diverse group of people and cultures
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is the southern most country in East Africa. Its mainland borders Mozambique, Malawi, and Zambia in the south; Congo (Kinshasa), Burundi, and Rwanda on the west; Uganda and Kenya in the north; and the Indian Ocean in the east. Lake Nyasa forms part of the southern boundary, Lake Tanganyika, the western boundary, whilst Lake Victoria part of the northern boundary.
Tanzania’s is able to offer a multitude of attractions to visitors. Tanzania is a land of amazing beauty and home to some of Africa’s greatest sights including Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, and its largest lake and second largest fresh water body in the world, Lake Victoria shared with neighboring countries Uganda and Kenya. National Parks, teeming with wildlife and bush, count for a quarter of the country’s land and supports an estimate of 20% of Africa’s large mammal population.
Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. Added to this are less well known but equally beautiful landmarks such as Lake Tanganyika, the 2nd deepest lake in the world, Mount Meru, the 5th highest mountain in Africa and Oldonyo L’Engai (the Maasai’s Mountain of God) which is still an active volcano.
Not to mention the splendour of the coastal areas such as the ‘Spice Island’ of Zanzibar, Kilwa and Bagamoyo, all of which are a historians dream. Tanzania is also among the least urbanized countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with a population of 36 million people. It is politically stable and one of the safest countries in Africa. Given all this, Tanzania is surely a destination you cannot afford to miss!
Tanzania’s Weather and Average Temperatures
What’s the weather like in Tanzania? Tanzania lies just south of the equator and on the whole enjoys a tropical climate, except in the high mountains (like Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount) where temperatures can get below freezing, especially at night. Along the coast (see temperatures for Dar es Salaam), it stays quite hot and humid with heavy and reliable rainfall especially during the rainy season.
Tanzania has two rainy seasons, generally the heaviest rains (called Masika) usually fall from mid-March to May and a shorter period of rain (called mvuli) from November to mid-January. The dry season, with cooler temperatures, lasts from May to October.