Tanzania's geography is one of the most varied and unique in the world; it contains Africa's highest point, Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895m), as well as lakes, mountains and many natural parks.

The north-east of Tanzania is mountainous, and includes Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro, both of which are active volcanoes. Kilimanjaro's natural beauty, as well as the fact that it has the highest peak in Africa, attracts thousands of tourists each year.

West of these is Serengeti National Park, famous for its annual migration of millions of white bearded wildebeest, as well as its abundance of lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceroses, and buffalo. Close to the park lies Olduvai Gorge, where many of the oldest hominid fossils and artifacts have been found. Other archaeologically important finds include the oldest evidence of hominids' use of wood at the Kalambo Falls, on the border with Zambia.

Further west is Lake Victoria, on the Kenya-Uganda-Tanzania border. This is the largest lake in Africa and is traditionally named as the source of the Nile. Southwest of this, separating Tanzania from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is Lake Tanganyika. This lake is estimated to be the second oldest (and second deepest) lake in the world after Lake Baikal in Siberia.

The centre of Tanzania is a large plateau, with grasslands and national parks to the south, and arable land further north. The new capital, Dodoma, is located here, although much of the government is still located in Dar es Salaam.

The eastern shore of Tanzania is hot and humid, and encompasses Tanzania's largest city and former capital, Dar es Salaam. Just north of Dar es Salaam lies the island of Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous territory of Tanzania which is famous for its spices. Its lesser-known sibling Pemba lies further to the north.

The climate of Tanzania ranges from hot and humid on the coast, to a more temperate climate in the elevated centre of the country. Tanzania has two rainy seasons; a long heavy one from March to May, and a shorter, lighter one from November to January.

Tanzania is divided into 25 regions; twenty on the mainland, three on Zanzibar island and two on Pemba.

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12/18/07 by visitEarth
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Zanzibar is the collective name for two islands in Tanzania: Unguja and Pemba. The capital of Zanzibar, located on the island of Unguja, is Zanzibar City. The city's old quarter, known as Stone Town, is a World Heritage Site. Although Zanzibar enjoys a high degree of autonomy, it is not a sovereign state: it remains part of Tanzania. The population of Zanzibar was 981,754 in the 2002 census, and its area is 1,651 km sq (637 sq mi).

Zanzibar's main industries are spices (which include cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper), raffia, and tourism. Zanzibar is also the home of the endemic Zanzibar Red Colobus and the elusive Zanzibar Leopard.

"Zanzibar" often refers especially to Unguja Island and is sometimes referred to as the "Spice Islands,"; Pemba Island is the only island apart of Zanzibar that still produces cloves on a major basis which is the primary source of spice income for the islands.

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01/25/07 by visitEarth
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