Where in the World? You are in the country that contains both the highest point and the lowest point on the entire continent. This country also has the world’s longest freshwater lake – a lake so deep that it contains seven times the amount of water in Lake Victoria. Lake Victoria is the largest lake on the continent, third in the world; and part of it lies within this country’s boundaries. Several islands make up apart of this country, two of which were primary producers of cloves, an aromatic spice used in preserving and flavouring meat in the days before refrigeration.

Where on Earth are you? Can you find your place? Tanzania

Welcome to Tanzania

Tanganyika became a fully independent nation on December 9, 1961 Tanganyika became a fully independent nation on December 9, 1961. In 1964 when it joined with the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, it changed its name to Tanzania. If the president is from the mainland, the vice-president must be from Zanzibar, or the other way round. Over the centuries, Tanzania has been raided by Arab and Portuguese traders and slavers. It was a German protectorate in 1891. During WWI the Germans were pushed out by the British, and it became a British mandate.

What language do you teach in schools when the student body comes from over 120 different cultures, with as many different languages? Kiswahili is the official language, despite it being the second language for 90% of the population. Having one common language meant that textbooks could be developed. Children speak their tribal language at home, but in school, the army, government institutions, etc. Kiswahili is used. Kiswahili was the best choice because use of the language was already widespread. It spread from the coast by the traders who brought it inland. English is widely used in business, and is usually taught at the secondary level.

Tanzanians know that many tourists are interested in coming to view wildlife in its natural habitat. Large animal reserves have been established for this reason, but preserving land for animals has created some new problems. People who live around the animal reserves have been deprived of their hunting grounds, and because of the money to be made from elephant ivory and rhinoceros horns, poachers enter the park illegally to hunt these animals. What part of the elephant has the ivory that the poachers covet? Elephant tusks are made of ivory. How would you stop poaching?

What do elephants use their tusks for? Plowing up the ground to find roots to eat, prying open tree trunks to get the soft wood inside, and drilling into dry riverbeds to dig up water when water is scarce. To stop poaching, some people feel that there should be an international ban on all ivory imports. Others feel that a ban only makes the ivory more valuable.

Are there 4, 40, 400, 4 000, 40 000, or 400 000 muscles and tendons in an elephant’s trunk. There are 40 000. This makes the trunk strong and flexible. An elephant can pick up a huge log or a single flower.

In the mid-1990s, Tanzania had just one doctor for 20 511 people In the mid-1990s, Tanzania had just one doctor for 20 511 people. Do you think this is part of the reason life expectancy for a newborn is only 42 year? OFFICIAL NAME: United Republic of Tanzania FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Republic CAPITAL: Dodoma AREA: 947,300 square kilometres POPULATION: 47,173,000 OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Kiswahili or Swahili, English MONEY: Tanzanian shilling

FAST FACTS – Tanzania Tanzania is just a little bit more than twice the size of California. Over 120 languages are spoken in Tanzania. Mpingo trees (a.k.a. Africa blackwood trees, commonly seen in Tanzania) are the most expensive hardwood tree in the world. Tanzania has the largest concentration of wildlife animals per square kilometer, with more than 4 million wild animals and representatives of 430 species and subspecies. Mount Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania. At 19,341 feet above sea level, it is the largest mountain in Africa. Tanzania is the home of the coconut crab. This crab, the largest crab in the world (and reportedly one of the most delicious), can be found on Chumbe Island of Zanzibar.

Where in the World? It’s your turn: Complete your “Where in the World?” page. 1 – fill in the country and continent. 2 – write a paragraph about Tanzania with at least 5 interesting details (important details). 3 – colour in Sudan on the world map.