Swahili, also known by its local name Kiswahili, is a Bantu language spoken by the Swahili people, who are found primarily in Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique.
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to the south; Zambia to the southwest; and Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, is in northeastern Tanzania. According to the 2022 national census, Tanzania has a population of nearly 62 million, making it the most populous country located entirely south of the equator.
Zanzibar is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 km (16–31 mi) off the coast of the African mainland, and consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja and Pemba Island. The capital is Zanzibar City, located on the island of Unguja. Its historic centre, Stone Town, is a World Heritage Site.
Pemba Island is a Tanzanian island forming part of the Zanzibar Archipelago, lying within the Swahili Coast in the Indian Ocean.
Mafia Island or Chole Shamba is an island of The Mafia Archipelago located in Mafia District in the southern Pwani Region of Tanzania across the Mafia Channel. The island is the third largest in Tanzanian ocean territory, but is not administratively included within the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar, which has been politically separate since 1890. Mafia Island forms the largest part of Mafia District, one of the six administrative districts in the Pwani Region. As the Mafia Archipelago's main islan, is sometimes called Chole shamba in meaning Chole farmlands Swahili. This is in opposition to the historic settlement of Chole Mjini(Chole town) on Chole Island inside Mafia Bay. The island's population is over 40,000. The economy is based on fishing, subsistence agriculture and the market in Kilindoni. The island attracts some tourists, mainly scuba divers, birdwatchers, game fishermen, and people seeking relaxation.
Muziki wa dansi, or simply dansi, is a Tanzanian music genre, derivative of Congolese soukous and Congolese rumba. It is sometimes called Swahili jazz because most dansi lyrics are in Swahili, and "jazz" is an umbrella term used in Central and Eastern Africa to refer to soukous, highlife, and other dance music and big band genres. Muziki wa dansi can also be referred to as Tanzanian rumba, as "african rumba" is another name for soukous.
Tanzania is a country with many tourist attractions. Approximately 38 percent of Tanzania's land area is set aside in protected areas for conservation. There are 17 national parks, 29 game reserves, 40 controlled conservation areas and marine parks. Tanzania is also home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa.
Mafia Island Marine Park is a protected marine park with the IUCN category VI around the Mafia Archipelago in the Indian Ocean's sea of Zanj. It is administratively located in the jurisdiction Mafia District of Pwani Region in Tanzania.
Around seven Tanzanian sign languages were developed independently among deaf students in separate Tanzanian schools for the deaf starting in 1963, though use of several are forbidden by their schools. In 1984, a standardized Tanzanian Sign Language was proposed by the Tanzania Association for the Deaf, using common or similar signs where these exist in the schools which allowed research, but it has not been officially implemented, and there remains little influence between the languages. A dictionary has been produced. Lexically, the variety that developed in the oralist deaf school in Tabora is significantly different from the dictionary, and is under investigation.
Mafia District Council(Wilaya ya Mafia, in Swahili) is one of eight administrative districts of Pwani Region in Tanzania. It administers not only the main Mafia Island but the entire Mafia Archipelago. The District covers an area of 642.6 km2 (248.1 sq mi). The Sea of Zanj completely encircles the District. Rufiji District is located on the other side of the Mafia Channel to the west. The district is comparable in size to the land area of Saint Lucia. The town of Kilindoni serves as its administrative capital. The District is home to the largest concentration of Whale Sharks in Africa, Mafia Island Marine Park, Historic Chole Island Ruins, Kisimani Mafia and Kua Ruins; and Mlola Forest Reserve. According to the 2012 Tanzania National Census, the population of the District was 46,438.
The Marine Park and Reserves Unit of Tanzania was formed in 1994 under the Marine Parks and Reserve Act No 29, of 1994. The headquarters are located in Upanga West ward of Ilala District in Dar es Salaam Region. Previously all marine life and biodiversity was under the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries. The population along the 1400 km Tanzanian coastline has reached to over 10 million and the increase in number of people whose livelihood depends on the marine resource has also increased. The increase in population has caused various threats to the marine life due to over fishing, coral mining and unplanned increase in settlements. To protect the marine biodiversity the Government of Tanzania established the Marine Park and Reserves unit in 1994 with Mafia Island Marine Park as the first marine park.
The East African coral coast is a marine ecoregion along the eastern coast of Africa. It extends along the coasts of Kenya, Tanzania, and northern Mozambique, from Lamu in Kenya to Angoche in Mozambique. It adjoins the Northern Monsoon Current Coast ecoregion to the north, and the Bight of Sofala/Swamp Coast ecoregion to the south.
The Tanga Coelacanth Marine Park (TCMP) is a Marine park in Tanzania, with the IUCN category II located within Tanga Region of Tanzania. The Tanga Coelacanth Marine Park (TACMP), which covers the entirety of Tanga City and all Coastal Areas from Tanga Bay and South of the Fishing Village of Kigombe, was Gazetted in 2009 by the Government of Tanzania (GoT) in recognition of the value of the Coelacanths and for their protection. Coelacanths have been spotted on Tanga Island, Mwambani Bay, Yambe Island, and Karange Island, all of which are part of the Park.
National Historic Sites of Tanzania is an official list of places in Tanzania that have been designated as National Historic Sites as per the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania under the Antiquities Division. The list is not complete and is currently being updated.
The Mafia Archipelago or The Mafia Islands is an group of islands across the Mafia Channel in the Mafia District of Pwani Region's coast on the Sea of Zanj in Tanzania's Indian Ocean coast. The archipelago is composed of 9 islands and around 12 coral reefs. In total, the Mafia archipelago covers 972 km2 (375 sq mi) in total, of which 8.5 km2 (3.3 sq mi) 407 km2 are land and 565 km2 are water. and has an average elevation of 53 m (174 ft). Of the 12 reefs in the archipelago the most famous one is the Tutia Reef. The nine Islands in the archipelago are. The largest island in the archipelago is Mafia Island also known as Chole Shamba locally. The other eight islands inside Mafia District in addition to Mafia Island are; Juani Island, Chole Island, Jibondo Island (Kibondo), Bwejuu Island, Shungumbili Island (Thanda), Barakuni Island, Miewi Island, and Niororo Island (Nyororo).
Kua or Ruins of Kua is a Medieval Swahili, National Historic Site located in Jibondo ward of Mafia District in Pwani Region of Tanzania. The site is located on Juani Island of the Mafia Archipelago. As of 2016, the site is currently on the list of 50 at-risk cultural heritage sites in 36 countries.
Chole Island or Chole Mjini Island is an island of the Mafia Archipelago located in Jibondo ward of Mafia District in southern Pwani Region of Tanzania. A fossil coral reef that was uncovered at the conclusion of the last ice age, around 12,000 years ago, served as the foundation for the 2.26 km2 island of Chole. It has been a part of the Mafia Island Marine Park for a very long time.
Shungumbili Island or Shungi Mbili, also more commercially known as Thanda Island is a private island of the Mafia Archipelago located in Kirongwe ward of Mafia District in southern Pwani Region of Tanzania. The island is not a part of the Mafia Island Marine Park.
Miewi Island is an island of the Mafia Archipelago located in Baleni ward of Mafia District in southern Pwani Region of Tanzania. The island has a small islet to the south east. The Island is located at the mouth of Chole Bay and is bordered to the north is Mafia Island. To the south is Juani Island and to the east is the sea of Zanj. Many locations, particularly off Miewi island, were used for the majority of the sport fishing industry in the islands. However, Tutia reef was regarded to be the best fishing location.
Tutia Reef is a system of protected coral reefs inside the Mafia Island Marine Park (MIMP) with the IUCN category II designation. The reef is located on Tanzania's Mafia Archipelago of Mafia District in southern Pwani Region of Tanzania. Tutia Reef is rated as the country's top spot for sport fishing, however the reef is aso the site some of the worst coral bleaching events in history in 1998. The reef is located south west of Jibondo Island inside the Mafia Channel.
Tanzania 