Maps of Tanzania - Today and During Imperialism

"Eastern Africa as partitioned by the imperial powers, c. 1914." Map. Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Library Edition. N.p., 2010. Web. 2 Mar. 2010. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/230748/German-East-Africa



Tanzania. Map. U.S. Department of State . N.p., Feb. 2010. Web. 2 Mar. 2010. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2843.htm

Tanzania Before Colonization

In order to understand Tanzania’s political, social, and economic situation before colonization, it is important to understand the history behind the two regions that make up modern-day Tanzania.

The United Republic of Tanzania was established in 1964 as a result of the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, both of which had recently gained their independence from British colonial rule. Zanzibar, an island port just off the coast of Tanganyika, had been under British control since 1890. The British had been given the “trusteeship” of Tanganyika by the League of Nations in 1920 after Germany was defeated in World War I. Before the war, from 1894 to 1914, Tanganyika, along with two smaller regions, was controlled by Germany and known as German East Africa.

Zanzibar and the coast of what is now called Tanzania had been in contact with traders from the Persian Gulf since about the 10th century. Persian settlers had intermingled and intermarried with Bantu-speaking Africans, resulting in the Swahili culture and language that still exists in coastal Tanzania. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the coast was controlled intermittently by the Portuguese, who established trading posts, including at Kilwa. At the end of the 17th century, Africans, with the help of Persians from Oman, expelled the Portuguese from most of the Tanzanian coast.2 At first the Omanis exercised mainly “nominal overlordship” in the area, but in about 1800 they took control of Kilwa and then Zanzibar and began administering the area more tightly.3 Zanzibar became an international trading center and the Sultan established diplomatic relations with the US, England and France.4 However, the Omanis’ control was limited to Zanzibar and the coast and focused on making sure trade was directed to them in Zanzibar.5

During the period that the Omanis ruled Zanzibar and the coast, new caravan routes were established, moving goods between the various coastal towns and the East African interior.6 Initially, slave trade dominated, but by about 1850, as slave trading slowed down in response to decreasing demand and anti-slavery activity, trading in other products became more important. These products included ivory for piano keys, billiard balls, jewelry and furniture, and palm oil for making soap, candles, and lubricating oil for machinery. In exchange, Africans acquired cloth, salt and guns.7 The Omanis also established plantations on Zanzibar, using large numbers of slaves to produce cloves for the world market.8

For the most part, the Omanis did not venture into the interior of East Africa. The trade routes from the coast to the interior were controlled by African tribes.9 Therefore, although the coastal area of East Africa was open to overseas travelers, subject to Islamic influence, and controlled by the Omanis until the late 1800s, the interior was almost entirely separate and cut off from outside forces.10 Essentially all of the tribes in the Tanzanian interior were descendents of the Bantus who had moved into the area, with traditional economies based on hunting, farming, and animal herding.11 The tribes formed a variety of different types of communities. There were many small communities which maintained order without rulers, laws or military forces, and instead used customs and family relationships to keep order.12 In the fertile highland areas bordering Lake Nyasa , Lake Tanganyika and the other great lakes, large organized states developed that were ruled by kings but also included other important figures such as queen mothers, heads of clans, and lower-level chiefs who balanced the power of the kings.13
Unlike the coast , which had been introduced to writing by the Persians, the people of the Tanzanian interior did not have a system of writing.14 Therefore, much of the information known about the interior was reported and often misinterpreted by early European explorers such as James Hanning Speke. Speke had traveled to the Lake Nyasa region and met with an important king, King Mutesa of the Buganda. Speke later wrote a book about his travels in which he was very critical of Mutesa and complained about the formalities of Mutesa’s court: “The farce continued, and how to manage these haughty, capricious blacks puzzled my brains considerably.”15 A later explorer, Henry Morton Stanley, also met Mutesa and disagreed with Speke’s criticisms. Stanley wrote that Mutesa was “intelligent in questions and remarks beyond anything I expected to meet in Africa…[T]hat he should have obtained supremacy over a great region into which moneyed soldiers from Cairo and Zanzibar flocked…[was] sufficient to win my favorable judgment.”16 As Stanley’s description made clear, great societies were in existence in the interior of East Africa in the 1800s, most Europeans just didn’t know about them.


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1. “Tanzania.” Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. 4 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/

2. “Law: Anglophone Eastern Africa.” Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. 4 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/

3. Iliffe, John. Africans: The History of a Continent. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Print. 181.

4. “Law: Anglophone Eastern Africa.” Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. 4 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/

5. Iliffe, John. Africans: The History of a Continent. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Print. 181.

6. "Tanazina." The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. Columbia University Press, 2004. Questia Online Library. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. http://www.questia.com/library/encyclopedia/tanzania.jsp

7. “Africa in the Nineteenth Century, 1780-1914.” DISCovering World History. Online Edition. Gale, 2003. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. .

8. Iliffe, John. Africans: The History of a Continent. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Print. 181.

9. Iliffe. Africans The History of a Continent. 181.

10. Wesseling, H L. Divide and Rule: The Partition of Africa, 1880-1914. Trans. Arnold J Pomerans. Westport: H.L. Wesseling, 1996. Print. 133.

11. "East Africa - An Overview." Africa.Upenn.edu. National Endowment for the Humanities, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2010. http://www.africa.upenn.edu/NEH/overview.html

12. “Law: Anglophone Eastern Africa.” Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. 4 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/

13. “Law: Anglophone Eastern Africa.”

14. Griffiths, Ieuan LL. The African Inheritance. New York: Routledge, 1995. Print. 15.

15. Hanning, John Speke. Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile. Mineola: Dover Publications, Inc., 1996. Print. 310.

16. Hugon, Anne. The Exploration of Africa From Cairo to the Cape. New York: Hary N. Abrams, Inc., 1993. Print. 139.

About the Colonial Power

The western power that colonized Tanzania was Germany. At the time, European super powers such as Britain and France began carving up Africa. The new unified country of Germany wanted a piece as well, but could only get a chance at the un-claimed areas of Africa, particularly East Africa.1 After attaining the territory, Germany began cultivating sisal in Tanzania. The sisal cultivating industry was encouraged by the development of a railway that linked the then capital, Dar es Salaam, to Lake Tanganyika. Another railway, linking Tanga to Moshi, allowed the pioneering of coffee-growing. Tanzania also served as a place to cultivate plantation-grown rubber. All in all, the country served as an agricultural producer.

German colonial interests were first advanced in 1884. In 1884, Karl Peters, with Joachin von Pfeil and Karl Juhlke, landed on Tanzania. After several “deals” were made, the chiefs of the area surrendered the territory to the German East Africa Company (of which Karl Peters was member and founder). Peters’ actions were backed by Otto von Bismarck. Later, the Anglo-German Agreement of 1886 divided the area between Britain and Germany, and the southern region became German East Africa.2

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1. "Tanzania History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts." The History Channel Home Page. Web. 28 Feb. 2010. http://www.history.com/topics/tanzania

2. "History of TANZANIA." HistoryWorld - History and Timelines. Web. 02 Mar. 2010. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad23

Ruling Over and Exploiting Tanzania

After much competition with Britain, Germany assumed power in Tanzania, giving the tribes and people “protectorate status.”1 They ruled indirectly, partially because tribal chiefs “created…a system of collaboration by which [they] preserved their own traditional authority and prevented complete German encroachment.”2 But German forces were more focused on stimulating economic activity in Tanzania, through communicating information to the local leaders.3

One industry that developed was the cultivation of sisal – a plant used for producing fiber, such as in ropes or rugs.4 Economic development was further stimulated by the construction of a railway system.5 Germany both took advantage of and encouraged the coffee, rubber, and cotton industries of Tanzania.6 World War I “completely disrupted the administration and economy” of Tanzania, forcing it to revert to “their old social systems and their old form of subsistence farming.”7

Overall, Tanzania as a German colony served as representation of Germany as a rising power, like Britain and France. But under British rule, there was more direct imperial rule over the Tanganyika territory, and native administration and courts were completely reorganized.8


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1.Stolyarov, G., II. "A Short History of German Colonialism in Africa." Associated Content. N.p., 4 June 2007. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/268245/a_short_history_of_german_colonialism.html?cat=37

2. Von Strandmann, H. Pogge. The German Role in Africa and German Imperialism: A Review Article. African Affairs, Vol. 69, No. 277 (Oct., 1970), pp. 381-389. Oxford University Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/720216

3. Von Strandmann, H. Pogge.The German Role in Africa and German Imperialism: A Review Article.

4. "Tanzania." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 02 Mar. 2010 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/582817/Tanzania

5.“Tanzania.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.

6. “Tanzania.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.

7. “Tanzania.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.

8. "Tanzania." Encyclopædia Britannica.

End of Colonization

The Tanganyika region slowly became more and more independent following World War II. First, the “British government’s [decided] to place Tanganyika under United Nations trusteeship (1947).1 This assigned Britain to assist with political development. The Tanganyika African Association (TAA) elected its first president in 1953, and soon the association became the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) which sought “self-government and independence.”2 TANU, with the help of political allies and supporters helped secure Tanganyika’s independence on Dec. 9 1961, with Julius Nyerere, the initial president of TAA, as its prime minister.3 Almost immediately, Nyerere was replaced by Rashidi Kawawa, choosing instead to focus on broader goals for African unity. The independent Tanganyika became a one-party, republican state in 1962.4 The first threat to the new administration came in 1964, in the form of an army mutiny, and “the president reluctantly sought the assistance of British marines” to suppress it.5 Nyerere served as president for several terms.

Zanzibar became a member of the British Commonwealth in 1963. A republic was declared the following year, after the government was “overthrown by an internal revolution…carried out by 600 armed men.”6 African support of the riot was widespread, as it directly attacked Arabs in Zanzibar. Soon a president, prime minister, and minister for defense and external affairs were established for the People’s Republic of Zanzibar. Policies such as “nationalization of all land” were instituted, and Zanzibar became a single-party state.7

With the strong relationship that had developed over the years, the two regions merged to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964. Though they were united, and the republic was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania the same year, “Zanzibar continued to pursue its own policies” for many years.8



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1. Tanzania." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 02 Mar. 2010 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/582817/Tanzania

2. “Tanzania.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.

3.“Tanzania.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.

4. “Tanzania.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.

5. “Tanzania.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.

6. “Tanzania.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.

7. “Tanzania.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.

8. “Tanzania.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Daily Life under Imperial Rule

Colonization by the Germans and British of the area now known as Tanzania disrupted the colonized Africans’ traditional ways of life, especially on the mainland.1 For example, when the Germans first took control of the mainland, they created large plantations in the northeast highlands and forced southern and central Tanzanian farmers to move from their traditional tribal areas to work on state plantations growing cotton.2 When the British replaced the Germans, they maintained the same goals of maximizing land and labor, channeling African labor into three roles: small peasant farmer, plantation worker or mine worker.3 Kinship and family ties were disrupted when young men were either forced or chose to take jobs in distant locations, often to pay new taxes or buy new goods made available by the Europeans. Traditional women’s roles were also disrupted. Women left behind in the villages when the men went away to work experienced an enormous increase in the number of hours they had to work in order to provide for their families.4

The colonized Africans also experienced changes in their traditional governing structures. When the mainland was under German rule, there were three different major colonial regime and policy changes in a period of less than 20 years. The poor governance and harsh policies of the first two German regimes resulted in serious rebellions by coalitions of African tribes, who rebelled against new, high taxes imposed upon them and their brutal treatment by the German authorities. The Germans’ “scorched-earth” response to the biggest rebellion, known as the Maji-Maji War, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 250,000 Africans mainly from starvation and disease.5 The British disrupted traditional political structures by trying to bend them to their own uses as part of a policy of “indirect rule.” They relied on local chiefs to administer British policies at a local level, in the process changing the chiefs’ traditional roles. In areas that had traditionally operated as “stateless” societies, the British created chiefs that had not existed before causing resentment and confusion among the tribes people.6

In some ways, life in Tanzania changed less or changed more slowly as a result of colonization than in other parts of Africa because fewer Europeans settled in the region. During the period of German rule, relatively few Germans moved to Tanzania, mainly because colonization was not popular in Germany and Germans doubted the value of colonizing Africa.7 When the British took control after World War I, British settlers were not very attracted to the area because they mistrusted the trusteeship status of the region and chose to go to areas, such as Kenya, which were under clear British authority. In the 1930s, with the re-emergence of Germany as a power, the British also became concerned that Tanzania might have to be returned to the Germans.8 However, even though the pace was slower than in some other parts of Africa, eventually tribal life was changed in Tanzania by the colonists’ changes in the control and use of lands, enforcement of new legal systems, and emphasis on a money economy.9

Throughout the period of European colonization of Tanzania, the relatively few European settlers and administrators fared much better than the indigenous African population. For example, a study of crime in Dar es Salaam, the colonial capital of Tanzania, points out that “[m]ost Europeans and many Indians enjoyed lavish lifestyles in comparison to the impoverished African population.”10 Most Africans subsisted on very small wages and many in the urban areas could only get work from time to time rather than on a regular basis.11 In Zanzibar, British rule did not change the social stratification that had existed for more than a century. The Arab elite (although sometimes in debt to recent immigrants from India) continued at the top of the social and economic pyramid, followed by the Shirazis (descendants of Persian and African intermarriages), and finally the “mainlanders” (consisting of descendants of former slaves and workers from the mainland).12 The weak position of indigenous Africans in comparison to the ruling colonists was also shown in the conflicts that occurred between the colonists and colonized. With their better weapons and better strategic positions, the Europeans invariably won and suffered fewer casualties. Between 1888 and 1902, the Germans who were then in control of the Tanzanian mainland, conducted 84 major military campaigns against the Africans.28 In the Maji-Maji War, only a few Germans died in comparison to the 250,000 Africans who lost their lives.13


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1. “Colonial Policies and Practice: German Policies.” Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. 4 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/

2. “Tanzania.” Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. 4 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale.
http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/

3. “Africa in the Nineteenth Century, 1780-1914.” DISCovering World History. Online Edition. Gale, 2003. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/

4. “Colonial Policies and Practice: German Policies.” Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. 4 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/

5. “Law: Anglophone Eastern Africa.” Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. 4 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/

6. “Colonial Policies and Practice: German Policies.” Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. 4 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/

7. “Colonial Policies and Practice: British Policies.” Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. 4 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History

8. “Africa in the Nineteenth Century, 1780-1914.” DISCovering World History. Online Edition. Gale, 2003. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/

9. Burton, Andrew. "The Growh of Crime in a Colonial African Urban Centre: Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika, 1919-1961." Crime, History, & Socities 4.2 (2004): 85-115. Librairie Droz. Web. 28 Feb. 2010. http://chs.revues.org/index465.html

10. Burton. “The Growth of Crime in a Colonial African Urban Centre: Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika, 1919-1961.”

11. “Colonial Policies and Practice: British Policies.” Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. 4 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History

12. Wesseling, H L. Divide and Rule: The Partition of Africa, 1880-1914. Trans. Arnold J Pomerans. Westport: H.L. Wesseling, 1996. Print. 169.

13. “Colonial Policies and Practice: German Policies.” Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. 4 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/

Tanzania's History after the End of Colonialism

During World War I, Great Britain blockaded the colony, preventing Tanzania to get help from Germany. Britain continued the advance until they occupied the entire territory.1 Tanganyika later became an independent nation in 1961 after TAMU (Tanganyika African National Union) campaigned perseveringly for sovereignty. A few years later, in 1963, Zanzibar became independent and a year later, in 1964, Tanganyika and Zanzibar united to become the United Republic of Tanzania.2

Today, Tanzania is a developing country. Tanzania is in the bottom 10% of the world’s economy in terms of income and relies heavily on agriculture.3 Agriculture provides for the majority of Tanzania’s exports, and employs about 80% of the workforce. Nevertheless, the majority of Tanzania’s population rests below the poverty line, making Tanzania one of the poorest countries in the world. To alleviate some of the country’s economic woes, tourism is an important revenue earner. Attractions include the Serengeti and Mt. Kilimanjaro.4

In addition to economic woes, there are political rifts. The political union between mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar has declined as exemplified by Zanzibar’s own government (parliament and president).



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1. "Tanzania History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts." The History Channel Home Page. Web. 28 Feb. 2010. http://www.history.com/topics/tanzania

2. "Tanzanian Independence." Lewis & Clark, Portland, Oregon USA. Web. 02 Mar. 2010. http:/legacy.lclark.edu/~peck/EAf-Orient/Tanzania/T-independence.htm

3. "CIA - The World Factbook -- Tanzania." Welcome to the CIA Web Site Central Intelligence Agency. Web.01 Mar. 2010. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tz.html

4. "BBC News - Tanzania country profile." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. Web. 02 Mar. 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1072330.stm

Current Social, Economic, and Political Issues

In 1964, after Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged, and the newly independent Tanzania was founded, its first president was the important Tanzanian leader, Julius Nyerere. In 1967, Nyerere issued the Arusha Declaration calling for Tanzania to adopt policies of egalitarianism, socialism, and self-reliance.1 While the new policies resulted in the building of new schools and the improvement of water delivery to various parts of the country, the decision to establish communal farms was a disaster, resulting in huge reductions in agricultural production.2 By the 1980s, it was clear that the economic policies adopted by Tanzania in the Arusha Declaration had failed. Nyerere resigned from the presidency in 1985 although he remained an important political leader in the country. Tanzania suffered a large devaluation in its currency, saw its education and healthcare systems nearly collapse and its industrial production slow down. Tanzania’s economic crisis continued through the early 1990s. Foreign donors to Tanzania blamed the country’s one-party system and socialist policies for many of the problems. As a result of pressure from foreign donors, Tanzania repealed its laws providing for a one-party political system. Since then, a number of political parties have emerged in Tanzania. But the country’s president continues to be the dominant political force.3 The last two presidents have been pursuing economic reforms but the country is still one of the poorest countries in Africa.4

In addition to politics, a number of problems contribute to Tanzania’s poor economic condition. The country is plagued by tsetse flies that inflict the people and animals of Tanzania.5 As a result, much of the population lives on the border of the country, leaving much of the central land empty.6 Additionally, the population is dramatically lacking in medical professionals, with only “1 doctor for every 229000 people.”7 Due to the prevalence of subsistence farming, a huge part of the population lives in poverty.8 The reliance on agriculture is also being affected, as “land degradation is reducing the productivity of soils in many parts of Tanzania…Factors…include, among others, inappropriate cultivation techniques; a growing population; growing energy requirements; overstocking; and insecure land tenure.”9 Another issue affecting soil quality is the shift from “long periods of fallow with short periods of farming” to “long periods of farming with short fallow periods. This practice does not allow sufficient time for revegetation and recovery of soil fertility.”10


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1. "Tanazina." The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. Columbia University Press, 2004. Questia Online Library. Web. 27 Feb. 2010.

2. Iliffe, John. Africans: The History of a Continent. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Print. 254.

3. “Tanzania.” Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. 4 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/

4. "Tanazina." The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. Columbia University Press, 2004. Questia Online Library. Web. 27 Feb. 2010.

5. "Tanzania - History and Background." State University. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Mar. 2010. http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1514/Tanzania-HISTORY-BACKGROUND.html

6. “Tanzania – History and Background.”

7. “Tanzania – History and Background.”

8. "Problems Identified in Tanzania by World Organizations". N.d. PDF file. cdm.unfccc.int/UserManagement/FileStorage/FS_353208734

9. “Problems Identified in Tanzania by World Organizations.”

10. “Problems Identified in Tanzania by World Organizations.”

Relation of Current Issues to the Colonial History

There has been a great deal of debate about the causes of the serious problems in present-day Africa, including Tanzania. Some say that the problems are mostly “self-inflicted” as the result of political mistakes and Tanzania’s decision to adopt socialism and collectivize agriculture.1 Others point to the country’s colonial past as the root of all of its problems even though European rule only lasted in Tanzania, for less than a century.2 Tanzania’s problems, including its extreme poverty, appear to have been caused by a mix of factors.

Tanzania has avoided some of the biggest problems that a number of other African nations have faced. For example, because few European colonists settled in Tanzania and, therefore, the white population has always been very small, Tanzania has not had to overcome apartheid as some of its neighbors, such as South Africa and Rwanda, have.3 Unlike some other African states, the Tanzanian mainland has also avoided major ethnic conflicts among its various tribes. This is mainly because there are so many tribes in Tanzania (nearly 120 language groups) and none of them are dominant. Also, even if they speak another language, most Tanzanians also speak Swahili, which has helped produce a relatively unified society.4 On the other hand, Zanzibar has experienced ethnic tensions, and it traces those tensions directly to colonialism. In the late 1940s, the British rulers of Zanzibar encouraged the formation of associations along ethnic lines, and these associations later became political parties, which ended up increasing and exploiting ethnic tensions.5

Like nearly every other African nation, Tanzania has suffered negative consequences from the manner in which Africa was partitioned by the Europeans. Since the Europeans carved up the continent based mainly on their own interests and negotiations, and not internal characteristics of the continent, the nation states that emerged upon independence faced unusual economic and structural challenges. In Tanzania, there is little natural cohesion between the Tanzanian mainland and Zanzibar because their histories are so different.6 The Tanzanian mainland would seem to have more in common with its East African neighbors, Kenya and Uganda, which share geographical features such as Lake Nyasa, but they are not joined together because the British and Germans initially split up control over them, and when England later gained control over all three, Tanzania’s status as a trusteeship created a hurdle to union. When the three East African nations gained independence at different times, they continued to go their separate ways.7 The manner in which the Europeans had drawn borders also caused problems. For example, the Kagera River created a natural border between tribes that are now mostly located in Uganda and tribes that are now mostly located in Tanzania. However, the British and Germans drew the boundary line so that a piece of traditionally Ugandan territory, north of the river, was included in Tanzania. That boundary has been the subject of conflicts ever since between Uganda and Tanzania.8

Although the European colonists contributed new infrastructure to Tanzania, such as roads and railways, nearly all of that infrastructure was designed to transport goods from interior plantations and mines to ports for international trade.9 Very little was spent on connecting different parts of the country or connecting one African country with another, with the result that Tanzania has a hard time trading within its borders or trading with its neighbors. This problem was compounded by the colonists’ focus on growing cash crops for international sale, so that most East African countries ended up growing mostly the same crops and, therefore, had nothing to trade with one another.10 This lack of connecting infrastructure has worked against African unity and cooperation.

As noted above, the population of Tanzania is heavily concentrated on the coast, and there are vast empty areas in the interior of the country. The location of Tanzania’s capital has contributed to this problem. The European colonists established Dar es Salaam as the colonial capital of the Tanzanian mainland. Dar es Salaam is located on the coast and far removed from the rest of the country. This served the colonists’ interests, because they wanted to be close to the ports to control the flow of international trade. However, the result in contemporary times is that most of the financial and educational resources of Tanzania are concentrated on the coast, which limits the inland population’s access to them and causes people to move to the city even if there are not many opportunities for them there.11 Tanzania has been trying to fix this situation by moving its capital to Dodoma, which is more centrally located. However, it is too poor to move all of the capital infrastructure or to fully develop Dodoma. Also, as a practical matter, it may be impossible to persuade the private businesses and resources that have established themselves in Dar es Salaam to move.

In theory, Tanzania could fix many of the problems associated with its colonial history by building new roads and railways, developing new crops and other products, spending more money on its new capital, etc., but as one of the poorest nations in Africa and the world, it simply doesn’t have the money to do so. Tanzania is particularly hindered by its socialist past. Foreign businesses and financial investors hesitate to invest in Tanzania because they fear nationalization of their businesses and investments. As Tanzania moves further and further away from its radical socialist past, it hopes that businesses will recognize its strengths, such as its ethnic unity, and decide to invest in the country.

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1. Iliffe, John. Africans: The History of a Continent. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Print. 254.

2. Wesseling, H L. Divide and Rule: The Partition of Africa, 1880-1914. Trans. Arnold J Pomerans. Westport: H.L. Wesseling, 1996. Print. 372-373.
Ieuan LL. Griffiths. The African Inheritance. 63.

3. “Tanzania.” Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. 4 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/

4. "Early History." zanzient.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2010. http:www.zanzient.org/Zanzibar/history/historia.html

5. Griffiths. The African Inheritance. 166.

6. Griffiths. The African Inheritance. 3.

7. Griffiths. The African Inheritance. 90.

8. Griffiths. The African Inheritance. 192.

9. Griffiths The African Inheritance. 195.

10. Griffiths. The African Inheritance. 99, 108.

11. Griffiths. The African Inheritance. 108.

Pictures!

This picture shows a hospital in the capital of Tanzania. Western influence, such as architecture, was brought in during Western Europe’s occupation of Tanzania.

"How I Acquired the Strachan and Co and F C Larkan Trade Tokens." South African Coins, Griqua Token Coins and South African Currency - the Forgotten Currency. Web. 02 Mar. 2010. http://www.tokencoins.com/story.htm






Msikiti wa Ijumaa. N.d. Zanzinet.org. Zanzinet, 2004. Web. 2 Mar. 2010. http://zanzinet.org/ zanzibar/historical_pictures.html

This is the Msikiti wa Ijumaa, Zanzibar’s central mosque for many years until more were built.






Ivory Trade. N.d. Zanzinet.org. Zanzinet, 2004. Web. 2 Mar. 2010. http://zanzinet.org/zanzibar/historical_pictures.html
This photograph depicts the ivory trade in Zanzibar.


Black and White - Photos From Africa 1937. crawfurd.dk. Jacob Crawfurd, 2010. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. http://crawfurd.dk/africa/1937bw_3.htm

This site includes pictures of Tanganyika including photographs of the city and the Tanganyikan port.

Primary Sources

The following passage is an excerpt taken from the introduction to the journal of John Hanning Speke, an English explorer who traveled to Africa in search of the source of the Nile River. During his journey Speke, made his way through all of east Africa starting in Zanzibar. The excerpt reveals Speke’s view of the language of the Wanguana, or the freed men from slavery who will act as his porters for his expedition He is meeting them in Zanzibar Speke’s view of the “strange” language shows that he holds a view where he sees himself, an Englishman, as more superior than the natives that he encounters in Zanzibar. He is obviously not taking into account that the natives would find Speke’s language just as strange as he finds their language to be:1

The language of this people is just as strange as they are themselves. It is based on euphony, from which cause it is very complex, the more especially so as it requires one to be possessed of a negro’s turn of mind to appreciate the system, and unravel the secret of its euphonic concord…There is one peculiarity, however, that I would direct the attention of the reader most particularly, which is, that Wa prefix to the essential world of a country means men or people; M prefixed means man or individual; U, in the same way, means place or locality; and Ki prefixed indicates the language. Example: Wagogo is the poeople of Gogo; Mgogo is a Gogo man; Ugogo is the country of Gogo; and Kigogo the language of Gogo.2



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This document provides an excerpt from The Arusha Declaration of 1967, on the policy of self-reliance in Tanzania. Because it is an official document, it provides no personal opinion or bias. However, language is often on the vague side, as the tone is “looking forward” and moving beyond the past. The document lists some policies seen as mistakes in the years preceding 1967. These being the first years of Tanzanian independence, it suggests the development of the country on its own and the desire to succeed without colonial influence.3


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This document chronicles German occupation in Africa. Although the native Africans were disillusioned by the treatment by the Germans, the German soldiers did not have a pleasant time attempting to colonize Africa either. This German soldier is deprived of basic needs such as food and water. Additionally, the soldier suffers days just trekking across the terrain. This document shows that many soldiers did not want to be colonizing Africa and were merely tools of government imperialism. 4
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1. Speke, John Hanning. Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile (1868). Print.

2. Speke. Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile. xxx.

3. Tanzania. "On the Policy of Self-Reliance in Tanzania." The Arusha Declaration, 1967. Comp. Paul Halsall. Fordham Modern History Sourcebook. N.p., July 1998. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1967-arusha.html

4."Modern History Sourcebook: Gustave Freensen: In The German South African Army, 1903-1904." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 02 Mar. 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1904freesen.html

Cumulative Bibliography

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3. Black and White - Photos From Africa 1937. crawfurd.dk. Jacob Crawfurd, 2010. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. http://crawfurd.dk/africa/1937bw_3.htm

4. Burton, Andrew. "The Growh of Crime in a Colonial African Urban Centre: Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika, 1919-1961." Crime, History, & Socities 4.2 (2004): 85-115. Librairie Droz. Web. 28 Feb. 2010. http://chs.revues.org/index465.html

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19. "Modern History Sourcebook: Gustave Freensen: In The German South African Army, 1903-1904." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 02 Mar. 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1904freesen.html

20. Msikiti wa Ijumaa. N.d. Zanzinet.org. Zanzinet, 2004. Web. 2 Mar. 2010. http://zanzinet.org/ zanzibar/historical_pictures.html

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