Tanzania

Learn about the fascinating African country of Tanzania - home to exotic spice islands, Africa's highest mountain, and wild stretches of savannah. Then scroll down to find our collection of flag printables, colouring pages and other fun activities for children.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Fun Facts About Tanzania

• The United Republic of Tanzania (the name deriving from the union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964), lies on the eastern edge of central Africa, bordering eight countries including Kenya to the north and Mozambique in the south.
• The old capital and largest city, Dar es Salaam, is a coastal port on the Indian Ocean which forms the eastern border.
• The new capital is located at Dodoma in the centre of the country. An American architect called James Rossant was chosen to plan the  city in 1986.
• Tanzania is a large country, twice the size of California with a population over 40 million, yet over 40% of the mainland consists of national parks and game reserves.
• The spice islands of Zanzibar and Pemba are more densely populated and famed for beautiful beaches. The local island people are Muslims, dating back to Arab rule, as the clove trade convinced the Sultan of Oman to make Zanzibar his capital.

You can print this map of Africa, with Tanzania marked, here.

• Mainland Tanzania is a blend of Christian, Muslim and native beliefs. Swahili is the most widely spoken of the 128 languages.
• In the north, safari tourists flock to the Serengetti and Ngorongoro Crater to witness animal migrations, whilst hikers are attracted to Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest point at 19,336 feet high, and capped with snow. It takes at least seven days hiking to reach the summit, so you need to be very fit.
• European explorers visited Tanganyika in the 19th century. David Livingstone, an anti-slavery campaigner, travelled widely in Africa and was long presumed lost. Henry Stanley, a missionary, bumped into him on the shore of Lake Tanganyika and exclaimed "Dr Livingstone,I presume?" It was a very famous meeting!
• Modern Tanzanians are known to be friendly and welcoming. Tanzania food includes traditional curries like Mchicha, a peanut and spinach dish.
• Zanzibar seafood and rice dishes reflect Indian, Portuguese, Arab and Chinese cultural influences.
• The Masai people live in the great rift valley in northern Tanzania and southern Kenya. They are sem-nomadic communal livestock farmers which allows them to sustain the land so it can be reused by later generations, although their lifestyle is threatened by restricting access to the land.

Zanzibar beach

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The Tanzanian Flag

Find out a little about the flag of Tanzania, and print out our flag resources - find them below!

The Tanzanian flag has been in use since 1964, and was a merger of the flags of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The green colour of the first section represents the natural vegetation of the country, the yellow stripes represent Tanzania's rich mineral deposits, the central black section is for the Tanzanian people, and the blue represents the numerous lakes and rivers found in Tanzania as well as the Indian Ocean.

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Our Tanzania Resources