Culture and history

The historical fabric of Tanzania is woven from the Swahili cities of the Indian Ocean (Kilwa, Zanzibar) with Arab-Indian trade, sailing dow and taraba music, the colonial period (German East Africa, then Britain) and the independence of Tanganyika in 1961.

In 1964, an alliance with Zanzibar formed the United Republic of Tanzania; Ujamaa's course under Julius Nyerere made Swahili the language of national unity and reinforced the idea of a "social community."

The official capital is Dodoma, the largest city and cultural motor is Dar es Salaam; natural symbols - Kilimanjaro, Serengeti and Ngorongoro - have long been part of the national brand.

The cultural code is polyphonic: more than a hundred ethnic groups (Maasai, Sukuma, Chagga, Hadza, etc.), Islamic and Christian heritage, as well as living traditions.

Crafts are recognized by makonde carvings, "tingatinga" painting, Stone Town doors, and Masai beaded ornaments; in everyday life, kanga and kitenge fabrics with proverbs are popular.

In music - tarab and urban "bongo flava," in dancing - "ngoma."

The cuisine combines Zanzibar spices, fish and coast coconut with corn "ugali" and "sukuma-wiki" greens on the mainland.

The contemporary scene - Zanzibar festivals, Dar es Salaam street art, film and fashion - connects tradition with urbanisation and digital creativity.