97-652: Lake Malawi , also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique , ( Swahili : Ziwa Nyasa ) is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between Malawi , Mozambique and Tanzania. It is the fourth largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, the ninth largest lake in the world by area and the third largest and second deepest lake in Africa. Lake Malawi
194-442: A UNESCO World Heritage Site , features a collection with remnants of tools that document the development and use of transitional technology . The indigenous populations of eastern Africa are thought to be the linguistically isolated Hadza and Sandawe hunter-gatherers of Tanzania. The first wave of migration was by Southern Cushitic speakers who moved south from Ethiopia and Somalia into Tanzania. They are ancestral to
291-634: A bay near Sphinxhaven , in German East African territorial waters. Gwendolen disabled the German boat with a single cannon shot from a range of about 1,800 metres (2,000 yd). This brief conflict was hailed by The Times in England as the British Empire's first naval victory of World War I. The partition of the lake's surface area between Malawi and Tanzania is under dispute. Tanzania claims that
388-490: A considerably older lake with a basin that started to form about 8.6 mya and deep-water condition first appeared 4.5 mya. The water levels have varied dramatically over time, ranging from almost 600 m (2,000 ft) below current level to 10–20 m (33–66 ft) above. During periods the lake dried out almost completely, leaving only one or two relatively small, highly alkaline and saline lakes in what currently are Malawi's deepest parts. A water chemistry resembling
485-411: A few hundred metres long. 1. Diplotaxodon , one of the very few cichlid genera that occurs offshore in relatively deep water. 2. Nimbochromis livingstonii is a piscivorous hap that is famous for playing dead to lure prey close. 3. As typical of utaka , Copadichromis azureus has bright blue males (shown) and duller females that are silvery with dark spots. 4. Aulonocara stuartgranti
582-573: A few hundred years ago. The Malawi haplochromines are mouthbrooders , but otherwise vary extensively in general behaviour and ecology. Within the Malawi haplochromines there are two main groups, the haps and the mbuna . The haps (they were formerly included in Haplochromis ) can be further subdivided into three subgroups: The relatively large, often more than 20 cm (8 in) long, and aggressive piscivores that roam various habitats in pursuit of prey,
679-431: A major depression in the north-central part. Another smaller depression in the far north reaches a depth of 528 m (1,732 ft). The southern half of the lake is shallower; less than 400 m (1,300 ft) in the south-central part and less than 200 m (660 ft) in the far south. The lake has shorelines on western Mozambique , eastern Malawi , and southern Tanzania . The largest river flowing into it
776-516: A major producer of gold around this same period. Economic, social, and religious power was increasingly vested in Kilwa , Tanzania's major medieval city-state. Kilwa controlled a number of smaller ports stretching down to modern-day Mozambique. Sofala became the major gold emporium and Kilwa grew rich off the trade, lying at the southern end of the Indian Ocean Monsoons. Kilwa's major rivals lay to
873-646: A manner comparable to the egg-spots on the anal fin of haplochromines. The vast majority of the fish species in the lake are cichlids. Among the non-cichlid native fish are several species of cyprinids (in genera Barbus , Labeo and Opsaridium , and the Lake Malawi sardine Engraulicypris sardella ), airbreathing catfish ( Bathyclarias and Clarias , and the kampango Bagrus meridionalis ), mochokid catfish ( Chiloglanis and Malawi squeaker Synodontis njassae ), Mastacembelus spiny eel, mormyrids ( Marcusenius , Mormyrops and Petrocephalus ),
970-424: A significant population of African fish eagles that feed off fish from the lake. Lake Malawi has for millennia provided a major food source to the residents of its shores since its waters are rich in fish. Among the most popular are the four species of chambo, consisting of any one of four species in the subgenus Nyasalapia ( Oreochromis karongae , O. lidole , O. saka and O. squamipinnis ), as well as
1067-601: A small amount of imported pottery has been found, less than 1% of total pottery finds, mostly from the Gulf and dated to the 5th to 8th century. The similarity to contemporary sites such as Mkokotoni and Dar es Salaam indicate a unified group of communities that developed into the first centre of coastal maritime culture. The coastal towns appear to have been engaged in Indian Ocean and inland African trade at this early period. Trade rapidly increased in importance and quantity beginning in
SECTION 10
#17328516815981164-563: A type of high-heat blast furnace , which allowed them to forge carbon steel at temperatures exceeding 1,820 °C (3,310 °F) more than 1,500 years ago. Travelers and merchants from the Persian Gulf and India have visited the east African coast since early in the first millennium AD. Islam was practiced by some on the Swahili Coast as early as the eighth or ninth century AD. Bantu-speakers built farming and trade villages along
1261-477: A wide variety of animal habitats. On Tanzania's Serengeti plain, white-bearded wildebeest ( Connochaetes taurinus mearnsi ), other bovids and zebra participate in a large-scale annual migration. Tanzania is home to about 130 amphibian and over 275 reptile species, many of them strictly endemic and included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature 's Red Lists of countries. Tanzania has
1358-513: A year, TANU had become the leading political organisation in the country. Nyerere became Minister of British-administered Tanganyika in 1960 and continued as prime minister when Tanganyika became independent in 1961. British rule came to an end on 9 December 1961. Elizabeth II , who had acceded to the British throne in 1952, continued to reign through the first year of Tanganyika's independence, but now distinctly as Queen of Tanganyika , represented by
1455-562: Is Freeman Mbowe . In Zanzibar, the country's semi-autonomous state, The Alliance for Change and Transparency-Wazalendo is (ACT-Wazalendo) is considered the main opposition political party. The constitution of Zanzibar requires the party that comes in second in the polls to join a coalition with the winning party. ACT-Wazalendo joined a coalition government with the islands' ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi in December 2020 after Zanzibar disputed elections . In November 2020, Magufuli once again
1552-418: Is alkaline ( pH 7.7–8.6) and warm with a typical surface temperature between 24 and 29 °C (75–84 °F), while deep sections typically are about 22 °C (72 °F). The thermocline is located at a depth of 40–100 m (130–330 ft). The oxygen limit is at a depth of approximately 250 m (820 ft), effectively restricting fish and other aerobic organisms to the upper part. The water
1649-568: Is home to more species of fish than any other lake in the world, including at least 700 species of cichlids . The Mozambique portion of the lake was officially declared a reserve by the Government of Mozambique on June 10, 2011, while in Malawi a portion of the lake is included in Lake Malawi National Park . Lake Malawi is a meromictic lake , meaning that its water layers do not mix. The permanent stratification of Lake Malawi's water and
1746-466: Is located at the southern end of the lake. Malawi is one of the major Rift Valley lakes and an ancient lake . The lake lies in a valley formed by the opening of the East African Rift , where the African tectonic plate is being split into two pieces. This is called a divergent plate tectonics boundary. Malawi has typically been estimated to be 1–2 million years old (mya), but more recent evidence points to
1843-579: Is not found in the lake. Pelagic zooplanktonic species include two cladocerans ( Diaphanosoma excisum and Bosmina longirostris ), three copepods ( Tropodiaptomus cunningtoni , Thermocyclops neglectus and Mesocyclops aequatorialis ), and several ostracods (including both described and undescribed species ). Lake Malawi is famous for the huge swarms of tiny, harmless lake flies, Chaoborus edulis . These swarms, typically appearing far out over water, can be mistaken for plumes of smoke and were also noticed by David Livingstone when he visited
1940-564: Is part of a group of relatively peaceful species popularly known as peacock cichlids . 5. Fossorochromis rostratus is an "aberrant" hap that often sifts mouthfuls of sand to extract small food organisms. 6. Like many mbuna , Pseudotropheus saulosi is a small cichlid where both male (blue and black) and female (yellow) are colorful. Lake Malawi is noted for being the site of evolutionary radiations among several groups of animals, most notably cichlid fish. There are at least 700 cichlid species in Lake Malawi, with some estimating that
2037-535: Is sometimes understood as a reference to Lake Tanganyika . The name of Zanzibar derives from Zanj , the name of a local people (said to mean "black"), and Arabic barr "coast" or "shore." Tanzania is one of the oldest continuously inhabited areas on Earth. Traces of fossil remains of humans and hominids date back to the Quaternary era. The Olduvai Gorge , in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area ,
SECTION 20
#17328516815982134-625: Is spoken in Zanzibar . Tanzania is mountainous and densely forested in the north-east, where Mount Kilimanjaro , the highest mountain in Africa and the highest single free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, is located. Three of the African Great Lakes are partly within Tanzania. To the north and west lie Lake Victoria , Africa's largest lake, and Lake Tanganyika , the continent's deepest lake, known for its unique species of fish. To
2231-734: Is the Ruhuhu River , and there is an outlet at its southern end, the Shire River , a tributary that flows into the Zambezi River in Mozambique. Evaporation accounts for more than 80% of the water loss from the lake, considerably more than the outflowing Shire River. The outflows from Lake Malawi into the Shire River are vital for the economy as the water resources support hydropower, irrigation and downstream biodiversity. Concerns have been raised over
2328-649: Is the 13th largest country in Africa and the 31st largest in the world, ranked between the larger Egypt and smaller Nigeria. It borders Kenya and Uganda to the north; Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. Tanzania is located on the eastern coast of Africa and has an Indian Ocean coastline approximately 1,424 kilometres (885 mi) long. It also incorporates several offshore islands, including Unguja (Zanzibar), Pemba , and Mafia . The country
2425-510: Is the largest religion in Tanzania , with substantial Muslim and Animist minorities. Over 100 languages are spoken in Tanzania , making it the most linguistically diverse country in East Africa; the country does not have a de jure official language, although the national language is Swahili . English is used in foreign trade, in diplomacy, in higher courts, and as a medium of instruction in secondary and higher education, while Arabic
2522-472: Is the site of Africa's highest and lowest points: Mount Kilimanjaro , at 5,895 metres (19,341 ft) above sea level, and the floor of Lake Tanganyika , at 1,471 metres (4,826 ft) below sea level, respectively. Tanzania is mountainous and densely forested in the northeast, where Mount Kilimanjaro is located. Three of Africa's Great Lakes are partly within Tanzania. To the north and west lie Lake Victoria , Africa's largest lake, and Lake Tanganyika ,
2619-439: Is very clear for a lake and the visibility can be up to 20 m (66 ft), but slightly less than half this figure is more common and it is below 3 m (10 ft) in muddy bays. However, during the rainy season months of January to March, the waters are more muddy due to muddy river inflows. The Portuguese trader Candido José da Costa Cardoso was the first European to visit the lake in 1846. David Livingstone reached
2716-449: The African tetra Brycinus imberi , the poeciliid Aplocheilichthys johnstoni , the spotted killifish ( Nothobranchius orthonotus ), and the mottled eel ( Anguilla nebulosa ). At a genus level, most of these are widespread in Africa, but Bathyclarias is entirely restricted to the lake. Lake Malawi is home to 28 species of freshwater snails (including 16 endemics) and 9 bivalves (2 endemics, Aspatharia subreniformis and
2813-1064: The Allied forces and were among the 375,000 Africans who fought with those forces. Tanganyikans fought in units of the King's African Rifles during the East African Campaign in Somalia and Abyssinia against the Italians, in Madagascar against the Vichy French during the Madagascar Campaign , and in Burma against the Japanese during the Burma Campaign . Tanganyika was an important source of food during this war, and its export income increased greatly compared to
2910-607: The Iraqw , Gorowa , and Burunge . Based on linguistic evidence, there may also have been two movements into Tanzania of Eastern Cushitic people at about 4,000 and 2,000 years ago, originating from north of Lake Turkana . Archaeological evidence supports the conclusion that Southern Nilotes , including the Datoog , moved south from the present-day South Sudan / Ethiopia border region into central northern Tanzania between 2,900 and 2,400 years ago. These movements took place at approximately
3007-452: The Maasai , represent a more recent migration from present-day South Sudan within the past 500 to 1,500 years. The people of Tanzania have been associated with the production of iron and steel. The Pare people were the main producers of sought-after iron for peoples who occupied the mountain regions of north-eastern Tanzania. The Haya people on the western shores of Lake Victoria invented
Lake Malawi - Misplaced Pages Continue
3104-694: The UNESCO World Heritage List . From the mid-1980s, the regime financed itself by borrowing from the International Monetary Fund and underwent some reforms. Since then, Tanzania's gross domestic product per capita has grown and poverty has been reduced, according to a report by the World Bank. In 1992, the Constitution of Tanzania was amended to allow multiple political parties. In Tanzania's first multi-party elections, held in 1995,
3201-622: The governor general . Tanganyika also joined the British Commonwealth in 1961. On 9 December 1962, Tanganyika became a democratic republic under an executive president. After the Zanzibar Revolution overthrew the Arab dynasty in neighbouring Zanzibar , accompanied with the slaughter of thousands of Arab Zanzibaris, which had become independent in 1963, the archipelago merged with mainland Tanganyika on 26 April 1964. The new country
3298-486: The unionid Nyassunio nyassaensis ). The endemic freshwater snails are all members of the genera Bellamya , Bulinus , Gabbiella , Lanistes and Melanoides . Lake Malawi is home to a total of four snail species in the genus Bulinus , which is a known intermediate host of bilharzia . A survey in Monkey Bay in 1964 found two endemic species of snails of the genus ( B. nyassanus and B. succinoides ) in
3395-560: The 1890s, slavery was abolished. In 1863, the Holy Ghost Mission established an early reception center and depot at Zanzibar. In 1877, responding to appeals of Henry Stanley following his trans-Africa expedition , and permission being given to Stanley by King Mutessa I of Buganda , the Church Missionary Society sent missionaries Edward Baxter and Henry Cole to establish inland missions. In 1885, Germany conquered
3492-562: The 21st century. In 2012, Malawi's oil exploration initiative brought the issue to the fore, with Tanzania demanding that exploration cease until the dispute was settled. In 1954, an agreement was signed between the British and the Portuguese making the middle of the lake their boundary with the exception of Chizumulu Island and Likoma Island , which were kept by the British and are now part of Malawi. MV Chauncy Maples began service on
3589-734: The Anglo-Belgian agreement of 30 May 1919 where Britain ceded the north-western GEA provinces of Ruanda and Urundi to Belgium. The conference's Commission on Mandates ratified this agreement on 16 July 1919. The Supreme Council accepted the agreement on 7 August 1919. On 12 July 1919, the Commission on Mandates agreed that the small Kionga Triangle south of the Rovuma River would be given to Portuguese Mozambique , with it eventually becoming part of independent Mozambique. The commission reasoned that Germany had virtually forced Portugal to cede
3686-673: The Constitution has a term limit: a president can serve a maximum of two terms. Each term is five years. Every president has represented the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). President Magufuli won a landslide victory and re-election in October 2020. According to the opposition, the election was full of fraud and irregularities. On 17 March 2021, President John Magufuli died in office. Magufuli's vice president, Samia Suluhu Hassan , became Tanzania's first female president. At 947,403 square kilometres (365,794 sq mi), Tanzania
3783-463: The Lake Malawi system, as well as the closely related O. shiranus , which also is found in Lake Chilwa . The Malawi Oreochromis mainly feed on phytoplankton , reach lengths up to 26–42 cm (10–17 in) depending on the exact species, and are mostly black or silvery-gray with relatively indistinct dark bars. Male chambo have unique genital tassels when breeding, which aid in egg fertilisation in
3880-727: The Lake of Storms. On 16 August 1914, Lake Malawi was the scene of a brief naval battle during World War I . The British gunboat SS Gwendolen , commanded by a Captain Rhoades, received orders from the British Empire's high command to "sink, burn, or destroy" the German Empire's only gunboat on the lake, the Hermann von Wissmann , commanded by Captain Berndt. Rhoades's crew found the Hermann von Wissmann in
3977-583: The Malawi system, which also includes nearby smaller Lake Malombe and the upper Shire River. Many of these have become popular among aquarium owners due to their bright colors. Recreating a Lake Malawi biotope to host cichlids became quite popular in the aquarium hobby. Most Malawi cichlids are found in relatively shallow coastal waters, but Diplotaxodon has been recorded down to depths of 200–220 m (660–720 ft) and several (especially Diplotaxodon , Rhamphochromis and Copadichromis quadrimaculatus ) are known from pelagic waters. The cichlids of
Lake Malawi - Misplaced Pages Continue
4074-557: The Stone and Bronze Age, prehistoric migrations into Tanzania included Southern Cushitic speakers who moved south from present-day Ethiopia; Eastern Cushitic people who moved into Tanzania from north of Lake Turkana about 2,000 and 4,000 years ago; and the Southern Nilotes , including the Datoog , who originated from the present-day South Sudan–Ethiopia border region between 2,900 and 2,400 years ago. These movements took place at about
4171-485: The Tanzanian coast from the outset of the first millennium. Archaeological finds at Fukuchani , on the north-west coast of Zanzibar, indicate a settled agricultural and fishing community from the 6th century CE at the latest. The considerable amount of daub found indicates timber buildings, and shell beads, bead grinders, and iron slag have been found at the site. There is evidence for limited engagement in long-distance trade:
4268-412: The actual figure is as high as 1,000 species. The actual number is labelled with some uncertainty because of the many undescribed species and the extreme variation among some species, making the task of delimiting them very complex. Except for four species ( Astatotilapia calliptera , Coptodon rendalli , Oreochromis shiranus and Serranochromis robustus ), all cichlids in the lake are endemic to
4365-514: The adults die. The larvae are an important food source for fish, and the adult flies are important both to birds and local people, who collect them to make kungu cakes/burgers, a local delicacy with a very high protein content. In January 2015, a sediment control tank collapsed at the Paladin Energy -owned uranium mine in Northern Malawi after a high intensity rain storm hit the area. It
4462-429: The bilharzia parasite. Unlike Lake Tanganyika with its many endemic freshwater crabs and shrimp, there are few such species in Lake Malawi. The Malawi blue crab, Potamonautes lirrangensis ( syn. P. orbitospinus ), is the only crab in the lake and it is not endemic. The atyid shrimp Caridina malawensis is endemic to the lake, but it is poorly known and has historically been confused with C. nilotica , which
4559-462: The border with Zambia. The Menai Bay Conservation Area is Zanzibar's largest marine protected area. Climate varies greatly within Tanzania. In the highlands, temperatures range between 10 and 20 °C (50 and 68 °F) during cold and hot seasons respectively. The rest of the country has temperatures rarely falling lower than 20 °C (68 °F). The hottest period extends between November and February (25–31 °C or 77.0–87.8 °F) while
4656-476: The closely related O. shiranus . Other species that support important fisheries include the Lake Malawi sardine ( Engraulicypris sardella ) and the large kampango catfish ( Bagrus meridionalis ). Most fishing provides food for the increasing human population near the lake, but some are exported from Malawi. The wild population of fish is increasingly threatened by overfishing and water pollution . A drop in
4753-405: The coldest period occurs between May and August (15–20 °C or 59–68 °F). Annual temperature is 20 °C (68.0 °F). The climate is cool in high mountainous regions. Tanzania has two major rainfall periods: one is uni-modal (October–April) and the other is bi-modal (October–December and March–May). The former is experienced in southern, central, and western parts of the country, and
4850-492: The continent's deepest lake, known for its unique species of fish. To the southwest lies Lake Nyasa . Central Tanzania is a large plateau, with plains and arable land. The eastern shore is hot and humid, with the Zanzibar Archipelago just offshore. Kalambo Falls in the southwestern region of Rukwa is the second highest uninterrupted waterfall in Africa, and is located near the southeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika on
4947-448: The country's largest city, principal port, and leading commercial centre. Tanzania is a de facto one-party state with the democratic socialist Chama Cha Mapinduzi party in power. The country has not experienced major internal strife since independence and is seen as one of the safest and most politically stable on the continent. Tanzania's population comprises about 120 ethnic , linguistic , and religious groups. Christianity
SECTION 50
#17328516815985044-484: The country's president. The president of Tanzania and the members of the National Assembly are elected concurrently by direct popular vote for five-year terms. The vice-president is elected for a five-year term at the same time as the president and on the same ticket. Neither the president nor the vice-president may be a member of the National Assembly. The president appoints a prime minister from among
5141-454: The current conditions only appeared about 60,000 years ago. Major low-water periods are estimated to have occurred about 1.6 to 1.0–0.57 million years ago (where it might have dried out completely), 420,000 to 250,000–110,000 years ago, about 25,000 years ago and 18,000–10,700 years ago. During the peak of the low-water period between 1390 and 1860 AD , it may have been 120–150 m (390–490 ft) below current water levels. The lake's water
5238-465: The declaration, banks and many large industries were nationalised. Tanzania was also aligned with China, which from 1970 to 1975 financed and helped build the 1,860-kilometre-long (1,160 mi) TAZARA Railway from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to Kapiri-Mposhi, Zambia. Nonetheless, from the late 1970s, Tanzania's economy took a turn for the worse, in the context of an international economic crisis affecting both developed and developing economies. In 1978,
5335-582: The first person to swim the full length of Lake Malawi (54 days), as well as setting the world record for longest solo swim in a lake Tanzania Tanzania , officially the United Republic of Tanzania , is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to
5432-479: The future climate change impacts of Lake Malawi due to the recent decline in lake levels and the overall drying trend. The climate in the lake region is already experiencing changes, with the temperatures predicted to increase throughout the country. The lake is about 350 kilometres (220 mi) southeast of Lake Tanganyika , another of the great lakes of the East African Rift. The Lake Malawi National Park
5529-430: The growing concern of the negative impacts of climate change and climate variability on the country's social, economic and physical environment. Tanzania contains around 20% of the species of Africa's enormous warm-blooded animal populace, found over its 21 National parks, reserves, 1 conservation area, and 3 marine parks. Spread over a zone of in excess of 42,000 square kilometres (16,000 sq. mi) and shaping around 38% of
5626-531: The international border runs through the middle of the lake. On the other hand, Malawi claims the whole of the surface of this lake that is not in Mozambique, including the waters that are next to the shoreline of Tanzania. Both sides cite the Heligoland Treaty of 1890 between Great Britain and Germany concerning the border. The wrangle in this dispute occurred when the British colonial government, just after they had captured Tanganyika from Germany, placed all of
5723-497: The lake are divided into two groups and the vast majority of the species are haplochromines . The sister species to the Malawi haplochromines is Astatotilapia sp. Ruaha (a currently undescribed species from Great Ruaha River ), and these two separated between 2.13 and 6.76 million years ago (mya). The earliest divergence within the Malawi haplochromines occurred between 1.20 and 4.06 mya, but most radiations in this group are far younger; in extreme cases species may have diverged only
5820-427: The lake in 1859, and named it Lake Nyasa. He also referred to it by a pair of nicknames: Lake of Stars and Lake of Storms. The Lake of Stars nickname came after Livingstone observed lights from the lanterns of the fishermen in Malawi on their boats, that resemble, from a distance, stars in the sky. Later, after experiencing the unpredictable and extremely violent gales that sweep through the area, he also referred to it as
5917-634: The lake in 1901 as the SS Chauncy Maples : a floating clinic and church for the Universities' Mission to Central Africa . She later served as a ferry and is currently being renovated into a mobile clinic at Monkey Bay . The renovation was expected to be complete during the first half of 2014, but was halted in 2017. MV Mpasa entered service in 1935. The ferry MV Ilala entered service in 1951. In recent years she has often been out of service, but when operational she runs between Monkey Bay at
SECTION 60
#17328516815986014-564: The lake's water level represents another threat, and is believed to be driven by water extraction by the increasing human population, climate change and deforestation . The chambo and kampango have been particularly overfished (the kampango declined by about 90% from 2006 to 2016, O. karongae and O. squamipinnis by about 94%, and O. lidole might already be extinct) and they are now seriously threatened . The IUCN recognises 117 species of Malawi cichlids as threatened; some of these have tiny ranges and may be restricted to rocky coastlines only
6111-491: The lake, and two non-endemic species ( B. globosus and B. forskalli ) in lagoons separated from it. The latter species are known intermediate hosts of bilharzia, and larvae of the parasite were detected in water containing these, but in experiments C. Wright of the British Museum of Natural History was unable to infect the two species endemic to the lake with the parasites. The field workers, who spent many hours on and in
6208-400: The lake, did not find either B. globosus or B. forskalli in the lake itself. More recently, the disease has become a problem in the lake itself as the endemic B. nyassanus has become an intermediate host. This change, first noticed in the mid-1980s, is possibly related to a decline in snail-eating cichlids (for example, Trematocranus placodon ) due to overfishing and/or a new strain of
6305-404: The lake. The aquatic larvae feed on zooplankton, spending the day at the bottom and the night in the upper water levels. When they pupate they float to the surface and transform into adult flies. The adults are very short-lived and the swarms, which can be several hundred metres tall and often have a spiraling shape, are part of their mating behaviour. They lay their eggs at the water's surface and
6402-465: The largest lion population in the world. Tanzania had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 7.13/10, ranking it 54th globally out of 172 countries. Tanzania is a one-party dominant state with the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party in power. From its formation until 1992, it was the only legally permitted party in the country. This changed on 1 July 1992, when the constitution
6499-481: The latter is found in the north from Lake Victoria extending east to the coast. The bi-modal rainfall is caused by the seasonal migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone . Climate change in Tanzania is resulting in rising temperatures with a higher likelihood of intense rainfall events (resulting in flooding) and of dry spells (resulting in droughts). Climate change is already impacting
6596-513: The mbuna, a name used both locally and popularly, which means "rockfish" in Tonga . They are found at rocky outcrops, territorially aggressive (although commonly found in high densities) and often specialised aufwuchs feeders. The mbuna species tend to be relatively small, mostly less than 13 cm (5 in) long, and often both sexes are brightly colored with males having egg-shaped yellow spots on their anal fin (a feature particularly prevalent in
6693-562: The mbuna, but not exclusive to this group). The second group, the tilapia , comprises only six species in two genera in Lake Malawi: The redbreast tilapia ( Coptodon rendalli ), a widespread African species, is the only substrate-spawning cichlid in the lake. This large cichlid mainly feeds on macrophytes . The remaining are five mouthbrooding species of Oreochromis ; four chambo in the subgenus Nyasalapia ( O. karongae , O. lidole , O. saka and O. squamipinnis ) that are endemic to
6790-804: The mid-8th century and by the close of the 10th century Zanzibar was one of the central Swahili trading towns. Growth in Egyptian and Persian shipping from the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf revitalised Indian Ocean trade , particularly after the Fatimid Caliphate relocated to Fustat (Cairo). Swahili agriculturalists built increasingly dense settlements to tap into trade, these forming the earliest Swahili city-states. The Venda-Shona Kingdoms of Mapungubwe and Zimbabwe in South Africa and Zimbabwe , respectively, became
6887-412: The nation's area. Tanzania has 21 national parks, plus a variety of game and forest reserves, including the Ngorongoro Conservation Area , however the local human population still has an impact on the environment. In western Tanzania, Gombe Stream National Park is the site of Jane Goodall 's ongoing study of chimpanzee behaviour, which started in 1960. Tanzania is highly biodiverse and contains
6984-452: The neighbouring Uganda, under the leadership of Idi Amin, invaded Tanzania . This disastrous invasion would culminate in Tanzania invading Uganda with the aid of Ugandan rebels and deposing Idi Amin as a result. However, the war severely damaged Tanzania's economy. Through the 1980s, conservation oriented national parks such as Serengeti and Kilimanjaro , with Mount Kilimanjaro as the tallest freestanding summit on Earth, were included on
7081-584: The north, in modern-day Kenya, namely Mombasa and Malindi. Kilwa remained the major power in East Africa until the arrival of the Portuguese at the end of the 15th century. Claiming the coastal strip, Omani Sultan Said bin Sultan moved his capital to Zanzibar City in 1840. During this time, Zanzibar became the centre for the east African slave trade . Between 65 and 90 per cent of the Swahili population of Zanzibar
7178-504: The open-water (although often not far from sand or rocks) utaka that feed in schools on zooplankton and typically are of medium size, and finally a subgroup of "aberrant" species that essentially are defined by them not fitting clearly into the other subgroups. Adult male haps generally display bright colors, while juveniles of both sexes and adult females typically show a silvery or grey coloration with sometimes irregular black bars or other markings. The second main haplochromine group are
7275-421: The oxic- anoxic boundary are maintained by moderately small chemical and thermal gradients . Lake Malawi is between 560 kilometres (350 mi) and 580 kilometres (360 mi) long, and about 75 kilometres (47 mi) wide at its widest point. The lake has a total surface area of about 29,600 square kilometres (11,400 sq mi). The lake is 706 m (2,316 ft) at its deepest point , located in
7372-470: The pre-war years of the Great Depression . Wartime demand, however, caused increased commodity prices and massive inflation within the colony. In 1954, Julius Nyerere transformed an organisation into the politically oriented Tanganyika African National Union (TANU). TANU's main objective was to achieve national sovereignty for Tanganyika. A campaign to register new members was launched, and within
7469-416: The regions that are now Tanzania (minus Zanzibar) and incorporated them into German East Africa (GEA). The Supreme Council of the 1919 Paris Peace Conference awarded all of GEA to Britain on 7 May 1919, over the strenuous objections of Belgium. The British colonial secretary , Alfred Milner , and Belgium's minister plenipotentiary to the conference, Pierre Orts [ fr ] , then negotiated
7566-470: The rest of the continent, notably its immediate neighbour, Kenya. Furthermore, since its independence, Tanzania has displayed more political stability than most African countries, particularly due to Nyerere's ethnic repression methods. In 1967, Nyerere's first presidency took a turn to the left after the Arusha Declaration , which codified a commitment to socialism as well as Pan-Africanism . After
7663-470: The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi won 186 of the 232 elected seats in the National Assembly, and Benjamin Mkapa was elected as president. The presidents of Tanzania since Independence have been Julius Nyerere 1962–1985, Ali Hassan Mwinyi 1985–1995, Benjamin Mkapa 1995–2005, Jakaya Kikwete 2005–2015, John Magufuli 2015–2021, and Samia Hassan Suluhu since 2021. After the long tenure of president Nyerere,
7760-556: The same time as the settlement of the Mashariki Bantu from West Africa in the Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika areas. In the late 19th century, the mainland came under German rule as German East Africa , and this was followed by British rule after World War I when it was governed as Tanganyika , with the Zanzibar Archipelago remaining a separate colonial jurisdiction. Following their respective independence in 1961 and 1963,
7857-454: The same time as the settlement of the iron-making Mashariki (Eastern) Bantu from West Africa in the Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika areas, as part of the centuries-long Bantu expansion . The Bantu peoples brought with them the west African planting tradition and the primary staple of yams . They subsequently migrated out of these regions across the rest of Tanzania between 2,300 and 1,700 years ago. Eastern Nilotic peoples, including
7954-488: The sectors in Tanzania of agriculture, water resources, health and energy. Sea level rise and changes in the quality of water are expected to impact fisheries and aquaculture. Tanzania produced a National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) in 2007 as mandated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change . In 2012, Tanzania produced a National Climate Change Strategy in response to
8051-585: The south lies Lake Malawi . The eastern shore is hot and humid, with the Zanzibar Archipelago just offshore. The Menai Bay Conservation Area is Zanzibar's largest marine protected area. The Kalambo Falls , located on the Kalambo River at the Zambian border, is the second-highest uninterrupted waterfall in Africa. Tanzania is one of the most visited tourist destinations for safaris . The name Tanzania
8148-485: 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 around 62 million, making it the most populous country located entirely south of the equator. Many important hominid fossils have been found in Tanzania. In
8245-477: The southern end of the lake to Karonga on the northern end, and occasionally to the Iringa Region of Tanzania. The ferry MV Mtendere entered service in 1980. By 1982 she was carrying 100,000 passengers each year., but as of 2014 she was out of service. She normally serves the southern part of the lake but if Ilala was out of service she operated the route to Karonga. The Tanzanian ferry MV Songea
8342-485: The state of Tanzania, President Nyerere emphasised a need to construct a national identity for the citizens of the new country. To achieve this, Nyerere provided what is regarded as one of the most successful cases of ethnic repression and identity transformation in Africa. With more than 130 languages spoken within its territory, Tanzania is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Africa. Despite this obstacle, ethnic divisions remained rare in Tanzania when compared to
8439-481: The triangle in 1894. The Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28 June 1919, although the treaty did not take effect until 10 January 1920. On that date, the GEA was transferred officially to Britain, Belgium, and Portugal. Also on that date, "Tanganyika" became the name of the British territory. In the mid-1920s, the British implemented a system of indirect rule in Tanzania. The Maji Maji Rebellion , between 1905 and 1907,
8536-633: The two entities merged in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. Tanganyika joined the British Commonwealth and Tanzania remains a member of the Commonwealth as a unified republic. Today, the country is a presidential constitutional republic with the federal capital located in Government City (Dodoma) ; the former capital, Dar es Salaam , retains most government offices and is
8633-461: The waters of the lake under a single jurisdiction, that of the territory of Nyasaland , without a separate administration for the Tanganyikan portion of the surface. Later in colonial times, two jurisdictions were established. The dispute came to a head in 1967 when Tanzania officially protested to Malawi; however nothing was settled. Occasional flare-ups of conflict occurred during the 1990s and in
8730-432: Was amended. It has held power since independence in 1961, and is the longest-serving ruling party in Africa. John Magufuli won the October 2015 presidential election and secured a two-thirds majority in parliament. The main opposition party in Tanzania since multiparty politics in 1992 is called Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) ( Swahili for "Party for Democracy and Progress"). The leader of Chadema party
8827-472: Was an uprising of several African tribes in German East Africa against the colonial authorities, in particular because of forced labour and deportation of certain tribes. It was the subject of a bloody repression, which combined with famine caused 300,000 deaths among the population, out of a Tanganyikan population of about four million. During World War II , about 100,000 people from Tanganyika joined
8924-658: Was built in 1988. Her operator was the Tanzania Railway Corporation Marine Division until 1997, when it became the Marine Services Company Limited . Songea plies weekly between Liuli and Nkhata Bay via Itungi and Mbamba Bay . The worst Lake disaster was the sinking of the MV ; Vipya in 1946, which resulted in 145 deaths. Wildlife found in and around Lake Malawi or Nyasa includes Nile crocodiles , hippopotamus , monkeys , and
9021-409: Was created as a clipped compound of the names of the two states that unified to create the country: Tanganyika and Zanzibar . It consists of the first three letters of the names of the two states ("Tan" and "Zan") and the suffix "-ia." The name Tanganyika is derived from the Swahili words tanga "sail" and nyika "uninhabited plain, wilderness", creating the phrase "sail in the wilderness". It
9118-426: Was declared the winner for his second term as president. Election fraud was suspected. The national electoral commission announced that Magufuli received 84%, or about 12.5 million votes and the top opposition candidate, Tundu Lissu received 13%, about 1.9 million votes. In March 2021, it was announced that Magufuli had died whilst serving in office, meaning that his vice president, Samia Suluhu Hassan , became
9215-508: Was enslaved. One of the most infamous slave traders on the East African coast was Tippu Tip , who was the grandson of an enslaved African. The Nyamwezi slave traders operated under the leadership of Msiri and Mirambo . According to Timothy Insoll , "Figures record the exporting of 718,000 slaves from the Swahili coast during the 19th century, and the retention of 769,000 on the coast." In
9312-1261: Was revealed that approximately 50 litres of non radioactive material leaked into a local creek. Despite reports in local media of radioactive contamination the government conducted independent scientific tests on the local river system and found that there was no effect on the environment. The 25 km solo swim across Lake Malawi between Cape Ngomba and Senga Bay has been accomplished on 5 occasions by 16 swimmers 1992: Lewis Pugh 9hrs 52 minutes (UK/South Africa) and Otto Thanning (South Africa) 10hrs 5 minutes 2010: Abigail Brown (UK) 9hrs 45 minutes 2013: Milko van Gool (Netherlands) 8hrs 46 minutes and Kaitlin Harthoorn (US) 9hrs 17 minutes 2016: (current record) Jean Craven (South Africa), Robert Dunford (Kenya), Michiel Le Roux (South Africa), Samantha Whelpton (South Africa), Greig Bannatyne (South Africa), Haydn Von Maltitz (South Africa), Douglas Livingstone-Blevins (South Africa) 7hrs 53 mins 2019: Chris Stapley ( Eswatini ) and Jay Azran (South Africa) 8hrs 40 minutes, Andrew Stevens ( Australia ) 10hrs 50 minutes, and Ruth Azran (South Africa) 11hrs 8 minutes. That same year, Martin Hobbs (South Africa), became
9409-676: Was then named the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar . On 29 October of the same year, the country was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania ("Tan" comes from Tanganyika and "Zan" from Zanzibar). The union of the two hitherto separate regions was controversial among many Zanzibaris (even those sympathetic to the revolution) but was accepted by both the Nyerere government and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar owing to shared political values and goals. Following Tanganyika's independence and unification with Zanzibar leading to
#597402