Discover your Tanzanian roots

Questions to ask the older generation

Memories fade faster than photos. Ask these over a meal or a phone call, and write the answers down.

1. Which town or region of Tanzania did our family come from? Was it near Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Arusha?
2. Who was the first in the family to leave Tanzania, when, and why?
3. Which dishes from Tanzania were cooked at home? Did anyone make Ugali or Nyama choma?
4. Does anyone in the family still speak Swahili, or use a few words of it?
5. Were there songs, prayers, games or holidays from Tanzania that the family kept?
6. Are there old photos, letters or documents from Tanzania? Who has them?
7. If you could visit Tanzania together, where would you go first?

A short history of Tanzania

Some of the oldest remains of early humans were found in northern Tanzania. Over thousands of years Cushitic, Nilotic and Bantu-speaking peoples settled the land, and from the first millennium AD Swahili trading towns such as Kilwa grew rich along the coast. The Portuguese arrived around 1500, followed by the sultans of Oman, who made Zanzibar their capital. Germany took the mainland in the 1880s and Britain after the First World War. Tanganyika became independent in 1961, Zanzibar in 1963, and in 1964 they united as Tanzania.

1. 1331

   Ibn Battuta visits Kilwa

   The Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta visited Kilwa, then the richest Swahili city-state on the coast, and described it as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Kilwa grew wealthy from the gold trade from the south.

2. 1840

   The Sultan of Oman moves his capital to Zanzibar

   Sultan Said bin Sultan moved his capital from Muscat in Oman to Stone Town on Zanzibar. The island grew rich from cloves and trade, but also became the centre of the East African slave trade.

3. 1873

   Britain forces an end to the Zanzibar slave trade

   Under a British ultimatum, Sultan Barghash bin Said agreed in June 1873 to end the slave trade by sea from Zanzibar, and the great slave market in Stone Town was closed. Slavery itself was only abolished in the 1890s.

4. 1889

   First recorded ascent of Kilimanjaro

   The German geographer Hans Meyer and the Austrian climber Ludwig Purtscheller reached the highest point of Kilimanjaro, helped by local porters and guides. The summit was later renamed Uhuru Peak, 'Freedom Peak' in Swahili.

5. 1920

   The mainland becomes Tanganyika

   After Germany's defeat in the First World War, most of German East Africa passed to Britain, and on 10 January 1920 the territory took the name Tanganyika. Britain ruled it under a League of Nations mandate.

6. 1961

   Tanganyika becomes independent

   On 9 December 1961 Tanganyika became independent from Britain, with Julius Nyerere as prime minister. A year later it became a republic, with Nyerere as its first president.

7. 1964

   Tanganyika and Zanzibar unite

   On 26 April 1964 Tanganyika and Zanzibar joined as one country. In October of the same year it took the name the United Republic of Tanzania, made from the first letters of both names.

8. 1992

   Multiparty politics returns

   On 1 July 1992 the constitution was changed to allow political parties other than the ruling party, which had been the only legal party. The first multiparty elections were held in 1995.

Family recipes to cook together

Ugali 20 min · serves 4Chipsi mayai 30 min · serves 2Pilau 1 h 40 min · serves 6Rice and beans 35 min · serves 4Kachumbari 15 min · serves 4

Swahili words to teach the grandchildren

Towns and regions

• Dodoma, Dodoma Region, in the centre of the country: The National Assembly (Bunge), The new Government City on the edge of town.
• Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam Region, on the Indian Ocean coast: The busy Kariakoo market, Ferries to Zanzibar.
• Mwanza, Mwanza Region, on the southern shore of Lake Victoria: Bismarck Rock, standing in the lake, Fishing for Nile perch and tilapia.
• Arusha, Arusha Region, in the northern highlands: Safari trips to the northern parks, Mount Meru and Arusha National Park.
• Zanzibar City, Unguja island, Zanzibar: Stone Town and its carved wooden doors, The evening food market in Forodhani Gardens.
• Mbeya, Mbeya Region, in the southern highlands: Farming: maize, rice, bananas and potatoes, The Great North Road towards Zambia and Malawi.
• Moshi, Kilimanjaro Region, in the northeast: Views of Kilimanjaro, Starting point for Kilimanjaro climbs.
• Tanga, Tanga Region, on the northern coast: The port and old colonial buildings, Tanga Bay.
• Morogoro, Morogoro Region, in the east: The Uluguru Mountains, Sokoine University of Agriculture.
• Kigoma, Kigoma Region, on Lake Tanganyika: Lake Tanganyika, Boats to Gombe and its chimpanzees.
• Bagamoyo, Pwani Region, on the coast north of Dar es Salaam: Old Arab and German buildings, The Kaole ruins of the 1200s.
• Kilwa Masoko, Lindi Region, on the southern coast: Boats to the ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani, Fishing and quiet beaches.