Zanzibar
The islands of Zanzibar stir the imagination and conjure up images of magical Arabian nights, the scent of spices on the evening air and spirit of ages gone by. The name Zanzibar has such a romantic and exotic ring to it that some visitors are easily led to a comparison with “the ancient Baghdad of Haroun el Rashidâ€. From a distance, the whitewashed buildings of the stone town apparently dancing on the waves of the Indian Ocean create the feeling of adventure and the excitement of going back in time.
Zanzibar is part of the United Republic of Tanzania and is made up of a series of many islands, the main ones being Unguja and Pemba. Ungunja is better known as Zanzibar Island. Zanzibar (Unguja) is in the Indian Ocean about 40 kilometers off the Tanzanian mainland, a few degrees south of the equator. The island is about 85 Kilometers long and 30 kilometers wide at the widest point. Most of the population lives in the highly fertile North and West. The East of the Island is not suitable for farming and is covered in coral, but the beaches and reefs make it ideal for fishing villages and tourist resorts.
The people of Zanzibar are predominantly Muslim (about 95%) with their ancestory originating from Africa, Persia, Oman and Asia. The local economy is based on agriculture, fishing and more recently, tourism. The estimated population is 450,000, of which approximately 40% live in Stone Town. The literacy rate in Zanzibar is very high when compared to other African states in the region.
The islands if Zanzibar are fringed with white sandy beaches lined with palm trees swaying in the wind. Closed to tourism for many years, Zanzibar is now a welcoming and exciting destination for a relaxing or adventurous holiday. The name comes from a combination “Zanj†which in Arabian means “the land of black people†and “Bar†which means coast. The Islands truly deserve their nick-name “the spice islandsâ€. Over forty of the most valuable, tropical, aromatic plants are grown here - introduced over the last two centuries by the Omani Sultans.
The Stone Town holds magic and mystery, where shafts of light joust with deep shadows creating a fascinating world in the narrow streets. It was recently declared by UNESCO as one of the world’s historic cities, and is thus now a protected area. Built only for pedestrian traffic, the streets wind between the tall buildings and open unexpectedly into ornamental squares.
On 9th. December 1961 Tanganyika was declared independent without a single shot being fired, under the ruler-ship of a school teacher, Julius Nyerere. Now only one thing remained for total unity, Zanzibar was still a British protectorate. Then in March of 1964, after a bloody revolution, a blue band, representing the sea, was added to the flag and Zanzibar and Pemba Islands joined with the main land to become the “United Republic of Tanzaniaâ€.
