Africa

Tanzania

Tanzania sits with the Indian Ocean to the east, and its 365,755 square miles (ranked 31st in the world) is surrounded by Mozambique on the south, Zambia and the Democratic Repbulic of the Congo to the east, Uganda on the northeast, and Kenya on the north. Over 59 million people live in this country strewn with areas of bush, savannah, and interspersions of mountains with volcanic origins.

In the uncharted centuries of prehistory, Tanzania is criss-crossed by tribal trade routes linking the Great Lakes (Victoria and Tanganyika) with the coast. These are the same routes along which Arab traders subsequently move inland, searching for slaves and ivory.

On 7 August 1885 five German warships steam into the lagoon of Zanzibar and train their guns on the sultan’s palace. They have arrived with a demand from Bismarck that Sultan Barghash cede to the German emperor his mainland territories or face the consequences.

1885-1886. German-British carve up Tanzania

But in the age of the telegram, gunboat diplomacy is no longer a local matter. This crisis is immediately on desks in London. Britain, eager not to offend Germany, suggests a compromise. The two nations should mutually agree spheres of interest over the territory stretching inland to the Great Lakes. This plan is accepted before August is out.

The embarrassed British consul finds himself under orders from London to persuade the sultan to sign an agreement ceding the lion’s share of his mainland territory, with the details still to be decided. In September the German gunships begin their journey home. A joint Anglo-German boundary commission starts work in the interior.

By November 1886 the task is done and the result is agreed with the other main colonial power, France. The sultan is left a strip ten miles wide along the coast. Behind that a line is drawn to Mount Kilimanjaro and on to Lake Victoria at latitude 1° S. The British sphere of influence is to be to the north, the German to the south. The line remains to this day the border between Kenya and Tanzania.

1886-1916. German East Africa

The administration of the territory in the agreement of 1886 is handed over to Karl Peters’ German East Africa Company. The company extends its territory to the sea from 1888, by buying a lease of the coastal strip which was left in the sultan of Zanzibar’s possession. But local resentment leads to a Muslim uprising in that year which is only suppressed after the arrival of German troops (assisted on this occasion by the British navy).

The inadequacy of the company causes the German government to take direct control in 1891. But Karl Peters retains his involvement, being appointed imperial commissioner. There follow two decades in which the German authorities make considerable efforts to develop their east African colony.

1919-1962. British Mandate

After the end of the war the treaty of Versailles, in 1919, grants Britain a League of Nations mandate to govern the former German East Africa – which now acquires a new name, Tanganyika.

British policy from the 1920s onwards is to encourage indigenous African administration along traditional lines, through local councils and courts. A legislative council is also established in Dar es Salaam, but African members are not elected to this until after World War II. By then local political development is an obligation under the terms of UN trusteeship, in which Britain places Tanganyika in 1947.

During the 1950s a likely future leader of Tanganyika emerges in the person of Julius Nyerere. Son of a chief, a convert to Roman Catholicism while studying at Makerere college in Uganda, then an undergraduate for three years in Edinburgh university, Nyerere returns to Tanganyika in 1953.

He immediately founds a political party, TANU or the Tanganyika African National Union (evolving it from an earlier and defunct Tanganyika African Association). From the start its members feature prominently in elections to the legislative assembly. When independence follows, in 1961, Nyerere becomes the new nation’s prime minister. In 1962 Tanganyika adopts a republican constitution and Nyerere is elected president.

1964-1985. Republic of Tanzania

In 1964 Nyerere reaches an agreement with Abeid Karume, president of the offshore island of Zanzibar which has been so closely linked in its history to the mainland territory of Tanganyika. The two presidents sign an act of union, bringing their nations together as the United Republic of Tanzania. Nyerere becomes president of the new state, with Karume as his vice-president.

Nyerere, by instinct an idealistic socialist, declares his political creed in a document of 1967 known as the Arusha Declaration. This announces the introduction of a socialist state and is accompanied by the nationalization of key elements in the economy. The Arusha Declaration puts agriculture at the centre of the national economy and introduces a programme of ‘villagization’ – meaning the moving of peasant families into cooperative villages where they can supposedly work together more productively.

As elsewhere where such cooperatives have been tried, they prove both unpopular and inefficient. When Nyerere relinquishes executive power voluntarily in 1985, he admits that his economic policies have failed.

1977-. Chama Cha Mapinduzi

When Nyerere stands down as president, in 1985, he remains chairman of the CCM (Chama Cha Mapinduzi). President Mwinyi promulgates a new democratic constitution in 1992, with the stipulation that political parties will only be registered if they are active in both Tanganyika and Zanzibar, and if they are not identified with specific religious, regional, tribal or racial groups.

Elections are held in 1995. The CCM just wins in Zanzibar, where opposition anger at electoral malpractice disrupts polital life for the rest of the decade. In Tanganyika the CCM candidate Benjamin Mkapa is elected president of the union, but only after all his rivals have withdrawn from the race alleging ballot-rigging.

During the 1990s very great strain is placed on an already impoverished Tanzania by the ethnic conflicts over the border in Rwanda and Burundi. During a single 24-hour period in 1994 as many as 250,000 Rwandan refugees stream into Tanzania. Eventually the total is 550,000 from Rwanda and 100,000 from Burundi. Many of them are still in Tanzania at the end of the decade.1

Tanzania People Groups from The Joshua Project

Tanzania. Data from The Joshua Project (https://www.joshuaproject.net)

People Reached Language Population Bible Religion Adherents Evangelical
Alagwa Unreached Alagwa

58,000

Portions Completed Islam

0.0

0.0

Arab Unreached Swahili

270,000

Complete Bible Islam

5.0

0.6

Assa Unreached Maasai

700

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

5.0

0.3

Bajuni Unreached Swahili

24,000

Complete Bible Islam

0.0

0.0

Dhaiso Unreached Dhaiso

10,000

Unspecified Islam

1.0

0.5

Gujarati Unreached Gujarati

512,000

Complete Bible Hinduism

0.5

0.1

Gujarati Creole Unreached Cutchi-Swahili

87,000

Translation Started Islam

3.0

0.1

Hadzabi Unreached Hadza

1,300

Translation Started Ethnic Religions

5.0

1.9

Hindi Unreached Hindi

70,000

Complete Bible Hinduism

0.4

0.1

Jew Swahili-speaking Unreached Swahili

500

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

0.0

0.0

Kachchi Unreached Kacchi

70,000

New Testament Hinduism

1.0

0.1

Kami Unreached Kami

33,000

Translation Started Islam

2.0

0.2

Kisankasa Unreached Kisankasa

13,000

Unspecified Ethnic Religions

3.0

1.0

Kutu Unreached Kutu

129,000

New Testament Islam

3.0

2.0

Makwe Unreached Makwe

18,000

Translation Needed Islam

2.0

0.5

Matumbi Unreached Matumbi

277,000

Portions Completed Islam

1.0

0.5

Mijikenda Digo Unreached Chidigo

252,000

Complete Bible Islam

0.5

0.4

Ndengereko Unreached Ndengereko

87,000

Unspecified Islam

2.0

0.7

Punjabi Unreached Punjabi-Eastern

70,000

Complete Bible Other / Small

1.0

0.2

Safwa Unreached Safwa

452,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

5.0

2.0

Segeju Unreached Segeju

20,000

Unspecified Islam

0.0

0.0

Shirazi Unreached Swahili

662,000

Complete Bible Islam

0.0

0.0

Somali Unreached Somali

70,000

Complete Bible Islam

0.0

0.0

Swahili Unreached Swahili

781,000

Complete Bible Islam

1.0

0.8

Swahili Pemba Unreached Swahili

53,000

Complete Bible Islam

0.3

0.2

Swahili Tumbatu Unreached Swahili

87,000

Complete Bible Islam

0.0

0.0

Swahili Zanzibari Unreached Swahili

14,000

Complete Bible Islam

0.0

0.0

Yao Muslim Unreached Yao

632,000

Complete Bible Islam

2.0

1.2

Zaramo Unreached Zaramo

1,286,000

New Testament Islam

3.0

2.0

Bende Minimally Reached Bende

55,000

Portions Completed Islam

45.0

1.4

Kabwa Minimally Reached Kabwa

21,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

10.0

1.0

Machinga Minimally Reached Machinga

103,000

Unspecified Islam

13.0

2.0

Ndonde Hamba Minimally Reached Ndonde Hamba

26,000

Translation Started Islam

10.0

1.0

Ndwewe Minimally Reached Ndwewe

30,000

Unspecified Christianity

48.0

Nyika Tanzania Minimally Reached Nyika-Tanzania

39,000

Translation Started Islam

10.0

0.2

Rufiji Minimally Reached Rufiji

573,000

Translation Needed Islam

9.0

1.5

Temi Minimally Reached Temi

56,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

10.0

1.5

Tongwe Minimally Reached Tongwe

62,000

Translation Started Islam

20.0

1.1

Vinza Minimally Reached Vinza

29,000

Translation Started Islam

40.0

0.1

Bungu Superficially Reached Bungu

103,000

Portions Completed Christianity

80.0

0.0

Deaf Superficially Reached Tanzanian Sign Language

613,000

Portions Completed Christianity

54.1

French Superficially Reached French

2,800

Complete Bible Christianity

61.0

1.0

Greek Superficially Reached Greek

35,000

Complete Bible Christianity

91.0

0.4

Pimbwe Superficially Reached Pimbwe

83,000

Portions Completed Christianity

80.0

0.1

Rombo Superficially Reached Rombo

210,000

Translation Needed Christianity

60.0

2.0

Rungwa Superficially Reached Rungwa

51,000

Translation Started Christianity

74.0

0.1

Taveta Superficially Reached Taveta

7,000

New Testament Christianity

65.0

2.0

Benamanga Partially Reached Benamanga

60,000

Unspecified Christianity

50.0

3.0

Bondei Partially Reached Bondei

102,000

Portions Completed Islam

32.0

10.0

British Partially Reached English

9,600

Complete Bible Christianity

60.0

8.0

Burungi Partially Reached Burunge

39,000

New Testament Ethnic Religions

15.0

4.0

Datooga Partially Reached Datooga

14,000

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

25.0

4.0

Datooga Barabaig Partially Reached Datooga

175,000

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

6.0

4.0

Doe Partially Reached Doe

10,000

Translation Started Islam

20.0

4.0

German Partially Reached German-Standard

14,000

Complete Bible Christianity

64.0

2.1

Goroa Partially Reached Gorowa

102,000

Unspecified Christianity

65.0

10.0

Ha Partially Reached Ha

1,971,000

Portions Completed Christianity

60.0

8.0

Han Chinese Mandarin Partially Reached Chinese-Mandarin

106,000

Complete Bible Non-Religious

7.0

4.0

Ikizu Partially Reached Ikizu

98,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

35.0

4.0

Isanzu Partially Reached Isanzu

93,000

Translation Started Ethnic Religions

45.0

10.0

Jita Partially Reached Jita

361,000

New Testament Ethnic Religions

45.0

8.0

Kara Regi Partially Reached Kara

246,000

Unspecified Ethnic Religions

25.0

6.0

Kisi Partially Reached Kisi

19,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

45.0

10.0

Kwaya Partially Reached Kwaya

201,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

45.0

9.0

Kwere Partially Reached Kwere

288,000

Complete Bible Islam

22.0

8.0

Maasai Partially Reached Maasai

404,000

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

35.0

10.0

Maasai Arusha Partially Reached Maasai

294,000

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

35.0

6.0

Maasai Baraguyu Partially Reached Maasai

741,000

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

25.0

7.0

Magoma Partially Reached Magoma

17,000

Translation Started Christianity

60.0

4.0

Makonde Partially Reached Makonde

1,848,000

New Testament Islam

9.0

6.0

Makua Makhuwa-Meetto Partially Reached Makhuwa-Meetto

667,000

Complete Bible Islam

8.0

4.0

Malila Partially Reached Malila

120,000

New Testament Ethnic Religions

15.0

4.0

Mbugwe Partially Reached Mbugwe

48,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

15.0

3.0

Mbunga Partially Reached Mbunga

83,000

Translation Started Ethnic Religions

20.0

5.0

Mwera Partially Reached Mwera

899,000

New Testament Islam

31.0

9.0

Mwera Nyasa Partially Reached Mwera

11,000

Translation Started Islam

25.0

6.0

Ndendeule Partially Reached Ndendeule

196,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

20.0

8.0

Ngindo Partially Reached Ngindo

630,000

New Testament Islam

22.0

3.0

Nguu Partially Reached Ngulu

378,000

New Testament Islam

15.0

4.0

Nindi Partially Reached Nindi

200

Unspecified Ethnic Religions

30.0

3.0

Nyamwezi Partially Reached Nyamwezi

1,804,000

New Testament Islam

34.0

8.0

Portuguese Partially Reached Portuguese

1,300

Complete Bible Christianity

94.0

3.0

Rangi Partially Reached Langi

700,000

Portions Completed Islam

20.0

7.0

Ruwila Partially Reached Ruwila

5,800

Translation Started Christianity

55.0

4.0

Sandawe Partially Reached Sandawe

78,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

15.0

5.0

Sangu Partially Reached Sangu

214,000

New Testament Ethnic Religions

25.0

5.0

Suba-Simbiti Partially Reached Suba-Simbiti

154,000

New Testament Christianity

70.0

9.0

Subi Partially Reached Subi

109,000

Translation Started Islam

10.0

5.0

Sumbwa Partially Reached Sumbwa

546,000

Translation Started Ethnic Religions

32.0

5.0

Va-Ma’a Partially Reached Mbugu

67,000

Unspecified Islam

10.0

3.5

Vidunda Partially Reached Vidunda

13,000

New Testament Christianity

90.0

8.0

Wanda Partially Reached Wanda

69,000

Translation Started Christianity

70.0

8.0

Yao Christian Partially Reached Yao

95,000

Complete Bible Christianity

94.0

4.0

Zigua Partially Reached Zigula

831,000

New Testament Islam

9.0

5.0

Zinza Partially Reached Zinza

395,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

25.0

3.0

Baganda Significantly Reached Ganda

60,000

Complete Bible Christianity

80.0

13.0

Bemba Significantly Reached Bemba

5,500

Complete Bible Christianity

95.0

14.0

Bembe Significantly Reached Bembe

30,000

Complete Bible Christianity

85.0

17.0

Bena Significantly Reached Bena

1,285,000

New Testament Christianity

96.0

17.0

Chagga Significantly Reached Mochi

1,190,000

Complete Bible Christianity

93.0

15.0

Chingoni Significantly Reached Chingoni

266,000

New Testament Christianity

70.0

17.0

Dabida Taita Significantly Reached Dawida

28,000

Complete Bible Christianity

68.0

11.0

Fipa Significantly Reached Fipa

369,000

New Testament Christianity

95.0

15.0

Gogo Significantly Reached Gogo

2,622,000

Complete Bible Christianity

79.0

19.0

Gusii Significantly Reached Ekegusii

700

Complete Bible Christianity

75.0

40.0

Gweno Significantly Reached Gweno

3,900

Unspecified Christianity

95.0

13.0

Hangaza Significantly Reached Hangaza

429,000

Portions Completed Christianity

90.0

14.0

Haya Significantly Reached Haya

2,341,000

Complete Bible Christianity

81.0

21.0

Hehe Significantly Reached Hehe

1,467,000

New Testament Christianity

96.0

20.0

Hima Significantly Reached Nyankore

14,000

Complete Bible Christianity

94.0

12.0

Hutu Rundi Significantly Reached Rundi

665,000

Complete Bible Christianity

97.0

20.0

Hutu Rwandese Significantly Reached Kinyarwanda

53,000

Complete Bible Christianity

95.0

17.0

Ikoma Significantly Reached Ikoma-Nata-Isenye

63,000

Portions Completed Christianity

95.0

15.0

Iramba Significantly Reached Nilamba

833,000

New Testament Christianity

55.0

11.0

Iraqw Significantly Reached Iraqw

898,000

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

41.0

12.0

Joba Significantly Reached Joba

6,800

Translation Started Christianity

90.0

14.0

Kagulu Significantly Reached Kagulu

408,000

New Testament Christianity

60.0

12.0

Kahe Significantly Reached Kahe

7,700

Translation Started Christianity

94.0

12.0

Kalanga Significantly Reached Kalanga

17,000

Complete Bible Christianity

95.0

14.0

Kamba Significantly Reached Kamba

13,000

Complete Bible Christianity

70.0

15.0

Kerewe Significantly Reached Kerewe

286,000

New Testament Christianity

95.0

14.0

Kikuyu Significantly Reached Gikuyu

27,000

Complete Bible Christianity

88.0

15.0

Kimbu Significantly Reached Kimbu

223,000

Translation Started Christianity

75.0

13.0

Kinga Significantly Reached Kinga

258,000

New Testament Christianity

85.0

14.0

Konongo Significantly Reached Konongo

146,000

Translation Started Christianity

71.0

13.0

Kuria Significantly Reached Kuria

749,000

Complete Bible Christianity

76.0

15.0

Lambya Significantly Reached Lambya

114,000

New Testament Christianity

97.0

13.0

Luguru Ruguru Significantly Reached Luguru

1,344,000

New Testament Christianity

61.0

14.0

Luo Significantly Reached Dholuo

239,000

Complete Bible Christianity

96.0

15.0

Machambe Significantly Reached Machame

726,000

Complete Bible Christianity

95.0

18.0

Mambwe-Lungu Significantly Reached Mambwe-Lungu

569,000

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

43.0

14.0

Manda Significantly Reached Manda

41,000

New Testament Christianity

90.0

11.0

Matengo Significantly Reached Matengo

429,000

Portions Completed Christianity

80.0

14.0

Meru Rwo Significantly Reached Rwa

257,000

New Testament Christianity

94.0

18.0

Mpoto Significantly Reached Mpoto

91,000

Portions Completed Christianity

70.0

13.0

Ndali Significantly Reached Ndali

429,000

New Testament Christianity

55.0

14.0

Ndamba Significantly Reached Ndamba

157,000

New Testament Christianity

85.0

11.0

Nguruimi Significantly Reached Ngoreme

96,000

Portions Completed Christianity

85.0

15.0

Nyakyusa Significantly Reached Nyakyusa-Ngonde

1,478,000

Complete Bible Christianity

91.0

19.0

Nyambo Significantly Reached Nyambo

737,000

Translation Started Ethnic Religions

45.0

12.0

Nyamwanga Significantly Reached Nyamwanga

249,000

Complete Bible Christianity

85.0

12.0

Nyanja Significantly Reached Chichewa

48,000

Complete Bible Christianity

88.0

14.0

Nyankore Hororo Significantly Reached Nyankore

21,000

Complete Bible Christianity

87.0

14.0

Nyiha Tanzania Significantly Reached Nyiha-Tanzania

442,000

New Testament Ethnic Religions

40.0

17.0

Pangwa Significantly Reached Pangwa

179,000

Portions Completed Christianity

85.0

14.0

Pare Significantly Reached Asu

979,000

New Testament Islam

40.0

12.0

Pogoro Significantly Reached Pogolo

529,000

New Testament Christianity

83.0

13.0

Sagara Significantly Reached Sagala

226,000

Translation Started Ethnic Religions

15.0

11.0

Shambala Significantly Reached Shambala

1,273,000

New Testament Islam

45.0

14.0

Shubi Significantly Reached Shubi

102,000

Translation Started Christianity

92.0

18.0

Soga Basoga Significantly Reached Soga

5,600

Complete Bible Christianity

86.0

11.0

Sukuma Significantly Reached Sukuma

10,276,000

Complete Bible Christianity

50.0

12.0

Turu Significantly Reached Nyaturu

1,088,000

New Testament Christianity

82.0

16.0

Tutsi Significantly Reached Kinyarwanda

97,000

Complete Bible Christianity

95.0

18.0

Vunjo Significantly Reached Vunjo

700,000

Complete Bible Christianity

93.0

15.0

Wanji Significantly Reached Vwanji

52,000

New Testament Ethnic Religions

35.0

12.0

Zanaki Significantly Reached Zanaki

177,000

Portions Completed Christianity

80.0

19.0

  1. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad23