| Written by Rene Cormier (text & photos) on Wednesday, October 31st, 2007 |
Tanzania Bio
Where
did Rene go this update? Well we left him at the southern tip of
Malawi from where he headed north up the western side of Lake Malawi
and then into Tanzania.
From
there it's east to Zanzibar and some much needed R&R! Heading
north again to take in Mount Kilimanjaro and on to Lake Victoria
...
Tanzania wasn't actually created until 1964 – the amalgamation of
the mainland of Tanganyika and the Zanzibar islands just off its east
coast (Tanzania being an amalgamation of the two names).
A German colony in the 1800's and then a British one in 1920, it wasn't
until 1961 that Tanganyika finally became independent. Zanzibar followed
a few years later, leading to the creation of Tanzania.
The current population is around 38 million, with the official language
being Swahili, although some English is also spoken. At 364,875 square
miles it is almost exactly the same size of British Columbia (although
with a slightly larger population and no Grizzly bears).
Terrain varies from the mountainous north-east (home of Africa's highest
mountain of Mount Kilimanjaro and its largest lake of Lake Victoria),
to a large plateau in the centre (consisting of plains – including
the Serengeti – and arable land) and a hot shoreline with the Indian
Ocean to the east (off which are located the Zanzibar Islands).
Climate wise, being just south of the Equator, there are no seasons other
then wet and dry, with two rainy seasons from late-October to late-December
and then more fiercely from March to May (best avoided on a bike methinks).
As a result, the best times to visit are June to August (bearable temps),
and January to February (hot but plenty of wildlife action on the plains).
Riding in Tanzania is a challenge for most as it's on the left and –
as per most of Africa – somewhat fast paced and always chaotic.
Oh, and the roads can be pretty rough too. And then there's a fair amount
of dangerous wildlife, including lions, so it's always good to be aware
where you're riding just in case.
Information for this bio is courtesy of Wikepedia
and Wiki-Travel.
Take me to Rene's photo
essay (pictures and words by Rene Cormier)!
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