Tanzania - The Country and the People
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Tanzania has been recognized as unique among African nations in its tolerance for tribal, religious and racial differences. There are over 132 distinct tribes in Tanzania and they are considered of equal value, without any tribe receiving favoritism. Tanzanian's have learned the value of respecting differences and living in peace. It is not to say that all tribes have affection for one another, but they have peacefully accepted these differences. Most Tanzanians have a hard time understanding the violence among other tribes on the African continent. You will be immediately impressed with the hospitality, warmth and interest the Tanzanian people display towards you. One client expressed "Tanzania is the one third world country I would visit over and over again. It was truly the most friendly place I have ever visited."
Historically, the country achieved its independence in 1961, as part of the United Nations de-colonization initiative. Then known as Tanganyika, the country had been a German protectorate from 1884 until 1917 when the German colony was given to the British at the end of World War I. While the English settled and developed Tanzania, it was never on the scale of their activities or interest in Kenya. The advantage to this was that the Tanzanian people also did not receive the same psychological and cultural impact on their culture as did the Kenyans and there has never been a ruling white class in Tanzania..
Upon achieving independence as Tanganyika in 1961, the first president, Julius Nyerere, established the country as a socialist economy. In 1964, the island of Zanzibar joined the mainland and the country officially became known as Tanzania. The union of the mainland and Zanzibar is a unique arrangement and leaves most Tanzanians with definite opinions about how the two governments should interact.
Nyerere had a profound and very positive impact on the psychology and founding philosophy of Tanzania. He made it very clear that no matter what your religion, tribe, race or country of origin, first and foremost the citizens of this country were "Tanzanian". This has created a sense of unity that is the catalyst for tribal harmony that is unique on the continent. Nyerere's philosophy was called "Ujamaa" or family. He saw the nation as an extended family, sharing common African values and working together towards self-reliance. With over 132 tribes, the priority must be the nation and working together to build its future. Nyerere also created a vast and effective system of public education, with education seen as the most important factor in progressing the country.
Unfortunately, Nyerere's economic policies were not as successful as his founding philosophy. His acceptance of socialism gained him aid from countries such as the Soviet Union, China, and the Scandinavian countries, but did nothing to create international investment in Tanzania. The second president of Tanzania, Ali Hasan Mwinyi, spearheaded economic reform, privatizing many industries and striving for international investment. These efforts for privatization continued with the Presidency of Benjamin Mkapa and now with President Kikwete. While Tanzania is a very poor country, it has made remarkable progress in its democracy, economy and dedication to conservation and tourism. It is a politically stable country with incredible growth, natural resources and hospitality.
One other historical event of significance in Tanzania, was the war with Uganda in 1978. Idi Amin had announced his "invasion" of Tanzania and Nyerere responded by sending troops into Uganda to stop Amin's violence and destruction. Julius Nyerere considered Idi Amin an embarrassment and shame to all Africans. Although successful in ousting Idi Amin, Tanzania suffered enormous losses. The cost of war for a newly developing country was devastating, destroying the nation's high quality medical system and devastating the economy. It was at this point that education, once considered strength in Nyerere's Tanzania, began to suffer, as there were limited resources to devote to children. The sad irony in winning the war was that the Tanzania soldiers brought back what has become the worst epidemic in Africa, the HIV virus. While Tanzania took the initiative to stop the evil of Idi Amin, none of the industrialized countries responded to the resulting needs of this third world country. There was no aid, no development or assistance to help rebuild the devastated country. The government has done much in the past 10 years to encourage international investment and it is hoped that the country of Tanzania will receive increased aid and investment to develop this vast country.
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