Tanzania Facts

Fact 1
The highest mountain in Africa, Mt Kilimanjaro is situated in Tanzania.

Fact 2
Time is counted very differently in this country. The work day starts at 6 am and is called the 1st hour of the day. So, when someone says that mass starts at 10 (the 10th hour) it’s actually at 4 pm.

Fact 3
There is strong evidence that Tanzania is the cradle of human life on the planet. The legendary Homo Habilis which existed 2 million years ago was recovered in the Olduvai Gorge.

Fact 4
Three of the world’s most magnificent lakes surround Tanzania - Lake Nyasa, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria.

Fact 5
Mpingo trees (a.k.a. Africa blackwood trees, commonly seen in Tanzania) are the most expensive hardwood tree in the world.

Fact 6
Over 120 languages are spoken in Tanzania. Most of these are Bantu languages, a category of over 535 languages and dialects that are spoken throughout Africa.

Fact 7
The world’s only tree-climbing lions live in the Lake Manyara National Park here.

Fact 8
The world’s largest crab, Chumbe Island (which is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania)’s Coconut Crab is found here.

Fact 9
The world’s largest complete crater, the now-extinct Ngorongoro Crater is in Tanzania.

Fact 10

Western Tanzania’s Lake Tanganyika is the second deepest lake in the world