Tanzania

It's been a very busy last week and a half for me. I went to Ohio and back, and now I have lots to do before I go out to San Diego with Calib and Peyton. Tonight, though, Calib is in class, so I am back at Panera with my hot chocolate (it's finally cold enough for hot chocolate!) and coffee cake, ready to knock out the only two country blogs I'm behind. 

One of those, however, we did nearly two weeks ago- and a lot has been going on in my brain, so forgive me if I don't remember everything about Tanzania. 

Tanzania is located in west Africa just to the south of Kenya and to the north of Zambia (neither of which we've done, so I have no links for you. But, Tanzania itself is an 'African Big Hitter'. Basically, what I mean by that, is it is home to all kinds of African icons. (Which also means it's familiar to the boys, if nothing else from the Animal Kingdom!) 

First of all, Zanzibar, a beautiful archipelago, is part of Tanzania. The crystal clear waters and white sand beaches draw people from all over the world. The carved doorways, minarets and sultans palace make it much more than just a beach destination. It's a cultural crossroads where Africa meets Arabia meets the Indian Ocean. 

Next up is our landmark: Mount Kilimanjaro (like Kilmanjaro Safaris!) Mount Kilmanjaro, with its three volcanic cones,is a dormant volcano. But it's also the tallest mountain in Africa (though it's still almost 10,000 feet less than Mount Everest). It's also the tallest mountain in the whole world that isn't part of a mountain chain. People come all over the world to say they climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. 

Part of the Kilimanjaro National Park, the weather at the bottom of Mount Kilimanjaro is tropical. It's hot, sticky and humid. But, at the top, you get an arctic feel, with snow and wind.  The mountain has been subject to many scientific studies because of its shrinking glaciers. 

Beyond Mount Kilmanjaro,  Tanzania's national parks have some of the finest African flora and fauna, and some of the largest concentrations of wildlife per square kilometer anywhere in the world. Within the boarders of Tanzania, you can find over four million wild animals from 430 different species. 

Many of these animals live in the plains of the Serengeti. Serengeti National Park is home to a wide variety of animals including lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, zebras, buffalos, water buck, crocodiles, gazelle, warthogs, and the apparently very dangerous hippopotamuses. 

There's also the very tiny dik-dik, an antelope that gets no bigger than 16 inches, and whistles for help (adorable right?!) 

Another tiny resident of Tanzania is the dung beetles. They are the strongest insects on the planet and can carry up to 1,140 times their own weight. 

But perhaps what the Serengeti is most well known for is the great wildebeest migration, which occurs continuously between the Serengeti and Masai Mara in Kenya. (Hayden's response: 'Is that where they killed Mufasa?) 

Of course Tanzania is home to people too, actually nearly 50 million people. It's one of the most diverse populations in Africa. There are over 120 different ethnic groups in Tanzania. 

Their official language is both Swahili and English, and there are no current statistics on religion, because the government eliminated that from their census back in 1967. (It's estimated Christians and Muslims each account for about 30% -40% of the population.) 

Through all this diversity, though,  tribal rivalries are non-existent. 

Peace  reigns in Tanzania. The Global Peace Index  puts Tanzania among the most peaceful and tranquil in the world. So, it's sort of fitting this country holds the record for the 'World's shortest War'. The Anglo-Zanzibar War between the Zanzibar Sultanate and the British on August 27, 1896 last just 38 minutes. (The result was a British victory, in case you were wondering.) 

And while the laughing epidemic of 1962 is apparently no joke, it makes sense that a peaceful tranquil country would have this kind of epidemic. 

The boys made their postcards. 

You can see Calib's background is the Tanzanian flag. 

Peyton's featured Mount Kilimanjaro. 

While Hayden chose to feature some animals on his. 

For dinner we had Mishkaki (chicken, not beef), Irio (Mashed Poatoes with veggies) , Sukuma Wiki (greens with tomatoes and onions), bananas, and Kachumbari (a salsa like concoction) with naan bread. 

This dinner earned five spoons up. 

Everyone cleared their plates and asked for extras. The chicken was a favorite, and people even asked for seconds of Sukuma Wiki (we used kale- the boys ASKED for MORE Kale!) I also kept having to heat up more naan bread to dip in the Kachumbari (good thing it was BOGO at Publix AND I had a coupon). 

We colored Tanzania in a light green color between purple Democratic Republic of the Congo and purple Mozambique. 

That's 140 down, 56 to go! 

Next Up: Guinea