Officially the Republic of Tanzania, Tanzania is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is comprised of both mainland Tanzania and the Zanzibar Archipelago which includes 35+ islands lying off its coast.
Tanzania’s capital is Dodoma and its largest city is Dar es Salaam. Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, is in northeastern Tanzania. Tanzania is surrounded by three great lakes of Africa – Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Malawi. Tanzania is Africa’s 13th largest country. It has abundant natural resources and it’s the only country in the world where the gemstone Tanzanite is found.
Tanzania is one of the oldest continuously inhabited areas on Earth and many important hominid fossils have been found there. The Olduvai Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, features a collection with remnants of tools that document the development and use of transitional technology. Other popular attractions include the Serengeti National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Crater, and the beaches of Zanzibar.
