Forgotten World (152): Tanzania

Tanzania assumed its present form in 1964 after a merger between the mainland Tanganyika and the island of Zanzibar which had become independent the previous year. Although it remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with many of its people living below the World Bank poverty line, the country of around 40 million has been spared the internal strife that has blighted many African states.
Unlike other African countries, whose potential wealth contrasts with their actual poverty, Tanzania has few exportable minerals. In recent years, the economy has grown, though at the price of painful fiscal reforms. Tourism is an important revenue earner; Tanzania’s attractions include Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, and wildlife-rich national parks such as the Serengeti.