The earliest human inhabitation in Tanzania can be dated back to 1.8 million years ago. The fossils have been discovered in Olduvai Gorge.
Present day Tanzanian culture is an amalgam of nearly 120 cultures.
Some of the cultures are listed below.
Masaai: The maasai are probably most popular ethnic group in East Africa. They are renowned for their warrior & pastoral lifestyles and cattle rearing. The number of cattle determine their social status. They inhabit northern Tanzania near the great rift valley and northern national parks. They wear bright red & blue garments and bead jewellery.
Chagga: The Chagga live on the slopes of Kilimanjaro in the North of the Masaai steppe. They farm the mountain side. Through cooperative farming they have achieved a fair standard of living.
Makonde: The Makondes are internationally famous for their intricate wood (ebony) carvings. They live along the coast on the Makonde plateau.
Sukuma: Sukuma are the largest group, live in the north-western part of the country, south of Lake Victoria. Their cotton farming and cattle rearing lifestyle resulted in their prosperity.
The Hadzapi: They are nomadic tribe who survive by their hunting skills and gathering food. Only a few hundred Hadzapi remain, scattered in groups across the african continent. These bushmen have no permanent settlements and few possessions. They move about following the good opportunities for hunting, water, and other necessities. Their language is unusual in that it makes use of clicking noises
The Gogo (or Wagogo) are a Bantu ethnic and linguistic group based in the Dodoma Region of central Tanzania. They have developed slowly due to lack of water. They have a mixed economy of agriculture and herding, but most heavily depended on grain from agriculture. Gogo music has achieved an international reputation
Hehe: The formerly warlike Hehe live in Iringa District’s highland grasses. They are Bantu-speaking people and can be considered typical of the military chiefdoms brought to East Africa by the Ngoni groups, who live primarily in Iringa Region.
Iraqw are a Cushitic people of the Arusha and Manyara Regions of north-central Tanzania, near the Rift Valley wall and south of Ngorongoro Crater . They are known for their statuesque, immobile posture and sharply delineated features. They grow their own food and tend cattle.
The Nyamwezi, meaning “People of the Moon”, were probably so called because of their location in the west. The Nyamwezi, now cultivators, were once great traders. The 19th century European explorers regarded them the most powerful group in the interior.
The Haya, located along the shores of Lake Victoria, to the north-west of the Nyamwezi, grew and traded coffee long before the arrival of the Europeans and today have established tea and coffee processing plants. Haya women produce excellent handicrafts.
Points to be noted:
1) None of the 120 cultures form more than 10% of the population.
2) Present day culture in urban areas is influenced by colonialism, Arab & Indian cultures.
3) Despite the cultural diversity in Tanzania, utmost peace & tranquility prevails through out the nation. This is the result of the efforts of the former president “J.K. Nyerere”. His common language philosophy has helped to bind various cultures. Almost every Tanzanian speaks Swahili, the national language.
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