The United Republic of Tanzania was formed out of the union of two sovereign states namely Tanganyika and Zanzibar on 26th April 1964.Tanganyika became a sovereign state on 9th December, 1961 and became a Republic the following year. Zanzibar became independent in 10th December, 1963 and the People's Republic of Zanzibar was established after the revolution of 12th January 1964.
The Zanzibar Islands consists of the two main islands of Zanzibar and Pemba.
It is an important center of Swahili scholarship. The language derives from cultural contact between Arabs and Bantu-speakers.
Zanzibar under the United Republic of Tanzania, has had its own institutions, flag, laws and goverment.
The President of Zanzibar is one of the two Vice-Presidents of Tanzania.
Until the Portuguese arrived in 1498 it probably had more than one Sultanate independent of the coastal states.
By early 16th Century Portuguese navigators built a church and trading stations on the peninsula as a harbour post and for easy defence from any outside onslaught. A revolt against the Portuguese was inspired by a Turkish raid in 1585.
In 1696 the coastal area was attacked by Omanis and from this time Zanzibar and Mombasa were ruled by Omani governors. Zanzibar became an Arab Sultanate and slave plantation. By late 18th Century, the Arabs from Oman began to settle on the island and built forts and mosque in the Stone Town,
where the town grew around it and still stands there to give this islands its present look and culture.
In 1851 the Oman ruler transfered his court and settled in a palace presently known as People's palace overlooking a beautiful sunset on the western side of the island over the Indian ocean.
No doubt the kingdom hoped to conquer a large empire on the African mainland but never was the case.
Slave traders from Zanzibar could be found as far west as Lake Tanganyika and eastern Zaire. Traders from there reached Uganda via Lake Victoria.It was the main base for European exploration of the interior of Africa by such people as Richard Burton, John Speke and David Livingstone who made use of the routes used by Arab traders into the interior.
The slave market was closed in 1872 but the People from Oman, Yemen and Indians remained behind to be part of Zanzibar.
In 1890, the Zanzibar Island became the capital of the British Proctorate of Zanzibar, though Zanzibar had its own Kingdom, however the laws that govern the country were established by the British Empire. After Britain took over Tanganyika from the Germans at the end of the first world war, Zanzibar was one of the four territories which shared a currency (East African Shilling), Customs and other government services.
On independence Britain left a constitutional monarchy of the Sultan and an elected parliament. However, the Arabs, who were a minority, had won the election leaving the Africans, descendants of slaves and other immigrants, feeling resentful. On Jan 12th 1964 Zanzibar revolution took place, overthrowing the Sultan who fled to Britain. Many of the Arabs were killed in the revolution which brought to power the opposition Afro-Shirazi Party. (Shirazi because of the belief that one of the first Muslim peoples to come to the coast were Persians from Shiraz). This party formed a Communist-style one-party state and received assistance from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
The population of Zanzibar, consists of three main groups: the Arabs; the descendants of the original Bantu inhabitants; descendants of the Indian traders (mostly from West India from the states of Gujrat, Goa,and the descendants of the slaves brought from other parts of Africa.
"Swahili" and is spoken throughout the islands and is the first language in Zanzibar. The Islands of Zanzibar is the heart of the Swahili language and presently acts as base to many dialects and variations spoken worldwide, Zanzibar remained an important cultural influence on the whole area and has been one of the peaceful places in the world.
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