Population - 39.1 million Ethnic groups - Black 99% (120 ethnic groups, of which the Sukuma, Haya, Nyakyusa, Nyamwezi, and Chagga have more than 1 million members), other 1% Languages - Kiswahili, English, Arabic (Zanzibar) Geography - Tanzania is large: at 945,000 km2 it is twice the size of California. The eastern border is at the Indian Ocean, while the west includes the Rift Valley’s Lake Nyasa, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria. Inland can be found geograpohical features ranging from rainforest in the west to the slopes of Kilimanjaro and the plains of the Serengeti in the north. Climate - The climate is temperate on the coast and semi-temperate inland. We will have some chance of rain in late June. Roads - 78,891 km, of which only 6,808 paved.

THE CYCLE OF LIFE IN TANZANIA

Tanzania is a huge country. And the Cycle of Life expedition will lead us right from the southwest to northeast corners – a distance of 1450 km. While its Arab trading history and large cities like Dar es Salaam have given Tanzania a reputation for relative prosperity, the fact remains that in its deep interior there are development problems as severe as anywhere in Africa. Over 12 million people live below the poverty line in Tanzania – most of them in rural areas.

The country is dependent on agriculture, but there is a burgeoning tourism industry as well. In East Africa palpably more than in the southern countries on our route, the seeds of conservation were sown by colonial hunters. While this has led both to large and well-managed conservation areas, and the initiation of the tourist industry, establishment of the vast game reserves like the Selous, Ruaha and Serengeti, caused the displacement of many thousands of people.

Our expedition will lead us past an acute example of the effects of such shortsighted conservation when we visit people around Mkomazi whose families were displaced by the creation of the reserve. The flip-side of the coin can be seen at Ruaha, where plans to boost irrigation to upstream rice fields not only left the National Park without the water it required, but also caused unforeseen consequences including flooding and power failure. The lesson, then, is that long-term conservation must take account of both human and environmental perspectives.

ROUTE

• Entering Tanzania from Malawi involves climbing up from the bottom of the Great Rift Valley – an ascent of about 2000m, on bicycles.
• We will first head to Ruaha National Park, near the country’s political capital – Dodoma.
• From there we will head north to Mkomazi, before skirting the northern slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and heading into Kenya.