January 2019
Church Reports 2019
Minchinhampton-Nkokoto Link
What do you know about Tanzania?
Tanzania is 6,000 miles from the UK and has a fabulously varied culture. Kiswahili is the common language, English is the official language of government, but many people living in the rural areas of Tanzania away from the main cities speak their own tribal language too. Here are some facts about Tanzania that might surprise you and could have been useful for the after dinner quiz on Christmas Day:
Dodoma is the capital city, not Dar es Salaam.
Tanzania has borders with eight countries - Kenya (to the Northeast) and Mozambique
(to the Southeast), Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda
and Zambia (to the West and Southwest)
Tanzania is made up of three geographical regions: the islands and coastal plains in the east
a saucer-shaped plateau in the centre and west, (where Nkokoto is) and the highlands in the
northeast.
Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa standing at 5,895m, lies in these north-eastern
highlands.
Another special geographical feature is the Great Rift Valley, which cuts through the centre
of the country.
There are about 55.5 million people living in Tanzania. In the five decades since its
independence, Tanzania’s population has almost quintupled.
Tanzania is one of the most diverse countries in Africa. On the mainland, around 99%
of the population is ethnically African, coming from over 120 different tribes, almost all
of them Bantu. On Zanzibar, the people are of Arab, African, or mixed Arab and African
descent.
On the mainland, the population is almost evenly split between Islam, Christianity
(mostly Roman Catholicism), and indigenous religions. Over 99% of the population
of Zanzibar is Muslim.
Only 10% of girls complete their education at secondary school. 68% of Tanzanians
live below the poverty line, (the World Bank’s identifies $1 a day income as being the
poverty line,) 80% living in rural areas where poverty is highest in female – led households.
Tanzania remains a fascinating country, facing many challenges in the next few years.
The aim of the Link is to continue to play its part in helping Nkokoto and its people rise
to these challenges. Will you help?
Best wishes to all our readers and supporters for happiness and good health in the New Year.
Early notification - The (very final ??) Murder Mystery Evening is on Friday/Saturday March 1st/2nd 2019 in the Market House
Rod Harris, Chairman,
07775652379 / 01453 872317 / rodharriswoodchester@gmail.com
Monthly Report Menu: (2019)