Overview
Tanzania is a country in East Africa. Its major borders are with Kenya to the north and Mozambique to the south. It also shares borders with Malawi and Zambia to the south west; Uganda to the north; and Rwanda, Burundi and – across Lake Tanganyika – the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west. Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, is in north eastern Tanzania, close to the border with Kenya.
In the late 19th Century the mainland came under German rule as German East Africa. After the First World War it came under British rule as Tanganyika, with the Zanzibar archipelago remaining a separate colonial jurisdiction. Both gained their independence in the early 1960s and, in 1964, merged to form a united republic. Unlike many countries in Africa, Tanzania has not experienced any major internal strife since independence and is seen as one of the safest and most politically stable nations on the continent.
What it means to be a Christian in Tanzania
Tanzania enjoys full religious freedom. Christians are reckoned to make up about 60% of the population, and Muslims about 35%. With its internal stability mainland Tanzania has long served as a base for Christian mission and ministry in the region.
However, around 99% of those living on the Zanzibar archipelago, off mainland Tanzania’s coast, are Muslims. Along these coastal areas Christians face significant opposition. This can range from family pressure to the burning of church buildings. Persecution has been most severe on the island of Pemba, where Christians have been violently attacked.
