Geography of Tanzania – The Ultimate Free Guide 2021
Learn facts and Geography of Tanzania including Major Geographical Features, Natural resources, Region, area, Capital, Border countries, rivers in Tanzania.
- Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region.
- It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to the south; Zambia to the southwest; and Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west.
- Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, is in northeastern Tanzania.
- Tanzania is mountainous and densely forested in the north-east, where Mount Kilimanjaro is located.
- Three of Africa’s Great Lakes are partly within Tanzania.
- The Menai Bay Conservation Area is Zanzibar’s largest marine protected area.
- The Kalambo Falls, located on the Kalambo River at the Zambian border, is the second highest uninterrupted waterfall in Africa.
- Christianity is the largest religion in Tanzania, but there are also substantial Muslim and Animist minorities.
- Over 100 different languages are spoken in Tanzania, making it the most linguistically diverse country in East Africa.
Geography of Tanzania

Region:
East Africa
Area:
Ranked 30th
Capital:
Dodoma
Population:
61,193,226
Bordering Countries:
Tanzania is bordered by seven countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Mali, Mozambique, and Rwanda
Total Size:
945,087 km2
Geographical Coordinates:
6°00′S 35°00′E
World Region or Continent:
Africa
General Terrain:
- Tanzania is mountainous and densely forested in the north-east, where Mount Kilimanjaro is located. Three of Africa’s Great Lakes are partly within Tanzania. To the north and west lie Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake, and Lake Tanganyika, the continent’s deepest lake, known for its unique species of fish.
Geographical Low Point:
Indian Ocean
Geographical High Point:
Mount Kilimanjaro
Climate:
- Tanzania has a mainly tropical climate but has regional variations due to topography.
- In the highlands, temperatures range between 10 and 20 °C (50 and 68 °F) during cold and hot seasons respectively and a subtropical highland climate is found.
- The country has temperatures rarely falling lower than 20 °C (68 °F).
- The hottest period extends between November and February (25–31 °C or 77.0–87.8 °F) while the coldest period occurs between May and August (15–20 °C or 59–68 °F).
Major cities:
- Dar es Salaam
- Mwanza
- Arusha
- Dodoma
- Mbeya
- Morogoro
- Tanga
- Kahama
- Tabora
- Zanzibar City
Major Rivers and Lakes:
Major rivers:
- White Nile
- Congo
- Ruvuma
- Rufiji
Major Lakes:
- Lake Victoria
- Lake Amboseli
- Lake Tanganyika
- Lake Nyasa
- Lake Rukwa
- Lake Eyasi
- Lake Natron
- Lake Manyara
- Lake Burigi
- Lake Balangida
Natural Resources:
Natural Resources of Tanzania are gold, diamond, iron, coal, nickel, tanzanite, uranium and natural gas, hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones.
Major Geographical Features:
Biomes & Ecosystems:
- Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Topography:
- Except for the islands and a coastal strip varying in width from 16 to 64 km (10–40 mi), Tanzania lies at an altitude of over 200 m (660 ft). A plateau averaging 900–1,800 m (3,000–6,000 ft) in height makes up the greater part of the country. Mountains are grouped in various sections.
Oceans:
Indian Ocean
Islands:
- Nabuyongo Island
- Ukerewe Island
- Ukara Island
- Saanane Island
- Rubondo Island
- Bongoyo Island
- Fungu Yasini Island
- Kilwa Kisiwani
- Mafia Island
- Maziwi Island
- Mbudya Island
- Okuza Island
- Pangavini Island
- Songo Songo Island
- Toten Island
Mountain Ranges:
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Mount Meru (Tanzania)
- Ol Doinyo Lengai
- Mount Hanang
- Mount Loolmalasin
- Uhuru Peak
- Mount Rungwe
- Loleza Mountain
- Kipengere Range
- Mawenzi
- Lake Ngozi
- Malundwe Mountain
Regions of Tanzania :
- Arusha Region
- Dar es Salaam Region
- Dodoma Region
- Geita Region
- Iringa Region
- Kagera Region
- Katavi Region
- Kigoma Region
- Kilimanjaro Region
- Lindi Region
- Manyara Region
- Mara Region
- Mbeya Region
- Mjini Magharibi Region
- Morogoro Region
- Mtwara Region
- Mwanza Region
- Njombe Region
- Pemba North Region
- Pemba South Region
- Pwani Region
- Rukwa Region
- Ruvuma Region
- Shinyanga Region
- Simiyu Region
- Singida Region
- Songwe Region
- Tabora Region
- Tanga Region
- Unguja North Region
- Unguja South Region
See Also:
The Ultimate Guide on World Map
References:
- Wikipedia – Geography of Tanzania
- kids.nationalgeographic.com – Geography of Tanzania
- Worldatlas.com – Geography of Tanzania
- countryreports.org – Geography of Tanzania