What is Zanzibar?
Zanzibar is an archipelago made up of Zanzibar and Pemba Islands, and several islets. It is located in the Indian Ocean, about 25 miles from the Tanzanian coast, and 6° south of the equator. Zanzibar Island (known locally as Unguja, but as Zanzibar internationally) is 60 miles long and 20 miles wide, occupying a total area of approximately 650 square miles. It is characterised by beautiful sandy beaches with fringing coral reefs, and the magic of historic Stone Town - said to be the only functioning ancient town in East Africa.
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Weather & Climate
Zanzibar experiences ideal holiday weather for most of the year. The heat of summer is seasonally often cooled by windy conditions, resulting in pleasant sea breezes, particularly on the North and East coasts. Being near to the equator, the islands are warm all year round, but officially, summer and winter peak in December and June respectively. This is illustrated statistical weather information shown below. Zanzibar is blessed with an average of 7-8 hours of sunshine daily.
Short rains can occur in November but are characterised by short showers which do not last long. The long rains normally occur in April and May although this is often referred to as the 'Green Season', and it typically doesn't rain every day during that time.
| Average Temperature, °C |
JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
| 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 | |
| Average High Temperature, °C |
||||||||||||
| 32 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 31 | |
| Average Low Temperature, °C |
||||||||||||
| 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | |
| Highest Recorded Temperature, °C |
||||||||||||
| 36 | 38 | 38 | 36 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 36 | |
| Lowest Recorded Temperature, °C |
||||||||||||
| 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | |
| Average Rainfall, cm |
||||||||||||
| 5 | 6 | 14 | 32 | 28 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 13 | |
| Average Number of Rainy Days |
||||||||||||
| 5 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 8 | |
| Average Number of Days Above 32°C |
||||||||||||
| 15 | 15 | 17 | 10 | 8 | nil | nil | nil | 7 | 10 | 14 | 14 |
Stone town
It may not have a particularly romantic name, but Stone Town is the old city and cultural heart of Zanzibar, little changed in the last 200 years. It is a place of winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and grand Arab houses whose original owners vied with each other over the extravagance of their dwellings. This one-upmanship is particularly reflected in the brass-studded, carved, wooden doors - there are more than 500 different examples of this handiwork. You can spend many idle hours and days just wandering through the fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways.
Stone Town was recently and deservedly declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. More information can be found at the UNESCO website.
Most of the houses that can be seen today were built in the 19th century when Zanzibar was one of the most important trading centres in the Indian Ocean region. The coraline rock of Zanzibar was a good building material, but it is also easily eroded. This is evident by the large number of houses that are in a bad state of repair. Several buildings have already been renovated and the Stone Town Conservation Authority has been established to co-ordinate the restoration of the town to its original magnificence. Pictured opposite is a 'before and after' look at the restoration work done on the Old Dispensary. As a result of sensible policy, nearly all of the major hotels built in Stone Town are housed in renovated buildings
Wildlife
There are no large wild animals in Zanzibar, and forest areas such as Jozani are inhabited by monkeys, bush-pigs and small antelopes. Civets - and rumour has it, the elusive Zanzibar leopard! Various species of mongoose can also be found on the island. There is a wide variety of birdlife, and a large number of butterflies in rural areas. The coral reefs that surround the East Coast are rich in marine diversity, and make Zanzibar an ideal location for snorkelling and scuba diving.
People, Religion and Language
Zanzibar's local people are an incredible mixture of ethnic backgrounds, indicative of her colourful history. Islam is the dominant religion, and practiced by most Zanzibaris, although there are also followers of Christianity and Hinduism. Population is estimated at 800,000, with the largest concentration being Zanzibar City which has approximately 100,000 inhabitants. Zanzibaris speak Swahili (known locally as Kiswahili), a language which is spoken extensively in East Africa. Many believe that the purest form is spoken in Zanzibar as it is the birth place of the language.
Culture and Festivals
Zanzibar's most famous event is the Zanzibar International Film Festival, also known as the Festival of the Dhow Countries. Every July, this event showcases the best of the Swahili Coast arts scene, including Zanzibar's favourite music, Taarab.
Government
Zanzibar is an island state within the United Republic of Tanzania, and has its own semi-autonomous government made up of a Revolutionary Council and House of Representatives. The present government is led by the island's President, Amani Karume. The government body responsible for tourism promotion is the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism.
Economy
Fishing and agriculture are the main economic activities of the local people. Zanzibar was once the world's largest producer of cloves, and her economy was based on large incomes thus derived. Although cloves are still a major export along with coconut products and spices, tourism has been ear-marked as the primary foreign exchange earner, with more visitors coming to Zanzibar each year. At this stage, the numbers are still low (less than 100,000 annually) and the potential for tourism is relatively untapped. Zanzibar's tourism private sector is represented by the Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors (ZATI).
The Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors (ZATI) was registered on 5th February 2003 and has since begun to show its value to both the private and public sectors.
ZATI is already involved in several projects, some with the assistance of the European Union, all with the goal of improving the local economy, particularly the tourism sector.
ZATI’s aim is to achieve excellence in hospitality, leadership in marketing, and sustainable growth in tourism, for the benefit of its members, and the wider community. ZATI is grateful to have the full support and cooperation of the Zanzibar government.
Membership represents more than US$ 50 million of the investment in tourism facilities on Zanzibar and includes Hotels, Tour Operators, Air Operators, Dive Operators, Restaurants and Retail.
For further information please contact:
Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors
PO Box 2578, Zanzibar, Tanzania
E-mail:
info@zati.org
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots.
Web: www.zati.org










