OPINION; The United Republic of TZ: How best to make it firmer
Presidents Julius Nyerere and Abeid Karume. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
The United Republic of Tanzania was established in 1964, with the presidents of Zanzibar and Tanganyika, on the mainland, signing an act of union, while giving semi-autonomy to Zanzibar.
Tanganyika had secured independence in 1961 from the British. Zanzibar, on the other hand, was granted formal independence two years later.
It became a constitutional monarchy ruled by Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah. But this was short lived and a bloody revolution followed early in 1964.
The revolution eventually led to the merger of the Tanganyika mainland with the islands of Zanzibar. And so it was that 53 years ago on April 26, 1964, the United Republic of Tanzania was born.
