Zanzibar is a small island off the coast of Tanzania,
a few hours boat ride from Dar es Salaam.
Once a thriving port and base for slavers and pirates, Zanzibar is but a shadow of its former self.
Although ostensibly part of Tanzania, Zanzibar has a Marxist regime.
(You have to go through passport control and customs).
As a Marxist regime, it is suffering the fate of most such regimes,
that is, ecomomic stagnation, corruption, unemployment and crime.
Despite this, Zanzibar is a nice place to spend a lazy week or two recovering from hard travel.
The town of Zanzibar is an interesting labyrinth of back streets and alley ways.
Although a lot of the shops are closed, it is still possible to find some
interesting and exotic souvenirs.
Talk to the shopkeepers and they'll likely tell you of economic woe and poor trade.
They will also tell you about the good old days of vibrant trade and exotic seafarers.
Take a very dusty taxi ride to the east coast and you'll think you're in Tahiti !
Beautiful white sandy beaches, palm trees and coral reef.
Stay in a beachside bungalow and chill out for a while.
Consisting chiefly of the islands of Zanzibar and Tumbatu, in the Indian Ocean.
The major city is also named Zanzibar. The economy of the region is almost entirely agricultural,
and Zanzibar and the nearby island of Pemba produce a large portion of the world's cloves.
The Portuguese gained control in 1503, using the island as a base for territorial expansion
on the African coast and for the slave trade.
In 1698 Zanzibar and Pemba fell to the rulers of Oman. Under the Omani sultanate of Zanzibar,
Muslim traders pushed deep into Africa in search of slaves and ivory.
The islands became a British protectorate in 1890 and an independent nation in 1963.
In 1964 leftists deposed the sultan, and the two islands merged with Tanzania.
Zanzibar retains control of its internal affairs.
