James Baquet

Think for a minute about the hallmarks of a great slogan. First, it needs to be catchy, something that rolls off the tongue. Second, it should be evocative, making an emotional connection with those who hear it. Finally, it needs to have solid content.

Well, Tanzania’s tourist slogan scores full marks for the latter two, but fails miserably on the first: “Tanzania: the land of Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and the Serengeti” says a lot, and makes a connection, but it is really a mouthful.

What are the three items selected to portray the national image?

First, Mount Kilimanjaro, a volcano whose name may mean “mountain of greatness” or, more tellingly, “that which defeats” or “is unclimbable.” Its base is located at around 4,900 meters above sea level, and from there it ascends to 5,895 meters. Two of its craters are extinct; the third is dormant, which means it could erupt again.

Next is Zanzibar, an archipelago off the coast in the Indian Ocean, part of which is a World Heritage Site. Stone Town in Zanzibar City is a major tourist attraction, with architecture dating to the 19th century. It displays a mixture of African (Swahili), Arabian, Persian, Indian and European cultures.

Finally, the Serengeti — the name of which may mean “endless plains” — has an animal population which secures its place as one of the “seven natural wonders of Africa” (a list which also includes Kilimanjaro) and the “10 natural travel wonders of the world” in a book by travel writer Howard Hillman. It hosts around 70 large mammal species — including lions, zebras, wildebeests and many other iconic African animals — as well 500 species of birds.

Tanzania itself is surrounded by Kenya and Uganda on the north; Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the west; Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique on the south; and the Indian Ocean on the east. The national language is Swahili, which serves as a lingua franca in East Africa, though English is extensively spoken. The people are primarily Muslim or Christian.

Vocabulary:

Which word above means:

1. a difficult thing to say

2. central openings of volcanoes

3. acting as a symbol of something

4. “sleeping,” inactive

5. pleasant and easily remembered

6. distinguishing feature

7. large, relatively flat land area

8. burst out violently

9. widely; commonly

10. in a revealing way