Tanzania National Parks. Their Importance and Characteristics

Sixty years ago, the first President of the United Republic of Tanzania Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere officially recognized the special status of wildlife in the country.

In September 1961, at the Symposium on Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in Modern African States, he gave a speech, which laid a foundation for natural resources conservation in post-independent Tanzania. The speech is widely known as the Arusha Manifesto.

«The survival of our wildlife is a matter of grave concern to all of us in Africa. These wild creatures amid the wild places they inhabit are not only important as a source of wonder and inspiration but are an integral part of our natural resources and our future livelihood and wellbeing.

The conservation of wildlife and wild places calls for specialist knowledge, trained manpower, and money and we look to other nations to cooperate with us in this important task — the success or failure of which not only affects the continent of Africa but the rest of the world as well.»

The organization now knows as Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) was established and Serengeti became the first National Park.

Nowadays conservation in Tanzania is governed by the Wildlife Conservation Act of 1974, which allows the Government to establish protected areas and outlines how they are organized and managed. National Parks represent the highest level of resource protection that can be provided.

To Tanzanians’ credit, their consistent efforts were rewarded, and by September 2019, TANAPA has grown to 22 National Parks, covering an area of over 99,000 sq km in total as per table below:

№	National Park	Area	Established	Characteristics
1	Serengeti	14763 km2	1951	The site of what most consider the most dramatic mammal migration on earth
2	Lake Manyara	6487 km2	1960 – 2009	The place of tree climbing lions
3	Arusha	552 km2	1960 – 2005	Amazing walking safaris
4	Ruaha	20300 km2	1964 – 2008	One of the few Tanzania’s famous wilderness areas
5	Mikumi	3230 km2	1964	The exciting world of wildlife
6	Gombe	71 km2	1968 – 2013	A fragile strip of chimpanzee habitat
7	Tarangire	2600 km2	1970	Elephants’ paradise
8	Kilimanjaro	1668 km2	1974 – 2005	The Roof of Adrica
9	Katavi	4471 km2	1974	An untouched wilderness paradise
10	Rubondo Island	457 km2	1977	A gem of blue waters
11	Mahale Mountains	1577 km2	1985	A spectacularly beautiful chimpanzee sanctuary
12	Udzungwa Mountains	1990 km2	1992	A unique ecosystem with breathtaking scenery
13	Saadani	1100 km2	2005	A place where the ocean meets the bushes
14	Kitulo	413 km2	2005	“The Garden of God”
15	Mkomazi	3245 km2	2008	Home to endangered species
16	Saanane Island	2.8 km2	2013	Magical island
17	Burigi Chato	4707 km2	2019	The land of wondrous waters
18	Ibanda-Kyerwa	298.6 km2	2019	A place where the boarders of three countries meet
19	Rumanyika — Karagwe	247 km2	2019	Breathtaking views
20	Nyerere	30893 km2	2019	“The Land of the Mighty Rufiji”
21	Kigosi	7460 km2	2019	The largest wetlands complex in East Africa
22	Ugalla river	3865 km2	2019	One of Tanzania’s newest parks