Zanzibar Environmental History

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The history of nature conservation in Zanzibar has its root from pre colonial period. People were aware that resources are diminishing, and that awareness prompted people to use the resources in ways that ensured survival of future generations. Therefore, the study of history of nature conservation in Zanzibar is very important of Zanzibar and its resources were among the pulling factors for foreigners to establish their base in these islands. However, the delayed effort of colonial authority in conserving nature in Zanzibar has resulted in the scarcity of archival sources concerning this subject. As a result, the study on this subject has become very difficult for historians who usually begin their studies by reviewing the available written sources. This paper therefore relies on very few available sources from different scholars especially geographers who have conducted a handful of researches on the subject. Zanzibar consists of the two islands of Unguja which is usually called Zanzibar Island, and Pemba, plus several smaller islands such as Tumbatu, Funzi, Fundo, Uvinje and others. It located about 40 km off the coast of mainland Tanzania. Unguja Island is about 85 km long, and between 20 to 30 km wide, with an area of 1500 km2. Pemba Island is about 75 km long and between 15 to 20 km wide, with an area of 850 km2. The islands are generally flat and low lying and surrounded by coasts of rocky inlets or sandy beaches, lagoons and mangroves, and coral reefs. The major difference between the two islands relates to their geological origin. Unguja consists of fossil coral while Pemba is referred to as a continental island and bears resemblance to the main continent of Africa both in terms of fauna and flora. Consequently, the soils of Pemba are much more fertile than those of Unguja. Both islands cover only a total area of 2,332km2 with high population density of

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