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Zanzibar

Constituent state of the United Republic of Tanzania
consisting of the islands of Unguja (Zanzibar) and Pempa

• Flag

• Historical Flags

• Meaning/Origin of the Flag

• Coat of Arms

• Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms

• Map

• Numbers and Facts

• History

• Origin of the Country's Name

Flag

National flag,
ratio = 3:4,
Source, by: Flags of the World

Historical Flags

Flagge Fahne flag Sultanat Sultanate Sansibar Zanzibar Pemba, Sansibar und Pempa Zanzibar and Pemba

1856–1963,
National flag,
Source, by: Wikipedia (EN)

1856–1963(?),
Flag of the Sultan,
Source: Wikipedia (EN)

Flagge Fahne flag Sultanat Sultanate Sansibar Zanzibar Pemba, Sansibar und Pempa Zanzibar and Pemba Britischer Resident Minister British Resident Minister

ca.1918–1955,
Flag of the British Resident Minister,
ratio = 1:2,
Source: Flags of the World

1955–1963,
Flag of the British Resident Minister,
ratio = 1:2,
Source: Flags of the World

Flagge Fahne flag Sansibar Zanzibar Pemba, Sansibar und Pempa Zanzibar and Pemba Afro-Shirazi Party Partei

1957–1977,
Flag of the Afro-Shirazi Party,
ratio = 2:3,
Source: Flags of the World, i.colnect.net, blogspot.com

1963–1964,
National flag,
ratio = 2:3,
Source: Flags of the World

Flagge Fahne flag Volksrepublik People's Republic Pemba

1964,
People's Republic of Pemba,
National flag,
ratio = 2:3,
Source: Flags of the World

Flagge Fahne flag Sansibar Zanzibar Pemba, Sansibar und Pempa Zanzibar and Pemba

Jan. 1964,
National flag,
ratio = 2:3,
Source: Flags of the World

Jan. 1964–Apr. 1964,
National flag,
ratio = 2:3,
Source: Flags of the World

1964–2005,
Flag of Tanzania,
ratio = 2:3,
Source: Flags of the World

Zanzibar's flag was originally solid red, like the flag of Oman, the country's ancestor and brother. On the occasion of independence, however, a green disc with two yellow cloves was added. Cloves are the island's most important export and the reason for its prosperity. The flag of the Afro-Shirazi Party, which came to power in a bloody anti-Arab coup d'état in January 1964, featured three horizontal stripes in blue, black and green with a yellow hoe in the black central stripe. After the coup, a black, yellow and blue tricolour was used for a few days in January 1964. Already in January, this flag was replaced by a flag in blue, black and green. Sometimes a narrow white stripe on the leech is also mentioned, but this is probably due to a misinterpretation of the white trimming band on a hoist flag. When Zanzibar merged with Tanganyika to form Tanzania, the flags of both countries were merged to form the national flag of Tanzania. In the years that followed, Zanzibar officially had no flag of its own; the flag of Tanzania had to be used. The demands for autonomy, independence and also for its own flag became louder and louder from 2000 onwards, and so Zanzibar has been allowed to use its own flag again since 10th of January in 2005. It is the old blue-black-green tricolour, but with the flag of Tanzania added in the upper corner. Red is in the region of the Indian Ocean a flag color with a great tradition and wide dissemination, from the coasts of Arabia, over Zansibar to the Maldives, which stands in dense context to the islam. Red flags had and have all islamic dynasties, which come from the Alawites (Alides, descentants of Ali) like today Morokko or former North Yemen, the Arabian Emirates and Oman. Oman incorporated till 1730 the african eastern coast, to an in the today Mocambique. They moved their capital to Zansibar (ca. 1830) and founded a new empire which had its red flag, too.

Source: Wikipedia (EN), Die Welt der Flaggen, Volker Preuß

Coat of Arms

1890–1963,
Coat of arms of the Sultanate of Zanzibar,
Source, by: eh.lenin.ru

Wappen coat of arms Badge Sultanat Sultanate Sansibar Zanzibar Pemba, Sansibar und Pempa Zanzibar and Pemba Britischer Resident Minister British Resident Minister

Wappen coat of arms Badge Sultanat Sultanate Sansibar Zanzibar Pemba, Sansibar und Pempa Zanzibar and Pemba Britischer Resident Minister British Resident Minister

1955–1963,
Badge of the British Resident Minister,
Source, by: Flaggenbuch 1939

Wappen coat of arms Badge Sultanat Sultanate Sansibar Zanzibar Pemba, Sansibar und Pempa Zanzibar and Pemba Britischer Resident Minister British Resident Minister

1963–1964,
Emblem of Sultanate of Zanzibar,
Source, by: Wikipedia (EN)

Wappen coat of arms Sansibar Zanzibar Pemba Sansibar und Pempa Zanzibar and Pemba

Wappen coat of arms Sansibar Zanzibar Pemba Sansibar und Pempa Zanzibar and Pemba

today's Coat of arms of Zanzibar,
Source, by: Wikipedia (EN)

Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms

The coat of arms of the Sultanate of Zanzibar showed a central Arabic inscription on a round shield surrounded by red flags and two lions. Two banners at the top and bottom showed the country's name in English and in Arabic respectively. The British Resident Minister's badge showed an Arab dhow with a red flag on the high seas, above which was placed the British crown. On the occasion of independence, a green emblem with two yellow cloves was added to the red flag. Cloves were the country's most important export. The current coat of arms of the country shows an oval with a coastal landscape, one coast on the left and one on the right. These will be the coasts of Unguja (Zanzibar) and Pempa, which also appear centrally as silhouettes.

Source: Volker Preuß

Map

Größere Karte anzeigen

Numbers and Facts

Area: 1.025 square miles, thereof: Unguja 643 sq.mi., 896.721 inh. (2012) and Pemba 380 sq.mi., 406.808 inh. (2012)

Inhabitants: 1.889.773 inh. (2022), thereof 56 % Shirazi (Zanzibar Africans), furthermore Swahili, Arabs, Persians, Somalis, Indians

Religions: mostly Muslim

Density of Population: 1.844 inh./sq.mi.

Capital: Zanzibar, 501.459 inh. (2012)

official Languages: English, Swahili

other Languages: Arabian, Hindi, Urdu

Currency: Tanzanian currency: Tanzania Shilling (TZS, TSh) = 100 Cents

Time Zone: GMT + 3 h

Source: Wikipedia (D), Wikipedia (EN)

History

Antiquity · settlement by Bantu tribes (Hadimu, Tumbatu)

8th–15th cent. · Zanzibar is a often visited target of Arabian and Persian merchants, establishment of trade stations, islamization, Arabian settlement

28th of January 1499 · the Portugese seafarer Vasco da Gama visits Zanzibar

1503 · the Portugese establish a trade station and begin to rule over the island and also over the whole African eastern coast

1698 · Arabs on behalf of the Sultan of Oman conquer the island and banish the Portugese from the island and until 1728 from the whole African eastern coast except Mozambique

1730 · the Island of Zanzibar becomes officially annexed by the Sultanate of Oman – like the whole African eastern coast between Cape Delgado and Mogadishu, Zanzibar becomes a centre of the slave-trading and succumbs to a growing Arabian influence

1818 · the Sultan of Oman introduces the clove

1830 · (by other sources in 1832 or even 1824) Sultan Seyyid Said of Oman transfers its residence from Masquat to Zanzibar, immigration of further Arabs

1856 · death of the Sultan, in result of British pressure division of the country (division of the dynasty in two lines) in the Sultanate of Oman and the Sultanate of Zanzibar

6th of April 1861 · the Sultanate of Zanzibar (the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, Lamu, Manda, Patta inclusive the whole African eastern coast between Cape Delgado and Mogadishu) separates officially from Oman, becomes an independent state and is immediately recognized by United Kingdom, growing British influence

1873 · United Kingdom prohibits the slave-trading in the Sultanate of Zanzibar

1884 · the German East African Colonial Company acquires territories in the hinterland of the Zanzibarian coast of Africa

17th of February 1885 · the German Empire proclaims its protectorate over the Sultanate of Zanzibar

1st of November 1886 · German-British agreement, the territory of the Sultanate of Zanzibar becomes defined: the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, Lamu, Manda, Patta, a 12 miles broad coastal stripe of the African eastern coast between Cape Delgado and Kipini as well as the places of Kismaayo, Baraawe, Merka, Mogadishu and Warshiikh

1887 · the Sultanate of Zanzibar leases the African eastern coast near Kipini to the British Imperial East African Company

1888 · the Sultanate of Zanzibar leases the coast between Cape Delgado and the British territories to the German East African Colonial Company

28th of October 1890 · the Sultanate of Zanzibar sells the coast between Cape Delgado and the British territories for 4 millions of Mark to the German East African Colonial Company

1st of July 1890 · Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty, the German Empire renounces its protectorate over Zanzibar, in countermove acquisition of the island of Heligoland from United Kingdom and the ceding of German Witu (in the today’s Kenya, appropriated in 1885) to United Kingdom

1st of August 1890 · the Sultan of Zanzibar prohibits once more the slave-trading

5th of August 1890 · British-French Treaty, approval of France to the planned acquisition of Zanzibar by United Kingdom

7th of November 1890 · United Kingdom establishes its protectorate over the Sultanate of Zanzibar, the Sultans of Zanzibar reign henceforth on behalf of the British crown which is represented by a British Resident in Zanzibar

1892 · the Sultanate of Zanzibar leases its remained possessions at the Somali Coast (Kismaayo, Baraawe, Merka, Mogadishu and Warshiikh) to Italy

1st of July 1895 · the hitherto by United Kingdom leased African eastern coast near Kipini becomes a British protectorate (British East Africa [Kenya])

1906 · the Sultanate of Zanzibar sells Kismaayo, Baraawe, Merka, and Warshiikh to Italy

1924 · the Sultanate of Zanzibar sells Mogadishu to Italy

1957 · United Kingdom grants limited autonomy

24th of June 1963 · United Kingdom grants self-rule

10th of December 1963 · the Sultanate of Zanzibar becomes independent and a member of the Commonwealth

12th of January 1964 · Revolution, overthrow of the Sultan, Zanzibar becomes a people’s republic, massacres on the Arabian population, even in January takes place a coup d’état, the Afro-Shirazi Party comes into power

27th of April 1964 · the People’s Republic of Zanzibar unites with the Republic of Tanganyika to the "United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar"

29.10.1964 · rename in "United Republic of Tanzania"

1965 · introduction of one-party-sytem (Afro-Shirazi Party)

October 1995 · first free elections in Zanzibar since 30 years

since 2000 · grow strong of the islamistic shaped independence movement which advocates a separation from Tanganyika

Source: Atlas zur Geschichte, World Statesmen, Wikipedia (DE), Wikipedia (EN), Volker Preuß

Origin of the Country's Name

The origin of the name "Zanzibar" is not exactly known. However, there are some theories:
• The name was composed of "zengi" (name of a local Bantu tribe) and "bar" (Arabic word for coast)
• The name was composed of "zandj" (Arabic word for "black man") and "bar" (Arabic word for coast)
• The name is derived from the Greek word for ginger: "zingiberis"
In the local language Swahili, which was formed by mixing the Bantu languages with Arabic, the island is called Unguja ("Ungujah"), which translates as "populated space".

Source: Meyers Konversationslexikon 1909, Wikipedia (DE), Wikipedia (EN), Volker Preuß