Tanzania has a tropical climate. In the highlands, temperatures range between 10 and 20 °C during cold and hot seasons respectively. The rest of the country has temperatures rarely falling lower than 20 °C. The hottest period extends between November and February 25–31 °C while the coldest period occurs between May and August (15–20 °C). Annual temperature is 32 °C. The climate is relatively cool in high mountainous regions.

The country is home to over 45 million people of which more than 80% are rural folks. Christians make up the majority of the people - 45%. About 35% of the population are Muslims. There is a high literacy rate with about 72% of Tanzanians older than 15 years being able to read, write and speak English and Swahili, the two “official” languages of the country. However, there is a high mortality rate with the leading cause of death in children who survive the neonatal period being malaria. For adults, it is HIV/AIDS, making the country the 4th highest in deaths through HIV/AIDS. Over 1.5 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, a reflection of the adult prevalence rate of 8.8%. Other diseases such as typhoid fever, diarrhoea and hepatitis are also common.

Several festivals are celebrated throughout the year where there are singing, dancing, feasting and drumming. In addition to these, specific rituals are performed to bring good luck and prosperity to the people. The music of Tanzania does not end with the festivals but stretches from traditional African music to string-based and to a distinctive hip hop known as Bongo Flava.

The Tanzanian diet is largely based on starches such as millet, sorghum, beans and cornmeal (maize). A meal that could be considered the country's national dish is ‘Ugali’, stiff dough made of cassava flour, cornmeal, millet, or sorghum, and usually served with a sauce containing meat, fish, beans, or cooked vegetables. Rice is also widely consumed in the country especially in the coastal communities. Other staples include plantains, bananas and a vast range of fruits and vegetables. Indian food is also abundant in the cities.

Tanzania remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with many of its people living below the World Bank poverty line. The economy depends heavily on Agriculture, which accounts for more than half of the GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 80% of the work force. Topography and climate, though, limit cultivated crops to only 4% of the land area. The nation has vast amounts of natural resources including gold, diamond, coal, iron, uranium, nickel, chrome, tin, platinum and natural gas. It is the third largest producer of gold in Africa after South Africa and Ghana. Tanzania is also known for its Tanzanite, a type of gemstone. Lack of overall development has hampered the extraction of these various resources, and even up to the present there has been effort to develop the natural resource sector but no major quantifiable results.

Almost everywhere you go you'll find interesting wildlife and inspiring landscapes (over 40% of the country is protected in one form or the other) ranging from forest-covered volcanic peaks to dusty savannah populated by elephants, antelopes, lions, leopards and cheetahs. Tanzania is one of the four most naturally diverse nations on earth: it contains Africa's second-largest number of bird species (around 1500), the continent's biggest mammal population and three-quarters of East Africa's plant species (over 10,000). Tanzania is also home to over 130 amphibian and 275 reptile species, many of which are strictly endemic to the country. These animals are found in the dozens of beautiful national parks, like the world-famous, ecologically significant Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Areas in the north and Selous Game Reserve and Mikumi National Park in the south. Gombe National Park is in the western part of the country. Tanzania is mountainous in the northeast, where snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, is situated. To the north and west are the Africa’s largest lake (Lake Victoria) and Africa’s deepest lake (Lake Tanganyika, known for its unique species of fish). The Kalambo waterfall which is the second highest waterfall in Africa is in the southwestern region of the countryZanzibar is also noted for its idyllic palm-fringed beaches and historic Stone Town. . All these serve as some of Tanzania’s main tourist destinations. Yet there's a whole lot more to Tanzania than these obvious highlights.

Volunteers are required in every sector of Tanzania, more importantly, HIV/AIDS as the country has a high prevalence rate. Help is therefore required in homes of stigmatised citizens of the nation. This could be in the form of education and offering counselling through our programs. The country’s wildlife and conservation sector also requires adequate assistance from volunteers to help improve the sector to become a high revenue-generating sector. Tanza¬nia's best asset is its people: friend¬ly, welcoming, unassumingly proud and yet reserved – you will be treated with uncommon warmth and courtesy wherever you go, and genuine friendships are easily made.