Nature
About a third of Tanzania is covered by forests and woodland, which include the coastal forests and thickets of Tanzania, remnants of the once extensive lowland forests of East Africa. Out in the great wide plains, populations of wildebeest, lions, antelope, cheetahs and flamingos thrive in areas that remain mostly unspoilt.
In the marine realm, the country's
mangrove forests are home to oysters and crabs, and nursery areas for fish and prawns. There are extensive seagrass areas, an important food source for invertebrates, fish, dugong, and
green and
hawksbill turtles.
Coral reefs are common along much of the Tanzanian coastline and well-developed
barrier reefs occur along most of the ocean-facing eastern coastline of the islands. The reefs are located along about two thirds of Tanzania's continental shelf.
