Zanzibar Islands
Zanzibar Archipelago - The Spice Islands
Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania. It is composed of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25 to 50 kilometers (16 to 31 miles) off the mainland, and consists of many small islands and the two large ones: Unguja(This is the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island.
The capital is Zanzibar City, located on the island of Unguja. Its historic center is Stone Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Zanzibar's main industries are spice, raffia, and tourism. In particular, the islands produce cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper. For this reason, the Zanzibar Archipelago, together with Tanzania's Mafia Island, are sometimes referred to locally as the "Spice Islands". Zanzibar is the home of the endemic Zanzibar red colobus, Zanzibar servaline genet, Pemba sunbirds, Pemba pigeon, and some other species.
The Zanzibar archipelago is a jewel in the Indian Ocean. The capital Stone Town, is home to a fascinating maze of narrow streets, while on the east coast pristine beaches invite visitors to the reef-protected warm waters and traditional wooden dhows sail by. Across the main island, the smaller sister island of Pemba offers away-from-it-all escapes.