Tanganyika, historical eastern African state that in 1964 merged with Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, later renamed the United Republic of Tanzania. (See Tanzania.)
Archaeological evidence attests to a long history of settlement in the area; by the 10th century ce, it was inhabited by Asian and Arab traders and Bantu-speaking peoples. The Portuguese gained control of the coastline in the late 15th century, but they were driven out by the Arabs of Oman and Zanzibar in the late 18th century. German colonists entered the area in the 1880s, and in 1891 the Germans declared the region a protectorate as part of German East Africa. During World War I, Britain captured the German holdings, which became a British mandate (1920) under the name Tanganyika Territory. Britain retained control of the region after World War II, when it became a United Nations trust territory. Tanganyika gained independence on Dec. 9, 1961, and became a republic one year later. On April 26, 1964, it joined with Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.