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Brief History. Once called Tanganyika, this region has been an important element in East African trade routes since antiquity. Both a mainland (Tanganyika) and island (Zanzibar) land, it was inhabited by a variety of native peoples. During the 19th century, Britain and Germany both cast their eyes on Zanzibar, dividing up the territory such that Zanzibar became a British protectorate and Tanganyika, a colony of German East Africa. Shortly after independence, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule came to an end in 1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s. Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and popular opposition have led to two contentious elections since 1995, which the ruling party won despite international observers' claims of voting irregularities.