How long did the sovereign state of Tanganyika exist?

As a sovereign state, Tanganyika existed from December 9, 1961 until April 26, 1964. That adds up to 28 months and 17 days.

In the late 1880’s, Imperial Germany dispatched its military to the area of the African Great Lakes—Lake Victoria, Lake Nyasa, and Lake Tanganyika—to quash a revolt of the native people against the German East Africa Company. The GEAC operated in that region of the continent. When the revolt was put down, Germany colonized the region, forming German East Africa (GEA).

At the end of World War I, Germany was stripped of its Empire and its colonies. GEA became a mandate territory under the League of Nations. Under that mandate, Great Britain was appointed the trustee of the Tanganyika Territory, while what are now Rwanda and Burundi were put under Belgian trusteeship.

Tanganyika became a sovereign state on December 9, 1961 when it gained independence from Great Britain to become a “Commonwealth realm”. A year later, the country became a republic in the Commonwealth of Nations. Tanganyika’s leaders officially merged their nation with the People’s Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba on “Union Day”, April 26, 1964.

Within a year, the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar changed its name to the United Republic of Tanzania.

The image is of men fishing on Lake Tanganyika.