However, in recent years, tensions have developed between Christians and Muslims, a problem that may threaten the unity between the Mainland and Zanzibar. Tensions between indigenous Tanzanians and the Asian community, which are prominent in business, have also surfaced in recent years. The two largest ethnic groups in Tanzania are linguistically and culturally closely related. Sukuma and Nyamwezi are in western Tanzania, south of Lake Victoria. Both are Bantu-speaking peoples who in the past were agriculturists and cattle keepers.
Most family farms are subsistence, but also surplus crops for cash.
Also, before German rule, the Sukuma and Nyamwezi acted as middle-men in the trade with the Swahili on the coast. In pre-colonial times, there was a strong ruler, a king or mtemi , called Mirambo. He was great military leader and strategistwho between 1860-1884 was able to carve out a large empire through conquest and diplomacy among the Sukuma and Nymawezi. In post-colonial Tanzania, Mirambo became an important political symbol because he had been able to deal with Europeans from a position of strength. The third largest ethnic group is the Chagga who live on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro.