Shortly after achieving
independence from Britain in the early 1960s, 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.
Geography ::Tanzania
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique
Geographic coordinates:
6 00 S, 35 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 947,300 sq km
country comparison to the world: 31
land:
885,800 sq km
water:
61,500 sq km
note:includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:
total: 3,861 km
border countries:
Burundi
451 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 459 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi
475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217 km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km
Coastline:
1,424 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Climate:
Current Weather
varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands
Terrain:
plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south
flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought
Environment - current issues:
soil degradation;
deforestation; desertification; destruction of coral reefs threatens
marine habitats; recent droughts affected marginal agriculture; wildlife
threatened by illegal hunting and trade, especially for ivory
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Kilimanjaro is highest
point in Africa; bordered by three of the largest lakes on the
continent: Lake Victoria (the world's second-largest freshwater lake) in
the north, Lake Tanganyika (the world's second deepest) in the west,
and Lake Nyasa in the southwest
People ::Tanzania
Population:
41,892,895
country comparison to the world: 30
note:estimates
for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess
mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher
infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and
changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would
otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
65 years and over:
2.9% (male 526,053/female 685,188) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.3 years
male:
18 years
female:
18.5 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.032% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
Birth rate:
33.44 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
Death rate:
12.31 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
8
Net migration rate:
-0.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
15
Urbanization:
urban population: 25% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
4.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.77 male(s)/female
total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 68.13 deaths/1,000 live births
2
male:
75 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
61.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.49 years
08
male:
50.99 years
female:
54.03 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.31 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
6.2% (2007 est.)
2
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1.4 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
96,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases:
bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases:
malaria and plague
water contact disease:
schistosomiasis
animal contact disease:
rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Tanzanian(s)
adjective:
Tanzanian
Ethnic groups:
mainland - African 99%
(of which 95% are Bantu consisting of more than 130 tribes), other 1%
(consisting of Asian, European, and Arab); Zanzibar - Arab, African,
mixed Arab and African
Religions:
mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 35%; Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim
Languages:
Kiswahili or Swahili
(official), Kiunguja (name for Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official,
primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education),
Arabic (widely spoken in Zanzibar), many local languages
note:Kiswahili
(Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people living in Zanzibar
and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili is Bantu in structure
and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety of sources including
Arabic and English; it has become the lingua franca of central and
eastern Africa; the first language of most people is one of the local
languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write Kiswahili (Swahili), English, or Arabic
total population:
69.4%
male:
77.5%
female:
62.2% (2002 census)
Education expenditures:
2.2% of GDP (1999)
64
Government ::Tanzania
Country name:
conventional long form: United Republic of Tanzania
conventional short form:
Tanzania
local long form:
Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania
local short form:
Tanzania
former:
United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Dar es Salaam
geographic coordinates:
6 48 S, 39 17 E
time difference:
UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note:legislative
offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is planned as the new
national capital; the National Assembly now meets there on a regular
basis
26 April 1964; Tanganyika
became independent 9 December 1961 (from UK-administered UN
trusteeship); Zanzibar became independent 19 December 1963 (from UK);
Tanganyika united with Zanzibar 26 April 1964 to form the United
Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed United Republic of Tanzania
29 October 1964
National holiday:
Union Day (Tanganyika and Zanzibar), 26 April (1964)
Constitution:
25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984
Legal system:
based on English common
law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of
interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President
Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December 2005); Vice President Dr. Ali
Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July 2001); note - the president is both chief
of state and head of government
head of government:
President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December 2005); Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July 2001)
note:Zanzibar
elects a president who is head of government for matters internal to
Zanzibar; Amani Abeid KARUME reelected to that office on 30 October 2005
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly
elections:
president
and vice president elected on the same ballot by popular vote for
five-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held on 14
December 2005 (next to be held in October 2010); prime minister
appointed by the president
election results:
Jakaya KIKWETE elected president; percent of vote - Jakaya KIKWETE 80.3%, Ibrahim LIPUMBA 11.7%, Freeman MBOWE 5.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National
Assembly or Bunge (274 seats; 232 members elected by popular vote, 37
allocated to women nominated by the president, 5 to members of the
Zanzibar House of Representatives; members serve five-year terms); note -
in addition to enacting laws that apply to the entire United Republic
of Tanzania, the Assembly enacts laws that apply only to the mainland;
Zanzibar has its own House of Representatives to make laws especially
for Zanzibar (the Zanzibar House of Representatives has 50 seats;
members elected by universal suffrage to serve five-year terms)
elections:
last held on 14 December 2005 (next to be held in October 2010)
election results:
National
Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CCM 206, CUF
19, CHADEMA 5, other 2, women appointed by the president 37, Zanzibar
representatives 5 Zanzibar House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - CCM 30, CUF 19; 1 seat was nullified with a
rerun to take place soon
Judicial branch:
Permanent Commission of
Enquiry (official ombudsman); Court of Appeal (consists of a chief
justice and four judges); High Court (consists of a Jaji Kiongozi and 29
judges appointed by the president; holds regular sessions in all
regions); District Courts; Primary Courts (limited jurisdiction and
appeals can be made to the higher courts)
Political parties and leaders:
Chama Cha Demokrasia na
Maendeleo (Party of Democracy and Development) or CHADEMA [Bob MAKANI];
Chama Cha Mapinduzi or CCM (Revolutionary Party) [Jakaya Mrisho
KIKWETE]; Civic United Front or CUF [Ibrahim LIPUMBA]; Democratic Party
[Christopher MTIKLA] (unregistered); Tanzania Labor Party or TLP
[Augustine Lyatonga MREME]; United Democratic Party or UDP [John CHEYO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Economic and Social Research Foundation or ESRF; Free Zanzibar; Tanzania Media Women's Association or TAMWA
embassy:
686 Old Bagamoyo Road, Msasani, Dar es Salaam
mailing address:
P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam
telephone:
[255] (22) 266-8001
FAX:
[255] (22) 266-8238, 266-8373
Flag description:
divided diagonally by a
yellow-edged black band from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper
triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is blue; the
banner combines colors found on the flags of Tanganyika and Zanzibar;
green represents the natural vegetation of the country, gold its rich
mineral deposits, black the native Swahili people, and blue the
country's many lakes and rivers, as well as the Indian Ocean
Economy ::Tanzania
Economy - overview:
Tanzania is in the bottom 10% of
the world's economies in terms of per capita income. The economy depends
heavily on agriculture, which accounts for more than one-fourth of GDP,
provides 85% of exports, and employs 80% of the work force. Topography
and climatic conditions, however, limit cultivated crops to about 4% of
the land area. Industry traditionally featured the processing of
agricultural products and light consumer goods. The World Bank, the IMF,
and bilateral donors have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's
aging economic infrastructure and to alleviate poverty. Long-term growth
through 2005 featured a pickup in industrial production and a
substantial increase in output of minerals led by gold. Recent banking
reforms have helped increase private-sector growth and investment.
Continued donor assistance and solid macroeconomic policies supported a
positive growth rate, despite the world recession.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$57.89 billion (2009 est.)
$55.19 billion (2008 est.)
$51.37 billion (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$22.42 billion (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.9% (2009 est.)
6
7.4% (2008 est.)
7.1% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,400 (2009 est.)
02
$1,400 (2008 est.)
$1,300 (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 26.4%
industry:
22.6%
services:
50.9% (2009 est.)
Labor force:
21.23 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80%
industry and services:
20% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
36% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
agricultural processing
(sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine); diamond, gold, and iron mining,
salt, soda ash; cement, oil refining, shoes, apparel, wood products,
fertilizer
Industrial production growth rate:
6.7% (2009 est.)
3
Electricity - production:
3.786 billion kWh (2007 est.)
18
Electricity - consumption:
3.182 billion kWh (2007 est.)
24
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
200 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
25
Oil - consumption:
32,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
12
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
2
Oil - imports:
28,070 bbl/day (2007 est.)
03
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
14
Natural gas - production:
560.7 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
Natural gas - consumption:
560.7 million cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
11
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
17
Natural gas - proved reserves:
6.513 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
Current account balance:
-$1.68 billion (2009 est.)
45
-$2.307 billion (2008 est.)
Exports:
$2.976 billion (2009 est.)
22
$3.037 billion (2008 est.)
Exports - commodities:
gold, coffee, cashew nuts, manufactures, cotton
Exports - partners:
India 9.1%, Japan 6.5%, China 6.3%, UAE 5.7%, Netherlands 5.5%, Germany 5.1% (2008)
Imports:
$5.776 billion (2009 est.)
05
$6.44 billion (2008 est.)
Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, machinery and transportation equipment, industrial raw materials, crude oil
Imports - partners:
China 13.7%, India 13.4%, South Africa 7.4%, Kenya 6.6%, UAE 5.6% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.206 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
$2.848 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Debt - external:
$7.07 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
$6.195 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Tanzanian shillings (TZS) per US dollar - 1,317.5 (2009), 1,178.1 (2008), 1,255 (2007), 1,251.9 (2006), 1,128.93 (2005)
Communications ::Tanzania
Telephones - main lines in use:
179,849 (2009)
26
Telephones - mobile cellular:
14.723 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 46
Telephone system:
general assessment: telecommunications
services are inadequate; system operating below capacity and being
modernized for better service; small aperture terminal (VSAT) system
under construction
domestic:
fixed-line
telephone network inadequate with less than 1 connection per 100
persons; mobile-cellular service, aided by multiple providers, is
increasing rapidly; trunk service provided by open-wire, microwave radio
relay, tropospheric scatter, and fiber-optic cable; some links being
made digital
international:
country code - 255; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 12, FM 11, shortwave 2 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (1999)
Internet country code:
.tz
Internet hosts:
24,724 (2009)
Internet users:
520,000 (2008)
06
Transportation ::Tanzania
Airports:
125 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 47
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
over 3,047 m:
2
2,438 to 3,047 m:
2
1,524 to 2,437 m:
4
914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 116
1,524 to 2,437 m:
19
914 to 1,523 m:
63
under 914 m:
34 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 254 km; oil 888 km; refined products 8 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 3,689 km
country comparison to the world: 46
narrow gauge:
969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,720 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 78,891 km
paved:
6,808 km
unpaved:
72,083 km (2003)
Waterways:
Lake Tanganyika, Lake
Victoria, and Lake Nyasa principal are avenues of commerce with
neighboring countries; rivers not navigable (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 9
16
by type:
cargo 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 4
registered in other countries:
1 (Honduras 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Dar es Salaam
Transportation - note:
the International
Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the
Indian Ocean are high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships;
numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at
anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes
stolen
Military ::Tanzania
Military branches:
Tanzanian People's Defense Force
(Jeshi la Wananchi la Tanzania, JWTZ): Army, Naval Wing (includes Coast
Guard), Air Defense Command (includes Air Wing), National Service (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 9,683,768 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,667,987
females age 16-49:
5,690,331 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 498,815
female:
500,941 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
1
Transnational Issues ::Tanzania
Disputes - international:
Tanzania still hosts more than a
half-million refugees, more than any other African country, mainly from
Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, despite the
international community's efforts at repatriation; disputes with Malawi
over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe
River remain dormant
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 352,640 (Burundi); 127,973 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
targeted by traffickers
moving hashish, Afghan heroin, and South American cocaine transported
down the East African coastline, through airports, or overland through
Central Africa; Zanzibar likely used by traffickers for drug smuggling;
traffickers in the past have recruited Tanzanian couriers to move drugs
through Iran into East Asia.
