Tanzania

republic

Tanzania as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 71 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalDar es Salaam

Area945,090 km2

Populationas each edition published it

25.97 million July 1990 · 69.15m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.56% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 17.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 44 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

7.1 children per woman 1990 · 4.45 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

107 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 28.4 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $260 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 4.5% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Land useshare of 945,090 km2

arable land 5%permanent crops 1%meadows and pastures 40%forest and woodland 47%other 7%includes NEGL% irrigated

Total area

945,090km2

land area: 886,040 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than twice the size of California

Coastline

1,424km

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

3,402km total

Burundi 451 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217 km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km

Disputes

boundary dispute with Malawi in Lake Nyasa;
Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of the Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled

Climate

varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands

Terrain

plains along coast;
central plateau;
highlands in north, south

Natural resources

hydropower potential, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel

Environment

lack of water and tsetse fly limit agriculture;
recent droughts affected marginal agriculture;
Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa

People

14 fields

Population

25,970,843

(July 1990), growth rate 3.4% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

50Death

Labor force

732,200wage earners

90% agriculture, 10% industry and commerce (1986 est.)

Literacy

79%

Nationality

noun--Tanzanian(s); adjective--Tanzanian

Ethnic divisions

mainland--99% native African consisting of well over 100 tribes; 1% Asian, European, and Arab

Religion

mainland--33% Christian, 33% Muslim, 33% indigenous beliefs; Zanzibar--almost all Muslim

Language

Swahili and English (official);
English primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education;
Swahili widely understood and generally used for communication between ethnic groups;
first language of most people is one of the local languages;
primary education is generally in Swahili

Government

Republic

17 fields

National Assembly, 168 seats, elected 27 October 1985one dot, one seat

(244 total, 168 elected) CCM 168

Capital

Dar es Salaam; some government offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is planned as the new national capital in the 1990s

25 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza, Pemba North, Pemba South, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Singida, Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South, Zanzibar North, Zanzibar Urban/West, Ziwa Magharibi

Independence

Tanganyika became independent 9 December 1961 (from UN trusteeship under British administration);
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

Constitution

15 March 1984 (Zanzibar has its own Constitution but remains subject to provisions of the union Constitution)

Legal system

based on English common law;
judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday

Union Day, 26 April (1964)

Executive branch

president, first vice president and prime minister of the union, second vice president and president of Zanzibar, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (Bunge)

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal, High Court Chief of State--President Ali Hassan MWINYI (since 5 November 1985);
Head of Government--First Vice President and Prime Minister Joseph Sinde WARIOBA (since 6 November 1985)

Political parties and leaders

only party--Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM or Revolutionary Party), Julius Nyerere, party chairman

Suffrage

universal at age 18 President--last held 27 October 1985 (next to be held October 1990);
results--Ali Hassan Mwinyi was elected without opposition;
National Assembly--last held 27 October 1985 (next to be held October 1990);
results--CCM is the only party;
seats--(244 total, 168 elected) CCM 168

Communists

no Communist party; a few Communist sympathizers

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador-designate Charles Musama NYIRABU;
Chancery at 2139 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 939-6125;
US--Ambassador Edmond DE JARNETTE;
Embassy at 36 Laibon Road (off Bagamoyo Road), Dar es Salaam (mailing address is P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam);
telephone [255] (51) 37501 through 37504

Flag

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

Economy

Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$5.92billion

per capita $235; real growth rate 4.5% (1989 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

29%

(1989)

External debt

$4.5billion

(December 1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$568 millionExpenditures

$835 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $230 million (FY89)

Overview

Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for about 40% of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 90% of the work force. Industry accounts for about 10% of GDP and is mainly limited to processing agricultural products and light consumer goods.

The economic recovery program announced in mid-1986 has generated notable increases in agricultural production and financial support for the program by bilateral donors. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have increased the availability of imports and provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's deteriorated economic infrastructure.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$394 million (f.o.b., FY89);
commodities--coffee, cotton, sisal, cashew nuts, meat, tobacco, tea, diamonds, coconut products, pyrethrum, cloves (Zanzibar);
partners--FRG, UK, US, Netherlands, Japan

Imports

$1.3 billion (c.i.f., FY89);
commodities--manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, cotton piece goods, crude oil, foodstuffs;
partners--FRG, UK, US, Iran, Japan, Italy

Industrial production

growth rate 6% (1988 est.)

Electricity

401,000 kW capacity; 895 million kWh produced, 35 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

primarily agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine), diamond mine, oil refinery, shoes, cement, textiles, wood products, fertilizer

Agriculture

accounts for over 40% of GDP;
topography and climatic conditions limit cultivated crops to only 5% of land area;
cash crops--coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), cashews, tobacco, cloves (Zanzibar);
food crops--corn, wheat, cassava, bananas, fruits, and vegetables;
small numbers of cattle, sheep, and goats;
not self-sufficient in food grain production

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $387 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $8.5 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $44 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $607 million

Currency

Tanzanian shilling (plural--shillings); 1 Tanzanian shilling (TSh) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Tanzanian shillings (TSh) per US$1--192.901 (January 1990), 143.377 (1989), 99.292 (1988), 64.260 (1987), 32.698 (1986), 17.472 (1985)

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 7 ships by typeone square, one ship

passenger-cargo 2cargo 3roll-on/roll-off cargo 1petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 29,174 GRT/39,186 DWT

Airports, 103 total, 92 usable

permanent-surface runways

13runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

3runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Railroads

3,555Pipelines

982

Railroads: ; 960 km 1.067-meter gauge; 2,595 km 1.000-meter gauge, 6.4 km double track, 962 km Tazara Railroad 1.067-meter gauge; 115 km 1.000-meter gauge planned by end of decade

Railroads

3,555 km total;
960 km 1.067-meter gauge;
2,595 km 1.000-meter gauge, 6.4 km double track, 962 km Tazara Railroad 1.067-meter gauge;
115 km 1.000-meter gauge planned by end of decade