Tanzania

republic

Tanzania as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 72 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

27.79 million July 1992 · 25.97m in 1990

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 children per woman 1992 · 7.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

103 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 107 in 1990

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

Total area

945,090km2

Comparative area: slightly larger than twice the size of California

Coastline

1,424km

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nmTerritorial 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

Land area

886,040 km2; includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar

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

Land use

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

Environment

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

People

14 fields

Population

27,791,552

(July 1992), growth rate 3.4% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

49Death

15Net migration

-1

Labor force

732,200wage earners

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

Literacy

46%

(male 62%, female 31%) age 15 and over can read and write (1978)

Nationality

noun - Tanzanian(s); adjective - Tanzanian

Ethnic divisions

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

Religions

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

Languages

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

18 fields

Capital

Dar es Salaam; some government offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is planned as the new national capital by the end of 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

Leaders

Chief of State:: President Ali Hassan MWINYI (since 5 November 1985);
First Vice President John MALECELA (since 9 November 1990);
Second Vice President Salmin AMOUR (since 9 November 1990)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister John MALECELA (since 9 November 1990)

Political parties and leaders

only party - Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM or Revolutionary Party), Ali Hassan MWINYI, party chairman

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Elections

President:: last held 28 October 1990 (next to be held NA October 1995); results - Ali Hassan MWINYI was elected without opposition
National Assembly:: last held 28 October 1990 (next to be held NA October 1995);
results - CCM is the only party;
seats - (241 total, 168 elected) CCM 168

Member of

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-6, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador-designate Charles Musama NYIRABU;
Chancery at 2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008;
telephone (202) 939-6125

US:: Ambassador Edmund DE JARNETTE, Jr.;
Embassy at 36 Laibon Road (off Bagamoyo Road), Dar es Salaam (mailing address is P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam);
telephone [255] (51) 66010/13;
FAX [255] (51)66701

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

Inflation, consumer prices

16.5%

(1991 est.)

External debt

$5.2billion

(December 1991 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$495 millionExpenditures

$631 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $118 million (FY90)

Overview

Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for about 47% of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 90% of the work force. Industry accounts for 8% 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, the International Monetary Fund, and bilateral donors have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's deteriorated economic infrastructure. Growth in 1991 was featured by a pickup in industrial production and a substantial increase in output of minerals led by gold.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $6.9 billion, per capita $260 (1989 est.); real growth rate 4.5% (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$478 million (f.o.b., FY91 est.)

commodities:: coffee, cotton, sisal, tea, cashew nuts, meat, tobacco, diamonds, gold, coconut products, pyrethrum, cloves (Zanzibar)
partners:: FRG, UK, Japan, Netherlands, Kenya, Hong Kong, US

Imports

$1.5 billion (c.i.f., FY91 est.)

commodities:: manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, cotton piece goods, crude oil, foodstuffs
partners:: FRG, UK, US, Japan, Italy, Denmark

Industrial production

growth rate 4.2% (1988); accounts for 8% of GDP

Electricity

405,000 kW capacity; 905 million kWh produced, 35 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for over 45% 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

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $400 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $9.8 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $44 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $614 million

Currency

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

Exchange rates

Tanzanian shillings (TSh) per US$1 - 236.01 (February (1992), 219.16 (1991), 195.06 (1990), 143.38 (1989), 99.29 (1988), 64.26 (1987)

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 6 ships by typeone square, one ship

passenger-cargo 2cargo 2roll-on/roll-off cargo 1petroleum tanker 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,185 GRT/22,916 DWT

Airports, 104 total, 94 usable

permanent-surface runways

12runways | over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3, 659 m

3runways 1,220-2,439 m

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