Tanzania

republicIndependence 26 April 1964

Tanzania as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 123 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
LocationEastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean between Kenya and
1994

Every edition of Tanzania

Populationas each edition published it
27.99 million July 1994 est. · 25.97m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.5% 1994 est. · 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
6.2 children per woman 1994 est. · 7.1 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
109.7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 107 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$600 1993 est. · $260 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
3.2% 1993 est. · 4.5% in 1993

Geography

Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean between Kenya and | Mozambique

24 fields
Coastline
1,424km
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
Irrigated land
1,530sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean between Kenya and Mozambique

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

945,090 sq km

land area

886,040 sq km

comparative area

slightly larger than twice the size of California

note

includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

International 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

arable land

5%

permanent crops

1%

meadows and pastures

40%

forest and woodland

47%

other

7%

current issues

  • soil degradation;
  • deforestation;
  • desertification;
  • destruction of coral reefs threatens marine habitats;
  • recent droughts affected marginal agriculture

natural hazards

the tsetse fly and lack of water limit agriculture; flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season

international agreements

  • party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection;
  • signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change

Note

Mount Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa

People

24 fields
Population
27,985,660
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 2.5% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
45.48Death
19.42Net migration
-1.03
Labor force
732,200wage earners
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1978)

Infant mortality rate

109.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

43.25 years

male

41.52 years

female

45.03 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.2 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Tanzanian(s)

adjective

Tanzanian

mainland

native African 99% (consisting of well over 100 tribes) Asian, European, and Arab 1%

Zanzibar

NA

mainland

Christian 45%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 20%

Zanzibar

Muslim 99% plus

Languages

Swahili (official; widely understood and generally used for communication between ethnic groups and is used in primary education), English (official; primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education)

note

first language of most people is one of the local languages

total population

46%

male

62%

female

31%

by occupation

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

Government

Republic

31 fields

Legislature, 168 seatsone dot, one seat

(241 total, 168 elected) CCM 168

conventional long form

United Republic of Tanzania

conventional short form

Tanzania

former

United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar

Type

republic

Capital

Dar es Salaam

note

some government offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is planned as the new national capital by the end of the 1990s

Administrative divisions

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

  • 26 April 1964;
  • 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

National holiday

Union Day, 26 April (1964)

Constitution

25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

chief of state

  • President Ali Hassan MWINYI (since 5 November 1985);
  • First Vice President John MALECELA (since 9 November 1990);
  • Second Vice President and President of Zanzibar Salmin AMOUR (since 9 November 1990) election last held 28 October 1990 (next to be held NA October 1995);
  • results - Ali Hassan MWINYI was elected without opposition

head of government

Prime Minister John MALECELA (since 9 November 1990)

cabinet

Cabinet; appointed by the president from the National Assembly

National Assembly (Bunge)

  • elections last held 28 October 1990 (next to be held NA October 1995);
  • results - CCM was the only party;
  • seats - (241 total, 168 elected) CCM 168

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal, High Court

Political parties and leaders

  • Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM or Revolutionary Party), Ali Hassan MWINYI;
  • Civic United Front (CUF), James MAPALALA;
  • National Committee for Constitutional Reform (NCCK), Mabere MARANDO;
  • Union for Multiparty Democracy (UMD), Abdullah FUNDIKIRA;
  • Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), Edwin I. M. MTEI, chairman

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, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Charles Musama NYIRABU

chancery

2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

(202) 939-6125

FAX

(202) 797-7408

chief of mission

Ambassador Peter Jon DE VOS

embassy

36 Laibon Road (off Bagamoyo Road), Dar es Salaam

mailing address

P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam

telephone

[255] (51) 66010 through 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.

26 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$600
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
3.2%
(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 9.3% (1990); accounts for 8% of GDP
External debt
$6.44billion
(1992)

Overview

Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for about 58% 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 1991-93 featured a pickup in industrial production and a substantial increase in output of minerals led by gold.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $16.7 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$495 million

expenditures

$631 million, including capital expenditures of $118 million (1990 est.)

Exports

$418 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)

commodities

coffee, cotton, tobacco, tea, cashew nuts, sisal

partners

FRG, UK, Japan, Netherlands, Kenya, Hong Kong, US

Imports

$1.51 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)

commodities

manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, cotton piece goods, crude oil, foodstuffs

partners

FRG, UK, US, Japan, Italy, Denmark

capacity

405,000 kW

production

600 million kWh

consumption per capita

20 kWh (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 58% 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, vegetables;
  • small numbers of cattle, sheep, and goats;
  • not self-sufficient in food grain production

Illicit drugs

growing role in transshipment of Southwest Asian heroin destined for US and European markets

recipient

  • 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

1 Tanzanian shilling (TSh) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Tanzanian shillings (TSh) per US$1 - 486.75 (January 1994), 405.27 (1993), 297.71 (1992), 219.16 (1991), 195.06 (1990), 143.38 (1989)

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June

Communications

15 fields

Railroads

  • 969 km total;
  • all of 1.067-meter gauge;
  • connects with Zambia railroad at Tazara

total

81,900 km

paved

3,600 km

unpaved

gravel, crushed stone 5,600 km; improved, unimproved earth 72,700 km

Inland waterways

Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Lake Nyasa

Pipelines

crude oil 982 km

Ports

Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, Tanga, and Zanzibar are ocean ports; Mwanza on Lake Victoria and Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika are inland ports

Merchant marine

7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 29,145 GRT/39,186 DWT, cargo 3, oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

total

109

usable

100

with permanent-surface runways

12

with runways over 3,659 m

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

4

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

40

Telecommunications

  • fair system operating below capacity;
  • open wire, radio relay, and troposcatter;
  • 103,800 telephones;
  • broadcast stations - 12 AM, 4 FM, 2 TV;
  • 1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Tanzanian People's Defense Force (TPDF; including Army, Navy, and Air | Force), paramilitary Police Field Force Unit, Militia

3 fields

Branches

Tanzanian People's Defense Force (TPDF; including Army, Navy, and Air Force), paramilitary Police Field Force Unit, Militia

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 6,011,564; fit for military service 3,480,179

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Central Intelligence Agency. “Tanzania.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/tanzania/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →