Tanzania

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.

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

total:

5.18 cu km/yr (10%/0%/89%)

per capita:

135 cu m/yr (2000)

• 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

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

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.78 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

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 (2008)

noun:

Tanzanian(s)

adjective:

Tanzanian

• 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

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

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

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

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 was 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 14 December 2005 (next to be held in December 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%

• 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; to 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 elected by universal suffrage to serve five-year terms)

elections:

last held 14 December 2005 (next to be held in December 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

• 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)

• 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]

• Economic and Social Research Foundation or ESRF;
• Free Zanzibar;
• Tanzania Media Women's Association or TAMWA

chief of mission:

Ambassador Ombeni Yohana SEFUE

chancery:

2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 939-6125

FAX:

[1] (202) 797-7408

chief of mission:

Ambassador Mark GREEN

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

agriculture:

80%

industry and services:

20% (2002 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.9%

highest 10%:

26.9% (2000)

• agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine);
• diamond, gold, and iron mining, salt, soda ash;
• cement, oil refining, shoes, apparel, wood products, fertilizer

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;
• 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)

total:

3,690 km

narrow gauge:

969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,721 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

total:

78,891 km

paved:

6,808 km

unpaved:

72,083 km (2003)

total:

9

by type:

cargo 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 4

registered in other countries:

1 (Honduras 1) (2008)

• 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

male:

478,812

female:

479,557 (2008 est.)

• 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