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:

1.01 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.)

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)

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

• 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; Ali Mohamed SHEIN elected to that office on 31 October 2010, sworn in 3 November 2010

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

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 31 October 2010 (next to be held in 2015);
• prime minister appointed by the president

election results:

Jakaya KIKWETE elected president; percent of vote - Jakaya KIKWETE 61.2%, Wilbrod SLAA 26.3%, Ibrahim LIPUMBA 8.1%, other 4.5%

• 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 on 31 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

• 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 Mwandaidi Sinare MAAJAR

chancery:

2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 939-6125

FAX:

[1] (202) 797-7408

chief of mission:

Ambassador Alfonso E. LENHARDT

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

• 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

name:

"Mungu ibariki Afrika" (God Bless Africa)

lyrics/music:

collective/Enoch Mankayi SONTONGA

note: adopted 1961; the anthem, which is also a popular song in Africa, shares the same melody with that of Zambia, but has different lyrics; the melody is also incorporated into South Africa's anthem

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 marginal;
• 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)

• a state-owned TV station and multiple privately-owned TV stations;
• state-owned national radio station supplemented by more than 40 privately-owned radio stations;
• transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2007)

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)

total:

78,892 km

country comparison to the world: 61

paved:

4,741 km

unpaved:

74,151 km (2007)

• 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

males age 16-49:

5,667,987

females age 16-49:

5,690,331 (2010 est.)

male:

498,815

female:

500,941 (2010 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

• 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.