Tanzania
United Republic of TanzaniaJamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania
republicIndependence 26 April 1964
Tanzania as the 2011 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 154 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 ended 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. The formation of a government of national unity between Zanzibar's two leading parties succeeded in minimizing electoral tension in 2010
Geography
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique
20 fieldsLand useshare of 947,300 sq km
Natural resources
hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 5.18 cu km/yr (10%/0%/89%)
- per capita:
- 135 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards
flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought
- volcanism:
- Tanzania experiences limited volcanic activity;
- Ol Doinyo Lengai (elev. 2,962 m) has emitted lava in recent years;
- other historically active volcanoes include Kieyo and Meru
Environment - current issues
- 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
Environment - international agreements
- 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
Geography - note
Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa; bordered by three of the largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) in the southwest
People and Society
32 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2011 est.)
Note
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Ethnic groups
- 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
Languages
Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguja (name for Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in Zanzibar), many local languages
note: Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety of sources including Arabic and English;
it has become the lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of most people is one of the local languages
Religions
mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 35%; Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim
Sex ratio
- 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 (2011 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- 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)
Government
Republic; President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December 2005); President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December 2005)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly, 50 seats, elected 31 October 2010one dot, one seat
Country name
- 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
Capital
- 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, and the National Assembly now meets there on a regular basis;
the Executive Branch with all ministries and diplomatic representation remains located in Dar es Salaam
Administrative divisions
26 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kagera, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Manyara, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza, Pemba North, Pemba South, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Singida, Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South, Zanzibar North, Zanzibar Urban/West
Independence
- 26 April 1964;
- Tanganyika became independent on 9 December 1961 (from UK-administered UN trusteeship);
- Zanzibar became independent on 19 December 1963 (from UK);
- Tanganyika united with Zanzibar on 26 April 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar;
- renamed United Republic of Tanzania on 29 October 1964
Legal system
English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December 2005);
- Vice President Mohammed Gharib BILAL (since 6 November 2010);
- note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
- head of government:
- President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December 2005); Vice President Mohammed Gharib BILAL (since 6 November 2010)
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%, Willibrod SLAA 26.3%, Ibrahim LIPUMBA 8.1%, other 4.4%
Legislative branch
- unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (357 seats; 239 members elected by popular vote, 102 allocated to women nominated by the president, 5 to members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives; members serve five-year terms, up to 10 additional members appointed by the president, 1 seat reserved for the Attorney General);
- 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 with jurisdiction exclusive to Zanzibar (the Zanzibar House of Representatives has 50 seats; members elected by universal suffrage to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 31 October 2010 (next to be held in 2015)
- election results:
- National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - CCM 259, CHADEMA 48, CUF 34, NCCR-M 4, other 7, Zanzibar representatives 5;
- Zanzibar House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - CCM 28, CUF 22
Judicial branch
- 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)
Political parties and leaders
- Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Party of Democracy and Development) or CHADEMA [Willibrod SLAA];
- Chama Cha Mapinduzi or CCM (Revolutionary Party) [Jakaya Mrisho KIKWETE];
- Civic United Front or CUF [Ibrahim LIPUMBA];
- Democratic Party [Christopher MTIKLA] (unregistered);
- National Convention for Construction and Reform - Mageuzi [Hashim RUNGWE];
- Tanzania Labor Party or TLP [Mutamwega MUGAHWYA];
- United Democratic Party or UDP [Fahma DOVUTWA]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Economic and Social Research Foundation or ESRF;
- Free Zanzibar;
- Tanzania Media Women's Association or TAMWA
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Mwandaidi Sinare MAAJAR
- chancery:
- 1232 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 939-6125
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 797-7408
Diplomatic representation from the US
- 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
Flag description
- 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
National anthem
- 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
Economy
Tanzania is one of the world's poorest economies in terms of per capita income, however, Tanzania average 7% GDP growth per year between 2000 and 2008 on strong gold production and tourism.
53 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2010 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Tanzania is one of the world's poorest economies in terms of per capita income, however, Tanzania average 7% GDP growth per year between 2000 and 2008 on strong gold production and tourism. The economy depends heavily on agriculture, which accounts for more than 40% of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs about 80% of the work force.
The World Bank, the IMF, and bilateral donors have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's aging economic infrastructure, including rail and port infrastructure that are important trade links for inland countries. Recent banking reforms have helped increase private-sector growth and investment, and the government has increased spending on agriculture to 7% of its budget.
Continued donor assistance and solid macroeconomic policies supported a positive growth rate, despite the world recession. In 2008, Tanzania received the world's largest Millennium Challenge Compact grant, worth $698 million. Dar es Salaam used fiscal stimulus and loosened monetary policy to ease the impact of the global recession. GDP growth in 2009-10 was a respectable 6% per year due to high gold prices and increased production.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
37.6 (2007) · 34.6 (2000) country comparison to the world: 79
Central bank discount rate
8.25% (31 December 2010 est.) · 3.7% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Commercial bank prime lending rate
14.55% (31 December 2010 est.) · 15.03% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Stock of narrow money
$3.223 billion (31 December 2010 est.) · $2.958 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
Stock of broad money
$7.528 billion (31 December 2010 est.) · $6.617 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Stock of domestic credit
$4.647 billion (31 December 2010 est.) · $3.859 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Agriculture - products
coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), cashew nuts, tobacco, cloves, corn, wheat, cassava (tapioca), bananas, fruits, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats
Industries
- agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine);
- diamond, gold, and iron mining, salt, soda ash;
- cement, oil refining, shoes, apparel, wood products, fertilizer
Natural gas - proved reserves
6.513 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
Current account balance
-$2.056 billion (2010 est.) · -$1.934 billion (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Imports - commodities
consumer goods, machinery and transportation equipment, industrial raw materials, crude oil
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$3.645 billion (31 December 2010 est.) · $3.206 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 96 note: excludes gold
Debt - external
$8.259 billion (31 December 2010 est.) · $7.325 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Exchange rates
Tanzanian shillings (TZS) per US dollar - 1,423.3 (2010) · 1,320.3 (2009) · 1,178.1 (2008) · 1,255 (2007) · 1,251.9 (2006)
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- 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)
Broadcast media
- 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)
Transportation
10 fieldsMerchant marine, 72 ships by typeone square, one ship
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 3,689 km
country comparison to the world: 45
- narrow gauge:
- 969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,720 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)
Waterways
(Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) are the principal avenues of commerce with neighboring countries; the rivers are not navigable) (2009)
Transportation - note
- the International Maritime Bureau reports that shipping in territorial and offshore waters in the Indian Ocean remain at risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships, especially as Somali-based pirates extend their activities south;
- numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
- crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen
Military
Tanzanian People's Defense Force (Jeshi la Wananchi la Tanzania, JWTZ): Army, Naval Wing (includes Coast Guard), Air Defense Command (includes Air Wing), National Service (2007)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Tanzanian People's Defense Force (Jeshi la Wananchi la Tanzania, JWTZ): Army, Naval Wing (includes Coast Guard), Air Defense Command (includes Air Wing), National Service (2007)
Transnational Issues
4 fieldsDisputes - international
- 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
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 352,640 (Burundi); 127,973 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2007)
Trafficking in persons
- current situation:
- Tanzania is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children who are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking;
- the incidence of internal trafficking is higher than that of transnational trafficking;
- girls from rural areas are taken to urban centers and Zanzibar for domestic service;
- some domestic workers fleeing abusive employers fall prey to sex trafficking;
- boys are subjected primarily to forced labor on farms, but also in mines, in the informal sector, and possibly on small fishing boats;
- smaller numbers of Tanzanian children and adults are subjected to conditions of forced domestic service and sex trafficking in surrounding countries, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, France, and possibly other European countries;
- trafficking victims, primarily children from neighboring countries such as Burundi and Kenya, are sometimes forced to work in Tanzania's agricultural, mining, and domestic service sectors;
- some also are forced into prostitution in brothels
- tier rating:
- Tier 2 Watch List - the government made limited progress towards implementation of its Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, in part due to poor inter-ministerial coordination and lack of understanding of what constitutes human trafficking;
- most government officials remain unfamiliar with the Act's provisions or their responsibility to address trafficking under it;
- however, the government did convict three trafficking offenders (2011)
Illicit drugs
- 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.
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Tanzania.” The World Factbook 2011. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/tanzania/2011.