1987 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1987 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Boundary disputes
none; maritime dispute with Malawi
Climate
varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands
Coastline
1,424 km
Comparative area
about twice the size of California
Environment
lack of water and tsetse fly limit agriculture; recent droughts affecting marginal agriculture; Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa
Land boundaries
3,883 km total
Land use
5% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 40% meadows and pastures; 47% forest and woodland; 7% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Special notes
none
Terrain
plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south
Territorial sea
50 nm
Total area
945,090 km?; land area: 886,040 km?
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
mainland—99% native African consisting of well over 100 tribes; 1% Asian, European, and Arab; Zanzibar— almost all Arab
Infant mortality rate
103/1,000 (1984)
Labor force
208,680 in paid employment (1983); 90% agriculture, 10% industry and commerce
Language
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
Life expectancy
52
Literacy
79%
Nationality
noun—Tanzanian(s); adjective—Tanzanian
Organized labor
15% of labor force
Population
23,502,472 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 3.28%
Religion
mainland—33% Christian, 833% Muslim, 33% indigenous beliefs; Zanzibar—almost all Muslim
Government
Administrative divisions
25 regions—20 on mainland, 5 on Zanzibar
Branches
President Ali Hassan Mwinyi has full executive authority on the mainland; National Assembly dominated by the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary Party); National Assembly consists of 233 members, 72 from Zanzibar, of whom 10 are directly elected, 65 appointed from the mainland, and 96 directly elected from the mainland (these numbers are slated to be changed when amendments to the Constitution are approved)
Capital
Dar es Salaam
Communists
a few Communist sympathizers, especially on Zanzibar
Government leaders
Ali Hassan MWINYI, President (since November 1985); Joseph Sinde WARIOBA, Prime Minister (since November 1985)
Legal system
based on English common law; permanent constitution adopted 1977 (Zanzibar has its own constitution but remains subject to provisions of the union constitution); judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory 1CJ jurisdiction
Member of
AfDB, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, 1CO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Union Day, 26 April; Independence Day, 9 December
Official name
United Republic of Tanzania
Suffrage
universal adult over age 18 Political party and leader: Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary Party), only political party, dominated by Nyerere; has considerable power over domestic policies and the enforcement of them
Type
republic
Voting strength
(October 1985 national elections) close to 7 million registered voters; Mwinyi received 92.2% of over 5 million votes cast
Economy
Agriculture
cotton, coffee, sisal on mainland; cloves and coconuts on Zanzibar
Budget
(1984/85) revenues, $891.8 million; current expenditures, $1.017 billion; development expenditures, $359.5 million
Electric power
379,000 kW capacity; 830 million kWh produced, 37 kWh per capita (1986)
Exports
$255 million (f.0.b., 1985); coffee, cotton, sisal, cashew nuts, meat, cloves, tobacco, tea, coconut products
External debt
$2.8 billion (1983); debt service ratio 68.1% (1984—not including IMF)
Fiscal year
1 July-80 June
GDP
$4.2 billion (1984), $210 per capita; real growth rate, 0.8% (1984 est.)
Imports
$1.0 billion (c.i-f., 1985); manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, cotton piece goods, crude oil, foodstuffs
Major industries
primarily agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine), diamond mine, oil refinery, shoes, cement, textiles, wood products
Major trade partners
exports—FRG, UK, US; imports—FRG, UK, US, Iran
Monetary conversion rate
45 Tanzanian shillings=US$1 (November 1986)
Natural resources
hydroelectric power potential, large unexploited iron and coal, gemstone and gold mines, natural gas, nickel
Communications
Airfields
100 total, 92 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 45 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
7 major transport aircraft
Highways
total 81,900 km, 3,600 km paved; 5,600 km gravel or crushed stone; remainder improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways
several thousand km navigable on Lakes Tanganyika, Victoria, and Nyasa; principal inland ports are Mwanza on Lake Victoria and Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika
Pipelines
982 km crude oil
Ports
8 major (Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, Tanga)
Railroads
3,555 km total; 960 km 1.067meter gauge; 2,595 km 1.000-meter gauge, 6.4 km double track, 962 km Tazara (Tan-Zam) Railroad 1.067-meter gauge in Tanzania; 115 km 1.000-meter gauge planned by end of decade
Telecommunications
fair system of open wire, radio relay, and troposcatter; 103,800 telephones (0.5 per 100 popl.); 6 AM, no FM, 2 TV stations; 1 Indian Ocean satellite station
Military and Security
Branches
Tanzanian People’s Defense Force includes Army, Navy, and Air Force; paramilitary Police .Field Force Unit; Militia
Military manpower
males 15-49, 4,813,000; 2,772,000 fit for military service