1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands
Coastline
1,424 km
Comparative area
slightly larger than twice the size of California
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
Environment
lack of water and tsetse fly limit agriculture; recent droughts affected marginal agriculture; Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa
Land boundaries
3,402 km total; Burundi 451 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217 km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km
Land use
arable land 5%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 40%; forest and woodland 47%; other 7%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
hydropower potential, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel
Terrain
plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south
Total area
945,090 km2; land area: 886,040 km2; includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar
People and Society
Birth rate
50 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
15 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
mainland--native African consisting of well over 100 tribes 99%; Asian, European, and Arab 1%
Infant mortality rate
105 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
732,200 wage earners; 90% agriculture, 10% industry and commerce (1986 est.)
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 at birth
50 years male, 55 years female (1991)
Literacy
46% (male 62%, female 31%) age 15 and over can read and write (1978)
Nationality
noun--Tanzanian(s); adjective--Tanzanian
Net migration rate
- 1 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
15% of labor force
Population
26,869,175 (July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)
Religion
mainland--Christian 33%, Muslim 33%, indigenous beliefs 33%; Zanzibar--almost all Muslim
Total fertility rate
7.0 children born/woman (1991)
Government
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
Capital
Dar es Salaam; some government offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is planned as the new national capital in the 1990s
Communists
no Communist party; a few Communist sympathizers
Constitution
15 March 1984 (Zanzibar has its own Constitution but remains subject to provisions of the union Constitution)
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador-designate Charles Musama NYIRABU; Chancery at 2139 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6125; US--Ambassador Edmund DE JARNETTE; Embassy at 36 Laibon Road (off Bagamoyo Road), Dar es Salaam (mailing address is P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam); telephone [255] (51) 37501 through 37504
Elections
President--last held 28 October 1990 (next to be held October 1995); results--Ali Hassan MWINYI was elected without opposition; National Assembly--last held 28 October 1990 (next to be held October 1995); results--CCM is the only party; seats--(241 total, 168 elected) CCM 168
Executive branch
president, first vice president and prime minister of the union, second vice president and president of Zanzibar, Cabinet
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
Independence
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
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal, High Court
Leaders
Chief of State--President Ali Hassan MWINYI (since 5 November 1985); First Vice President John MALECELA (since 9 November 1990); Second Vice President Salmin AMOUR (since 9 November 1990); Head of Government--Prime Minister John MALECELA (since 9 November 1990)
Legal system
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (Bunge)
Long-form name
United Republic of Tanzania
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, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Union Day, 26 April (1964)
Political parties and leaders
only party--Chama Cha MAPINDUZI (CCM or Revolutionary Party), Ali Hassan MWINYI, party chairman
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for over 40% 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, and vegetables; small numbers of cattle, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in food grain production
Budget
revenues $495 million; expenditures $631 million, including capital expenditures of $118 million (FY90)
Currency
Tanzanian shilling (plural--shillings); 1 Tanzanian shilling (TSh) = 100 cents
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $400 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $9.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $44 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $614 million
Electricity
401,000 kW capacity; 895 million kWh produced, 35 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Tanzanian shillings (TSh) per US$1--196.60 (January 1991), 195.06 (1990), 143.377 (1989), 99.292 (1988), 64.260 (1987), 32.698 (1986), 17.472 (1985)
Exports
$380 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--coffee, cotton, sisal, tea, cashew nuts, meat, tobacco, diamonds, coconut products, pyrethrum, cloves (Zanzibar); partners--FRG, UK, Japan, Netherlands, Kenya, Hong Kong, US
External debt
$5.8 billion (December 1990 est.)
Fiscal year
1 July-30 June
GDP
$5.92 billion, per capita $240; real growth rate 4.3% (FY89 est.)
Imports
$1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, cotton piece goods, crude oil, foodstuffs; partners--FRG, UK, US, Japan, Italy, Denmark
Industrial production
growth rate 4.2% (1988); accounts for 8% of GDP
Industries
primarily agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine), diamond mine, oil refinery, shoes, cement, textiles, wood products, fertilizer
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
31.2 (1989)
Overview
Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for about 47% 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 and the International Monetary Fund have increased the availability of imports and provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's deteriorated economic infrastructure.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
105 total, 93 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 44 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
6 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
Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Lake Nyasa
Merchant marine
7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,784 GRT/25,860 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 3 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
Pipelines
982 km crude oil
Ports
Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, Tanga, and Zanzibar are ocean ports; Mwanza on Lake Victoria and Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika are inland ports
Railroads
3,555 km total; 960 km 1.067-meter gauge; 2,595 km 1.000-meter gauge, 6.4 km double track, 962 km Tazara Railroad 1.067-meter gauge; 115 km 1.000-meter gauge planned by end of decade
Telecommunications
fair system of open wire, radio relay, and troposcatter; 103,800 telephones; stations--12 AM, 4 FM, 2 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Tanzanian People's Defense Force (TPDF; including Army, Navy, and Air Force); paramilitary Police Field Force Unit; Militia
Defense expenditures
$111 million, 3.9% of GDP (1988) _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 5,545,022; 3,200,744 fit for military service