2008 Edition

Background

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.

Area

total: 945,087 sq km land: 886,037 sq km water: 59,050 sq km note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar

Area - comparative

slightly larger than twice the size of California

Climate

varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands

Coastline

1,424 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 5.18 cu km/yr (10%/0%/89%) per capita: 135 cu m/yr (2000)

Geographic coordinates

6 00 S, 35 00 E

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 in the southwest

Irrigated land

1,840 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 3,861 km border countries: Burundi 451 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 459 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217 km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km

Land use

arable land: 4.23% permanent crops: 1.16% other: 94.61% (2005)

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought

Natural resources

hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

91 cu km (2001)

Age structure

0-14 years: 43.5% (male 8,763,471/female 8,719,198) 15-64 years: 53.7% (male 10,638,666/female 10,947,190) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 502,368/female 642,269) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

35.12 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

12.92 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

2.2% of GDP (1999)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

8.8% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

160,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1.6 million (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 70.46 deaths/1,000 live births male: 77.51 deaths/1,000 live births female: 63.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 51.45 years male: 50.06 years female: 52.88 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write Kiswahili (Swahili), English, or Arabic total population: 69.4% male: 77.5% female: 62.2% (2002 census)

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 (2008)

Median age

total: 17.8 years male: 17.6 years female: 18.1 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Tanzanian(s) adjective: Tanzanian

Net migration rate

-1.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Population

40,213,160 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

2.072% (2008 est.)

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 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.)

Total fertility rate

4.62 children born/woman (2008 est.)

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

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; the National Assembly now meets there on a regular basis

Constitution

25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Ombeni Yohana SEFUE chancery: 2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6125

Executive branch

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%

FAX

[1] (202) 797-7408

[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

Government type

republic

Independence

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

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-6, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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)

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 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

National holiday

Union Day (Tanganyika and Zanzibar), 26 April (1964)

Political parties and leaders

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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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

Budget

revenues: $3.561 billion expenditures: $3.594 billion (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate

16.4% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

16.03% (31 December 2007)

Currency (code)

Tanzanian shilling (TZS)

Currency code

TZS

Current account balance

-$1.856 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$4.382 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

34.6 (2000)

Economic aid - recipient

$1.505 billion (2005)

Economy - overview

Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy depends heavily on agriculture, which accounts for more than 40% of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 80% of the work force. Topography and climatic conditions, however, limit cultivated crops to only 4% of the land area. Industry traditionally featured the processing of agricultural products and light consumer goods. The World Bank, the IMF, and bilateral donors have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's out-of-date economic infrastructure and to alleviate poverty. Long-term growth through 2005 featured a pickup in industrial production and a substantial increase in output of minerals led by gold. Recent banking reforms have helped increase private-sector growth and investment. Continued donor assistance and solid macroeconomic policies supported real GDP growth of nearly 7% in 2007.

Electricity - consumption

2.225 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

123 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production

2.682 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 18.9% hydro: 81.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exchange rates

Tanzanian shillings (TZS) per US dollar - 1,255 (2007), 1,251.9 (2006), 1,128.93 (2005), 1,089.33 (2004), 1,038.42 (2003)

Exports

$2.227 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, coffee, cashew nuts, manufactures, cotton

Exports - partners

China 10.3%, India 9.7%, Netherlands 6.5%, Germany 6.3%, UAE 4.9% (2007)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 42.5% industry: 18.9% services: 38.5% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,300 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

7.3% (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$16.18 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$51.07 billion (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 26.9% (2000)

Imports

$4.861 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities

consumer goods, machinery and transportation equipment, industrial raw materials, crude oil

Imports - partners

China 12%, Kenya 8%, South Africa 7.7%, India 6.9%, UAE 5.9% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate

9.5% (2007 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

23.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

Labor force

20.04 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (2002 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$587.9 million (2005)

Natural gas - consumption

146 million cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production

146 million cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

6.513 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Oil - consumption

27,270 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

26,760 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

36% (2002 est.)

Public debt

19.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.91 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$NA

Stock of domestic credit

$2.25 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$2.263 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$2.885 billion (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Internet country code

.tz

Internet hosts

24,271 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

6 (2000)

Internet users

400,000 (2007)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 12, FM 11, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios

8.8 million (1997)

Telephone system

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

165,013 (2008)

Telephones - mobile cellular

9.358 million (2008)

Television broadcast stations

3 (1999)

Televisions

103,000 (1997)

Airports

124 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 10 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 114 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 63 under 914 m: 34 (2007)

Merchant marine

total: 9 by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 4 registered in other countries: 1 (Honduras 1) (2008)

Pipelines

gas 287 km; oil 891 km (2007)

Ports and terminals

Dar es Salaam

Railways

total: 3,690 km narrow gauge: 969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,721 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Roadways

total: 78,891 km paved: 6,808 km unpaved: 72,083 km (2003)

Transportation - note

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

Waterways

Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Nyasa principal avenues of commerce with neighboring countries; rivers not navigable (2005)

JWTZ)

Army, Naval Wing (includes Coast Guard), Air Defense Command (includes Air Wing), National Service (2007)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 9,108,177 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 5,278,833 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 478,812 female: 479,557 (2008 est.)

Military branches

Tanzanian People's Defense Force (Jeshi la Wananchi la Tanzania,

Military expenditures

0.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)

Disputes - 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

Illicit drugs

growing role in transshipment of Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for South African, European, and US markets and of South Asian methaqualone bound for southern Africa; money laundering remains a problem This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 352,640 (Burundi); 127,973 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2007)