Tanzania
Mainland Tanzania fell under German rule during the late 19th century as part of German East Africa. After World War I, Britain governed the mainland as Tanganyika; the Zanzibar Archipelago remained a separate colonial jurisdiction. Shortly after achieving independence from Britain in the early 1960s, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the United Republic of Tanzania in 1964. In 1995, the country held its first democratic elections since the 1970s. Zanzibar maintains semi-autonomy and participates in national elections; popular political opposition on the isles led to four contentious elections since 1995, in which the ruling party claimed victory despite international observers' claims of voting irregularities.

geography

location

6.0° S, 35. 0° E
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique

area

947,300 sq km
land
885,800 sq km
water
61,500 sq km

land boundaries

4,161 km

coastline

1,424 km

climate

varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands

terrain

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

elevation

1,018 m
lowest point
Indian Ocean
0 m
highest point
Kilimanjaro (highest point in Africa)
5,895 m

natural resources

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

land use

arable land
14.3 %
permanent crops
2.3 %
permanent pasture
27.1 %
forest
37.3 %
other
19 %

population distribution

the largest and most populous East African country; population distribution is extremely uneven, but greater population clusters occur in the northern half of country and along the east coast

people

population

  • 58,552,845
  • 24
    global rank

nationality

  • Tanzanian(s)
    noun
  • Tanzanian
    adjective

ethnic groups

mainland - African
99 %
other ; Zanzibar - Arab
1 %
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

religions

Christian
61.4 %
Muslim
35.2 %
folk religion
1.8 %
other
0.2 %
unaffiliated
1.4 %

birth rate

  • 34.6
    per 1,000 population
  • 22
    global rank

death rate

  • 7.1
    per 1,000 population
  • 123
    global rank

urban population

35.2 %

major urban areas

  • Dodoma
    pop. 262,000
  • Dar Es Salaam
    pop. 6,702,000
  • Mwanza
    pop. 1,120,000

life expectancy

  • 63.9
    total population
  • 203
    global rank
62.3
male
65.5
female

adult obesity rate

  • 8.4%
    percent of adults
  • 151
    global rank

government

country name

    conventional

  • United Republic of Tanzania
    long form
  • Tanzania
    short form

    local

  • Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania
    long form
  • Tanzania
    short form

government type

presidential republic

capital

Dar es Salaam (administrative capital), Dodoma (legislative capital); note - Dodoma was designated the national capital in 1996 and serves as the meeting place for the National Assembly; Dar es Salaam remains the de facto capital, the country's largest city and commercial center, and the site of the executive branch offices and diplomatic representation; the government contends that it will complete the transfer of the executive branch to Dodoma by 2020
6.48 S, 39.17 E

independence

national holidays

  • Union Day
    26 April

legal system

English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation

age of suffrage

18

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 colors

  • green
  • yellow
  • blue
  • black

national anthem

"Mungu ibariki Afrika" (God Bless Africa)

economy

overview

Tanzania has achieved high growth rates based on its vast natural resource wealth and tourism with GDP growth in 2009-17 averaging 6%-7% per year. Dar es Salaam used fiscal stimulus measures and easier monetary policies to lessen the impact of the global recession and in general, benefited from low oil prices. Tanzania has largely completed its transition to a market economy, though the government retains a presence in sectors such as telecommunications, banking, energy, and mining. The economy depends on agriculture, which accounts for slightly less than one-quarter of GDP and employs about 65% of the work force, although gold production in recent years has increased to about 35% of exports. All land in Tanzania is owned by the government, which can lease land for up to 99 years. Proposed reforms to allow for land ownership, particularly foreign land ownership, remain unpopular. The financial sector in Tanzania has expanded in recent years and foreign-owned banks account for about 48% of the banking industry's total assets. Competition among foreign commercial banks has resulted in significant improvements in the efficiency and quality of financial services, though interest rates are still relatively high, reflecting high fraud risk. Banking reforms have helped increase private-sector growth and investment. The World Bank, the IMF, and bilateral donors have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's aging infrastructure, including rail and port, which provide important trade links for inland countries. In 2013, Tanzania completed the world's largest Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) grant, worth $698 million, but in late 2015, the MCC Board of Directors deferred a decision to renew Tanzania’s eligibility because of irregularities in voting in Zanzibar and concerns over the government's use of a controversial cybercrime bill. The new government elected in 2015 has developed an ambitious development agenda focused on creating a better business environment through improved infrastructure, access to financing, and education progress, but implementing budgets remains challenging for the government. Recent policy moves by President MAGUFULI are aimed at protecting domestic industry and have caused concern among foreign investors.

GDP

162,500,000,000 USD
2017

agriculture products

  • coffee
  • sisal
  • tea
  • cotton
  • pyrethrum
  • insecticide made from chrysanthemums
  • cashew nuts
  • tobacco
  • cloves
  • corn
  • wheat
  • cassava
  • manioc
  • tapioca
  • bananas
  • fruits
  • vegetables
  • cattle
  • sheep
  • goats

poverty level

22.8%
2015

budget

  • 7,873,000,000
    revenue (USD)
  • 8,818,000,000
    expenditures (USD)

communications

telephones

    fixed lines

  • 124,238
    total subscriptions
  • 136
    global rank

    mobile cellular

  • 43,497,261
    total subscriptions
  • 34
    global rank

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 (2019)

internet

.tz
country code

    users

  • 13,862,836
    total
  • 25
    % of population
  • 46
    global rank

energy

electricity access

33%
2017

transportation

air transport

    national system

  • 5
    registered air carriers
  • 1,239,707
    annual passenger traffic

    airports

  • 166
    total
  • 10
    paved

railways

4,567 km
total length

roadways

87,581 km
total length

waterways

2,011 undefined
total length

military

expenditures

expenditures here

service age

18