Statistical information Tanzania 1991
Tanzania in the World
top of pageBackground: Shortly after independence Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule came to an end in 1991 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaLand 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
Coastline: 1,424 km
Maritime claimsExclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands
Terrain: plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south
ElevationNatural resources: hydropower potential, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel
Land use: arable land: 5%; permanent crops: 1%; meadows and pastures 40%; forest and woodland 47%; other 7%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 26,869,175 (July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)
Nationality: noun--Tanzanian(s; adjective--Tanzanian
Ethnic groups: mainland--native African consisting of well over 100 tribes 99%; Asian, European, and Arab 1%
Languages: 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
Religions: mainland--Christian 33%, Muslim 33%, indigenous beliefs 33%; Zanzibar--almost all Muslim
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 50 births/1000 population (1991)
Death rate: 15 deaths/1000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1000 population (1991)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: lack of water and tsetse fly limit agriculture; recent droughts affected marginal agriculture; Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa geoad2
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 105 deaths/1000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male, 55 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1991)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 46% (male 62%, female 31%) age 15 and over can read and write (1978)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry name: conventional long form: United Republic of Tanzania
Government type: republic
Capital: Dar es Salaam; some government offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is planned as the new national capital in the 1990s
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
Dependent areasIndependence: 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
National holiday: Union Day, 26 April (1964)
Constitution: 15 March 1984 (Zanzibar has its own Constitution but remains subject to provisions of the union Constitution)
Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal at age 18
Executive branch: 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)
Legislative branch: Tanzanian People's Defense Force (TPDF; including Army, Navy, and Air Force; paramilitary Police Field Force Unit; Militia
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: 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
Diplomatic representationIn the us: Ambassador-designate Charles Musama NYIRABU; Chancery at 2,139 R Street NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 939-6,125; US--Ambassador Edmund DE JARNETTE; Embassy at 36 Laibon Road (off Bagamoyo Road), Dar es Salaam (mailing address is P. O. Box 9,123, Dar es Salaam; telephone [255] (51) 37,501 through 37,504
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 Tanzania TanzaniaTanzania
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capita pppGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: 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
Industries: primarily agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine), diamond mine, oil refinery, shoes, cement, textiles, wood products, fertilizer
Industrial production growth rate: 4.2% (1988; accounts for 8% of GDP
Labor force:
732,200 wage earners; 90% agriculture, 10%
industry and commerce (1986 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $495 million; expenditures $631 million, including capital expenditures of $118 million (FY90)
Public debtTaxes and other revenuesRevenueFiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Current account balanceInflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $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
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
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $5.8 billion (December 1990 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange 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)
top of pageElectricity accessElectricity productionElectricity consumptionElectricity exportsElectricity importsElectricity installed generating capacityElectricity transmission distribution lossesElectricity generation sourcesPetroleumRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones fixed linesTelephones mobile cellularTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternet country codeInternet usersBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: $111 million, 3.9% of GDP (1988)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 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
Airports with paved runwaysAirports with unpaved runwaysHeliportsPipelines: 982 km crude oil
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 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
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: boundary dispute with Malawi in Lake Nyasa; Tanzania-Democratic Republic of the Congo-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of the Democratic Republic of the Congo-Zambia boundary has been settled
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs