Map of Tanzania | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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Location: Eastern Africa bordering the Indian Ocean between Kenya and Mozambique

Geographic coordinates: 6 00 S 35 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 947,300 km²
Rank: 31
Land: 885,800 km²
Water: 61,500 km²
Note: includes the islands of Mafia Pemba and Zanzibar
Comparative: slightly larger than twice the size of California

Land boundaries
Total: 3,861 km
Border countries: (8) 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

Coastline: 1424 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands

Terrain: plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north south

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

Natural resources: hydropower tin phosphates iron ore coal diamonds gemstones gold natural gas nickel

Land use
Arable land: 4.23%
Permanent crops: 1.16%
Other: 94.61% (2005)

Irrigated land: 1840 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 91 km³ (2001)

Natural hazards: flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought
Volcanism: Tanzania experiences limited volcanic activity; Ol Doinyo Lengai (elev. 2,962 m 9,718 ft) has emitted lava in recent years; other historically active volcanoes include Kieyo and Meru

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


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Population: 41,892,895
Rank: 31
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 2010 est.)
Growth rate: 2.032% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 52
Below poverty line: 36% (2002 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Tanzanian
Adjective: Tanzanian

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

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

Religions: mainland - Christian 30% Muslim 35% indigenous beliefs 35%; Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 43%
15-64 years: 54.1% (male 10,956,133/female 11,255,868)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 513,959/female 663,233) (2010 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 18.3 years
Male: 18 years
Female: 18.5 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.032% (2010 est.)
Rank: 52

Birth rate: 33.44 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 40

Death rate: 12.31 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 28

Net migration rate: -0.81 migrant(s)/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 151

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 25% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 4.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Major urban areas

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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 68.13 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 21
Male: 75 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 61.05 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 52.49 years
Rank: 207
Male: 50.99 years
Female: 54.03 years (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.31 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 40

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 6.2% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 12
People living with hivaids: 1.4 million (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 6
Deaths: 96,000 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 7

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
Animal contact disease: rabies (2009)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 6.8% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 25

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write Kiswahili English or Arabic
Total population: 69.4%
Male: 77.5%
Female: 62.2% (2002 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 5 years
Male: 5 years
Female: 5 years (1999)

Youth unemployment


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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

Government type: republic

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 and the National Assembly now meets there on a regular basis; the Executive Branch with all ministries and diplomatic representation remains located in Dar es Salaam

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

Dependent areas

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

National holiday: Union Day (Tanganyika and Zanzibar) 26 April (1964)

Constitution: 25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984

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 participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Jakaya KIKWETE ; 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; Ali Mohamed SHEIN elected to that office on 31 October 2010 sworn in 3 November 2010
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 on 31 October 2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Jakaya KIKWETE elected president; percent of vote - Jakaya KIKWETE 61.2% Wilbrod SLAA 26.3% Ibrahim LIPUMBA 8.1% other 4.5%

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; members 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; members elected by universal suffrage to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 14 December 2005 (next to be held on 31 October 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

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)

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]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mwandaidi Sinare MAAJAR
In the us chancery: 2,139 R Street NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 939-6,125
In the us fax: [1] (202) 797-7,408
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Alfonso E. LENHARDT
From the us embassy: 686 Old Bagamoyo Road Msasani Dar es Salaam
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 9,123 Dar es Salaam
From the us telephone: [255] (22) 266-8,001
From the us fax: [255] (22) 266-8,238 266-8,373

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 symbols

National anthem
Name: 'Mungu ibariki Afrika'
Lyricsmusic: collective/Enoch Mankayi SONTONGA
Note: adopted 1961; the anthem which is also a popular song in Africa shares the same melody with that of Zambia but has different lyrics; the melody is also incorporated into South Africa's anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Tanzania is one of the world's poorest economies in terms of per capita income however Tanzania average 7% GDP growth per year between 2000 and 2008 on strong gold production and tourism. The economy depends heavily on agriculture which accounts for more than one-fourth of GDP provides 85% of exports and employs about 60% of the work force. The World Bank the IMF and bilateral donors have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's aging economic infrastructure including rail and port infrastructure that are important trade links for inland countries. Recent banking reforms have helped increase private-sector growth and investment and the government has increased spending on agriculture to 7% of its budget. Continued donor assistance and solid macroeconomic policies supported a positive growth rate despite the world recession. In 2008 Tanzania received the world's largest Millennium Challenge Compact grant worth $698 million. Dar es Salaam used fiscal stimulus and loosened monitary policy to ease the impact of the global recession. GDP growth in 2009-10 was a respectable 6% per year due to high gold prices and increased production.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 84
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 32

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 202
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 41.6%
Industry: 18.1%
Services: 38.4% (2010 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 7% (2010 est.)
Rank: 41

Labor force: 21.86 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 29
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation industry and services: 20% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 36% (2002 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.9%
Highest 10: 26.9% (2000)

Distribution of family income gini index: 38.2 (1993)
Rank: 89

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 21.4% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 103

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 12.1% (2009 est.)
Rank: 182

Central bank discount rate: 15.99% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 17

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 14.98% (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 47

Stock of narrow money: $2.972 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Rank: 107

Stock of broad money: $6.65 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 111

Stock of domestic credit: $3.878 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 184

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 99

Current account balance: -$1.746 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 152

Exports: $3.365 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 118
Commodities: gold coffee cashew nuts manufactures cotton
Partners: India 8.51% China 7.55% Japan 7.12% Netherlands 6.21% UAE 5.71% Germany 5.17% (2009)

Imports: $5.834 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 106
Commodities: consumer goods machinery and transportation equipment industrial raw materials crude oil
Partners: India 13.97% China 13.71% South Africa 7.8% Kenya 6.89% UAE 4.65% Japan 4.34% (2009)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.206 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 81
Note: excludes gold

Debt external: $6.879 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 94

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $NA

Exchange rates: Tanzanian shillings (TZS) per US dollar - 1423.3 (2010) 1320.3 (2009) 1178.1 (2008) 1255 (2007) 1251.9 (2006)


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Electricity
Production: 3.786 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 118
Consumption: 3.182 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 124
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 200 million kWh (2007 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 560.7 million m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 67
Consumption: 560.7 million m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 93
Exports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Exports rank: 112
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 126
Proven reserves: 6.513 billion m³ (1 January 2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 84

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 173,552 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 130
Mobile cellular: 17.677 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 42

Telephone system
General assessment: telecommunications services are marginal; system operating below capacity and being modernized for better service; small aperture terminal 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 rapidly; 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)

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 (2007)

Internet
Country code: .tz
Hosts: 24,182 (2010)
Hosts rank: 103
Users: 678,000 (2009)
Users rank: 111

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 0.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 171

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 124 (2010)
Rank: 48
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 115
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 19
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 63
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 33 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 254 km; oil 888 km; refined products 8 km (2009)

Railways
Total: 3,689 km
Rank: 46
Narrow gauge: 969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,720 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Total: 78,892 km
Rank: 61
Paved: 4,741 km
Unpaved: 74,151 km (2007)

Waterways: Lake Tanganyika Lake Victoria and Lake Nyasa are principal avenues of commerce with neighboring countries; rivers are not navigable (2009)

Merchant marine
Total: 72
Rank: 59
By type: bulk carrier 4 cargo 43 carrier 4 chemical tanker 2 container 1 passenger 1 passenger/cargo 2 petroleum tanker 15
Foreign owned: 1 (UAE 1)
Registered in other countries: 3 (Honduras 1 Panama 2) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Dar es Salaam Zanzibar


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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

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 352,640 (Burundi); 127,973 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2007)

Illicit drugs: targeted by traffickers moving hashish Afghan heroin and South American cocaine transported down the East African coastline through airports or overland through Central Africa; Zanzibar likely used by traffickers for drug smuggling; traffickers in the past have recruited Tanzanian courie