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 ended in 1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s. Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and popular opposition led to two contentious elections since 1995 which the ruling party won despite international observers' claims of voting irregularities. The formation of a government of national unity between Zanzibar's two leading parties succeeded in minimizing electoral tension in 2010.


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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

Area
Rank: 31
Land: 885,800 km²
Water: 61,500 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than twice the size of California

Land boundaries
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
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 highest point: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m (highest point in Africa)

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

Land use
Permanent crops: 1.79%
Other: 85.96% (2011)

Irrigated land: 1843 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 96.27 km³ (2011)

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

Geography
Note: Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa and one of only two mountains on the continent that has glaciers (the other is Mount Kenya); 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 (Lake Malawi) in the southwest


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Population: 48,261,942 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 28
Growth rate: 2.82% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 18
Below poverty line: 36% (2002 est.)

Nationality
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

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
15-24 years: 19.4% (male 4,689,483/female 4,694,663)
25-54 years: 29.3% (male 7,095,382/female 7,060,506)
55-64 years: 3.5% (male 721,769/female 959,008)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 610,252/female 802,293) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 86.3 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.2 %
Potential support ratio: 16.2 (2013)

Median age
Male: 17 years
Female: 17.6 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.82% (2013 est.)
Rank: 18

Birth rate: 37.25 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 18

Death rate: 8.41 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 87

Net migration rate: -0.6 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 138

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 4.77% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: DAR ES SALAAM (capital) 3.207 million (2009)

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 signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.75 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 19.6

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 49
Male: 47.13 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 43 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 190
Male: 59.48 years
Female: 62.09 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.01 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 18

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 34.4% (2009/10)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.01 physicians/1000 population (2006)

Hospital bed density: 0.7 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 5.6% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 12
People living with hivaids: 1.4 million (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 6
Deaths: 86,000 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 4

Major infectious diseases
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria dengue fever and Rift Valley fever
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis and leptospirosis
Animal contact disease: rabies (2013)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 5% (2008)
Rank: 156

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 16.7% (2005)
Rank: 44

Education expenditures: 6.2% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 34

Literacy
Total population: 67.8%
Male: 75.5%
Female: 60.8% (2010 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 9 years
Female: 9 years (2012)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
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
Geographic coordinates: 6 48 S 39 17 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 30 regions; Arusha Dar es Salaam Dodoma Geita Iringa Kagera Kaskazini Pemba (Pemba North) Kaskazini Unguja (Zanzibar North) Katavi Kigoma Kilimanjaro Kusini Pemba (Pemba South) Kusini Unguja (Zanzibar Central/South) Lindi Manyara Mara Mbeya Mjini Magharibi (Zanzibar Urban/West) Morogoro Mtwara Mwanza Njombe Pwani (Coast) Rukwa Ruvuma Shinyanga Simiyu Singida Tabora Tanga

Dependent areas

Independence: 26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent on 9 December 1961 (from UK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became independent on 10 December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar on 26 April 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed United Republic of Tanzania on 29 October 1964

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

Constitution: several previous; latest adopted 25 April 1977; amended many times last in 2012; note - in 2012 the Tanzania Constitutional Review Commission was formed and in June 2013 completed the first draft of a new constitution (2013)

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

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December 2005); Vice President Mohammed Gharib BILAL (since 6 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% Willibrod SLAA 26.3% Ibrahim LIPUMBA 8.1% other 4.4%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (357 seats; 239 members elected by popular vote 102 allocated to women nominated by the president 5 to members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives; members serve five-year terms up to 10 additional members appointed by the president 1 seat reserved for the Attorney General); 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 with jurisdiction exclusive to Zanzibar (the Zanzibar House of Representatives has 50 seats; members elected by universal suffrage to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 31 October 2010 (next to be held in 2015)
Election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CCM 259 CHADEMA 48 CUF 34 NCCR-M 4 other 7 Zanzibar representatives 5; Zanzibar House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CCM 28 CUF 22

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and High Court justices appointed by the national president after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission for Tanzania a judicial body of high level judges and 2 members appointed by the national president; Court of Appeal and High Court judges appointed until mandatory retirement at age 60 but can extended; High Court of Zanzibar judges appointed by the national president after consultation with the Judicial Commission of Zanzibar; judge tenure NA
Subordinate courts: Resident Magistrates Courts; Kadhi courts (for Islamic family matters); district and primary courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU C CD EAC EADB EITI (candidate country) FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (NGOs) ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MONUSCO NAM OPCW SADC UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNISFA UNMISS UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 1232 22nd Street NW Washington DC 20,037
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 939-6,125
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 797-7,408
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) 229-4,000
From the us FAX: [255] (22) 229-4,970 or 4,971

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: Uhuru (Freedom) torch

National anthem
Lyrics and music: collective/Enoch Mankayi SONTONGA

National heritage


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Economy overview: Tanzania is one of the world's poorest economies in terms of per capita income however it has achieved high overall growth rates based on gold production and tourism. Tanzania has largely completed its transition to a liberalized 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 more than one-quarter of GDP provides 85% of exports and employs about 80% 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. 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. 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. 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 and in December 2012 the Millennium Challenge Corporation selected Tanzania for a second Compact. Dar es Salaam used fiscal stimulus and loosened monetary policy to ease the impact of the global recession. GDP growth in 2009-12 was a respectable 6% per year due to high gold prices and increased production.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 85

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 32

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 199

Gross national saving:
Rank: 45

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 16.8%
Investment in fixed capital: 39.4%
Investment in inventories: 0.6%
Exports of goods and services: 30.5%
Imports of goods and services: -47.9%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 25.1%
Services: 47.2% (2012 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); mining (diamonds gold and iron) salt soda ash; cement oil refining shoes apparel wood products fertilizer

Industrial production growth rate: 7.8% (2012 est.)
Rank: 29

Labor force: 24.82 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 27
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
Highest 10: 29.6% (2007)

Distribution of family income gini index: 34.6 (2000)
Rank: 77

Budget
Expenditures: $6.706 billion (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -4.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 147

Taxes and other revenues: 20% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 165

Public debt: 40.4% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 84

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 12.7% (2011 est.)
Rank: 213

Central bank discount rate: 3.7% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 97

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 14.96% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 48

Stock of narrow money: $3.545 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 106

Stock of broad money: $7.568 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 113

Stock of domestic credit: $5.786 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 107

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 105

Current account balance: $-4.602 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 160

Exports: $5.098 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 109
Commodities: gold coffee cashew nuts manufactures cotton
Partners: India 15.2% China 11.1% Japan 6.2% Germany 5.1% UAE 4.8% (2012)

Imports: $9.828 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 98
Commodities: consumer goods machinery and transportation equipment industrial raw materials crude oil
Partners: China 21.3% India 16.3% South Africa 6.4% Kenya 6% UAE 5% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.726 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 100

Debt external: $10.04 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 95

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $N/A

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 4.302 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 122
Consumption: 3.403 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 126
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 142
Imports: 50 million kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 97
Installed generating capacity: 841,000 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 126
Generation sources fossil fuels: 33.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 174
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 192
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 66.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 23
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 132

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 10 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 131
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 195
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 132
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 196

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 137
Products consumption: 43,310 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 105
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 137
Products imports: 30,750 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 91

Natural gas
Production: 860 million m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 67
Consumption: 780 million m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 93
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 196
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 140
Proven reserves: 6.513 billion m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 87

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 7.228 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 111

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 161,100 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 133
Mobile cellular: 27.22 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 39

Telephone system
Domestic: fixed-line telephone network inadequate with less than 1 connection per 100 persons; mobile-cellular service aided by multiple providers is increasing rapidly and in 2011 exceeded a subscriber base of 50 telephones per 100 persons; trunk service provided by open-wire microwave radio relay tropospheric scatter and fiber-optic cable; some links being made digital
International: country code - 255; landing point for the EASSy fiber-optic submarine cable system linking East Africa with Europe and North America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2010)

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: 26,074 (2012)
Hosts rank: 110
Users: 678,000 (2009)
Users rank: 111

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 0.9% of GDP (2012)
Rank: 134

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 166 (2013)
Rank: 34
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: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 24
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 98
With unpaved runways: 33 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 311 km; oil 891 km; refined products 8 km (2013)

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

Roadways
Rank: 54
Paved: 7,092 km
Unpaved: 79,380 km (2010)

Waterways: (Lake Tanganyika Lake Victoria and Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) are the principal avenues of commerce with neighboring countries; the rivers are not navigable) (2011)

Merchant marine
Rank: 52
By type: bulk carrier 6 cargo 66 carrier 4 chemical tanker 1 container 1 passenger/cargo 2 petroleum tanker 10 refrigerated cargo 1 roll on/roll off 3
Foreign owned: 42 (Japan 1 Romania 1 Saudi Arabia 1 Syria 23 Turkey 13 UAE 3)
Registered in other countries: 3 (Panama 2 UK 1) (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

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 couriers to mov