Background: Shortly after independence Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule came to an end in 1989 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s.

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 1,424 km

Maritime claims: Territorial sea:12 nm

Climate: varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands

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

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

Land use: 5% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 40% meadows and pastures; 47% forest and woodland; 7% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Population: 25,206,263 (July 1989), growth rate 3.3% (1989)

Nationality: noun - Tanzanian(s; adjective - Tanzanian

Ethnic groups: mainland - 99% native African consisting of well over 100 tribes; 1% Asian, European, and Arab

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 - 33% Christian, 33% Muslim, 33% indigenous beliefs; Zanzibar - almost all Muslim

Birth rate: 50 births/1000 population (1989)

Death rate: 16 deaths/1000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1000 population (1989)

Environment
Current issues: lack of water and tsetse fly limit agriculture; recent droughts affected marginal agriculture; Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa

Infant mortality rate: 109 deaths/1000 live births (1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male, 54 years female (1989)

Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born/woman (1989)

Literacy: 79%

Country 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

Independence: 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

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Legislative branch: Tanzanian People's Defense Force includes Army, Navy, and Air Force; paramilitary Police Field Force Unit; Militia

International organization participation: AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Asterius M. HYERA; Chancery at 2,139 R Street NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 939-6,125; US - Ambassador Donald K. PETTERSON; Embassy at 36 Laibon Road (off Bagamoyo Road), Dar es Salaam (mailing address is P. O. Box 9,123, Dar es Salaam; telephone Õ255å (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

Economy overview: Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for about 40% of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 90% of the work force. Recurring drought has added to poor economic performance by reducing food production and increasing the cost of imports. Industry accounts for about 10% of GDP and is limited to processing farm products and light consumer goods. The economic recovery program announced in mid-1986 has produced some positive results. Most notable are a major currency devaluation (November 1988), incentives for private investment, reduction in the inflation rate, and the willingness of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to provide credits.

Agriculture products: cotton, coffee, sisal, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), vegetables, fruits, and grain on the mainland; cloves and coconuts on Zanzibar

Industries: primarily agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine), diamond mine, oil refinery, shoes, cement, textiles, wood products, fertilizer

Industrial production growth rate: 2.0% (1987)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues $892 million; expenditures $1,017 million, including capital expenditures of $359.5 million (FY85)

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

Exports: $411 million (f.o.b., 1987)
Commodities: coffee, cotton, sisal, cashew nuts, meat, tobacco, tea, diamonds, coconut products, pyrethrum, cloves (Zanzibar)
Partners: FRG, UK, US, Netherlands, Japan

Imports: $1.15 billion (c.i.f., 1987)
Commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, cotton piece goods, crude oil, foodstuffs
Partners: FRG, UK, US, Iran, Japan, Italy

Debt external: $5 billion (December 1988)

Exchange rates: Tanzanian shillings (TSh) per US$1 - 127.901 (January 1989), 99.292 (1988), 64.260 (1987), 32.698 (1986), 17.472 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 401,000 kW capacity; 895 million kWh produced, 35 kWh per capita (1988)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: NA

Airports: 101 total, 92 usable; 13 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 43 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Pipelines: 982 km crude oil

Waterways: Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Lake Nyasa

Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 29,174 GRT/39,186 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 3 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker

Disputes international: maritime boundary dispute with Malawi in Lake Nyasa; Tanzania-Democratic Republic of the Congo-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika is indefinite pending settlement of the Democratic Republic of the Congo-Zambia boundary