Tanzania

 
Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



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GEOGRAPHY

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique

Area

Total area: 945,090 sq km
Land area: 886,040 sq km
Comparative area: slightly larger than twice the size of California

Note: Includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar

Land Boundaries

Total 3,402 km, 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 Claims

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

International Disputes

Boundary dispute with Malawi in Lake Nyasa; Tanzania-Democratic Republic Congo-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of the Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled

Climate

Varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands

Terrain

Plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m

Natural 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%

Irrigated Land

1,530 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment

Current issues: soil degradation; deforestation; desertification; destruction of coral reefs threatens marine habitats; recent droughts affected marginal agriculture
Natural hazards: the tsetse fly and lack of water limit agriculture; flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season
International agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification

Note: Mount Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa

PEOPLE

Population

29,058,470 (July 1996 est.)
28,701,077 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

45% (male 6,536,911; female 6,576,752) (July 1996 est.)
47% (male 6,676,652; female 6,724,575) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

52% (male 7,360,370; female 7,739,500) (July 1996 est.)
50% (male 7,027,551; female 7,462,615) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

3% (male 396,128; female 448,809) (July 1996 est.)
3% (male 384,473; female 425,211) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.15% (1996 est.)
2.55% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

41.31 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
45.25 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

19.47 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
19.81 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

-10.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Note: The total number of Rwandan and Burundian refugees in Tanzania is about 750,000

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

105.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
109 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total population: 42.34 years (1996 est.), 42.53 years (1995 est.)
Male: 40.95 years (1996 est.), 40.88 years (1995 est.)
Female: 43.78 years (1996 est.), 44.22 years (1995 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

5.67 children born/woman (1996 est.)
6.15 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Noun: Tanzanian(s)
Adjective: Tanzanian

Ethnic Divisions

Mainland: native African 99% (consisting of well over 100 tribes), Asian, European, and Arab 1%

Zanzibar

Religions

Mainland: Christian 45%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 20%
Zanzibar: Muslim 99% plus

Languages

Swahili (official; widely understood and generally used for communication between ethnic groups and is used in primary education), English (official; primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education)

Note: First language of most people is one of the local languages

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write Kiswahili (Swahili), English, or Arabic (1995 est.)

Total population: 67.8%
Male: 79.4%
Female: 56.8%

Labor Force

13.495 million

By occupation:

Agriculture 90%
Industry and commerce 10% (1986 est.)

GOVERNMENT

Names

Conventional long form: United Republic of Tanzania
Conventional short form: Tanzania
Former: United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar

Digraph

Type

Republic

Capital

Dar es Salaam

Note: Some government offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is planned as the new national capital by the end of 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

26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent 9 December 1961 (from UN trusteeship under British administration); Zanzibar became independent 19 December 1963 (from U.K.); 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

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of state: President Benjamin MKARA (since 22 November 1995) was elected for a five-year term by popular vote; election last held 29 October-19 November 1995 (next to be held 29 October 2000); results - Benjamin MKARA 62%, MREMA 28%, LIPUMBA 6%, CHEYO 4%; Vice President Omar Ali JUMA (since 22 November 1995); President of Zanzibar Salmin AMOUR (since 27 October 1995); election last held 22 October 1995 (next to be held 22 October 2000); results - Salmin AMOUR 50.2%, HAMAD 49.8%
5 november 1985 - 22 november 1995: President Ali Hassan MWINYI
Head of government: Prime Minister Fredrick SUMAYE (since 27 November 1995) was appointed by the president
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president from the National Assembly

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

National Assembly (Bunge)

Elections last held 29 October-19 November 1995 (next to be held 29 October 2000); results - percent of total vote by party NA; seats - (274 total, 232 elected) CCM 186, opposition parties 46; of the 42 seats which are not elected some are filled by presidential appointment and others are designated by law for specific officials

Judicial Branch

Court of Appeal, High Court

Political Parties and Leaders

Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM or Revolutionary Party), Ali Hassan MWINYI; Civic United Front (CUF), Seif Sharif HAMAD; National Convention for Construction and Reform (NCCR), Lyatonga (Augustine) MREMA; Union for Multiparty Democracy (UMD), Abdullah FUNDIKIRA; Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), Edwin I. M. MTEI, chairman; Democratic Party (unregistered), Reverend MTIKLA; United Democratic Party (UDP), John CHEYO

Member of

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G- 6, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Flag

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 58% of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 90% of the work force. Topography and climatic conditions, however, limit cultivated crops to only 5% of the land area. 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, the International Monetary Fund, and bilateral donors have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's deteriorated economic infrastructure. Growth in 1991-94 has featured a pickup in industrial production and a substantial increase in output of minerals, led by gold. Recent banking reforms have helped increase private sector growth and investment.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $23.1 billion (1995 est.), $21 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

2.7% (1995 est.)
3% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$800 (1995 est.)
$750 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

25% (1994 est.)

Unemployment Rate

Budget

Revenues: $495 million
Expenditures: $631 million, including capital expenditures of $118 million (1990 est.)

Exports

$462 million (f.o.b., 1994)

Commodities:

Coffee
Cotton
Tobacco
Tea
Cashew nuts
Sisal

Partners:

Imports

$1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1994)

Commodities:

Manufactured goods
Machinery and transportation equipment
Cotton piece goods
Crude oil
Foodstuffs

Partners:

Germany
U.K.
U.S.
Japan
Italy
Denmark

External Debt

$6.7 billion (1993)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 9.3% (1990); accounts for 8% of GDP

Electricity

Capacity: 440,000 kW
Production: 880 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 30 kWh (1993)

Industries

Primarily agricultural processing (sugar
Beer
Cigarettes
Sisal twine)
Diamond and gold mining
Oil refining
Shoes
Cement
Textiles
Wood products
Fertilizer

Agriculture

Accounts for about 58% of GDP; cash crops - coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), cashews, tobacco, cloves (Zanzibar); food crops - corn, wheat, cassava, bananas, fruits, vegetables; small numbers of cattle, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in food grain production

Illicit Drugs

Growing role in transshipment of Southwest Asian heroin destined for European and U.S. markets

Economic Aid

Recipient: U.S. commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $400 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $9.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $44 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $614 million

Currency

1 Tanzanian shilling (TSh) = 100 cents

Exchange Rates

Tanzanian shillings (TSh) per US$1 - 558.18 (December 1995), 574.76 (1995), 509.63 (1994), 405.27 (1993), 297.71 (1992), 219.16 (1991), 195.06 (1990)

Fiscal Year

1 July - 30 June

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Total: 3,569 km (1995)
Narrow gauge: 2,600 km 1.000-m gauge; 969 km 1.067-m gauge
Note: the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), which operates 1,860 km of 1.067-m narrow gauge track between Dar es Salaam and New Kapiri M'poshi in Zambia is not a part of Tanzania Railways Corporation; 969 km are in Tanzania and 891 km are in Zambia; because of the difference in gauge, this system does not connect to Tanzania Railways

Highways

Total: 55,600 km
Paved: 20,572 km (including 50 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 35,028 km (1992 est.)

Inland Waterways

Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Lake Nyasa

Pipelines

Crude oil 982 km

Ports

Bukoba, Dar es Salaam, Kigoma, Lindi, Mkoani, Mtwara, Musoma, Mwanza, Tanga, Wete, Zanzibar

Merchant Marine

Total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 30,371 GRT/41,269 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 3, oil tanker 2, passenger-cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1995 est.)

Airports

Total: 111
With paved runways over 3,047 m: 2
With paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
With paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
With paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 28
With unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 15
With unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 57 (1995 est.)

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

137,000 telephones (1989 est.); fair system operating below capacity

Local: NA
Intercity: open wire, microwave radio relay, troposcatter
International: 2 satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

Radio

Broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: 640,000 (1992 est.)

Television

Broadcast stations: 2
Televisions: 45,000 (1992 est.)

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

Tanzanian People's Defense Force (TPDF; includes Army, Navy, and Air Force), paramilitary Police Field Force Unit, Militia

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 6,499,244; males fit for military service 3,765,193 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $69 million, NA of GDP (FY94/95)

History
World Atlas

last updated: 27 november 1997

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