Tanzania

§1. Tanzania Introduction

Background:
  Shortly after independence, 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.

§2. Tanzania Geography

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

Geographic coordinates:
  6 00 S, 35 00 E

Map references:
  Africa

Area:
  total: 945,087 km²
  land: 886,037 km²
  water: 59,050 km²
  note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar

Area - comparative:
  slightly larger than twice the size of California

Land boundaries:
  total: 3,861 km
  border countries: 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:
  1,424 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
  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:
  1,550 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought

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

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

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

§3. Tanzania People

Population:
  37,445,392
  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 and death rates, lower population and
    growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and
    sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 43.7% (male 8,204,593/female 8,176,489)
  15-64 years: 53.6% (male 9,906,446/female 10,178,066)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 422,674/female 557,124) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 17.7 years
  male: 17.5 years
  female: 18 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  1.83% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  37.71 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  16.39 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -3.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 96.48 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 105.64 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 87.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 45.64 years
  male: 44.93 years
  female: 46.37 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  4.97 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  8.8% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  1.6 million (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  160,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid
    fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria, Rift Valley fever and plague are high risks
    in some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Nationality:
  noun: Tanzanian(s)
  adjective: Tanzanian

Ethnic groups:
  mainland - native African 99% (of which 95% are Bantu consisting of more
  than 130 tribes), other 1% (consisting of Asian, European, and Arab);
  Zanzibar - Arab, native African, mixed Arab and native African

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

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, and it has become the lingua franca of
    central and eastern Africa; the first language of most people is one of
    the local languages

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write Kiswahili (Swahili),
    English, or Arabic
  total population: 78.2%
  male: 85.9%
  female: 70.7% (2003 est.)

§4. Tanzania Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: United Republic of Tanzania
  conventional short form: Tanzania
  former: United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar

Government type:
  republic

Capital:
  Dar es Salaam; note - legislative offices have been transferred to Dodoma,
  which is planned as the new national capital; the National Assembly now
  meets there on regular basis

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

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

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December 2005); 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 - the
    president is both chief of state and head of government
  note: Zanzibar elects a president who is head of government for matters
    internal to Zanzibar; Amani Abeid KARUME was reelected to that office on
    30 October 2005
  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; election last held 14 December
    2005(next to be held in December 2010); prime minister appointed by the
    president
  election results: Jakaya KIKWETE elected president; percent of vote -
    Jakaya KIKWETE 80.3%, Ibrahim LIPUMBA 11.7%, Freeman MBOWE 5.9%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (274 seats - 232 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, directly
  elected by universal suffrage to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 14 December 2005 (next to be held NA December 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 (unregistered) [Christopher MTIKLA]; Tanzania Labor Party
  or TLP [Augustine Lyatonga MREME]; United Democratic Party or UDP [John
  CHEYO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, EADB, FAO, G-6, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
  ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMSIL,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
  WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Andrew Mhando DARAJA
  chancery: 2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 939-6125
  FAX: [1] (202) 797-7408

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Michael L. RETZER
  embassy: 140 Msese Road, Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam
  mailing address: P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam
  telephone: [255] (22) 2666-010 through 2666-015
  FAX: [255] (22) 2666-701, 2668-501

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

§5. Tanzania Economy

Economy - overview:
  Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy depends
  heavily on agriculture, which accounts for almost half of GDP, provides 85%
  of exports, and employs 80% of the work force. Topography and climatic
  conditions, however, limit cultivated crops to only 4% of the land area.
  Industry traditionally featured the processing of agricultural products and
  light consumer goods. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and
  bilateral donors have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's out-of-date
  economic infrastructure and to alleviate poverty. Long-term growth through
  2005 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. Continued donor assistance
  and solid macroeconomic policies supported real GDP growth of more than 6%
  in 2005.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $26.85 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $11.62 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  6.8% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $700 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 43.2%
  industry: 17.2%
  services: 39.6% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
  19.22 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 80%, industry and services 20% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  NA%

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 2.8%
  highest 10%: 30.1% (1993)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  38.2 (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  4% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  19.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.235 billion
  expenditures: $2.669 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Public debt:
  5% of GDP (2005 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:
  8.4% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production:
  3.152 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  2.959 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  28 million kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  22,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  0 bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  22.65 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $-508 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $1.581 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  gold, coffee, cashew nuts, manufactures, cotton

Exports - partners:
  India 8.9%, Spain 8.2%, Netherlands 6.3%, Japan 5.7%, UK 4.9%, China 4.7%,
  Kenya 4.7% (2004)

Imports:
  $2.391 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  consumer goods, machinery and transportation equipment, industrial raw
  materials, crude oil

Imports - partners:
  South Africa 12.7%, China 7.8%, India 6.4%, Kenya 5.4%, UAE 5.3%, US 4.8%,
  UK 4.6%, Zambia 4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $2.335 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $7.95 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $1.2 billion (2001)

Currency (code):
  Tanzanian shilling (TZS)

Exchange rates:
  Tanzanian shillings per US dollar - 1,128.93 (2005), 1,089.33 (2004),
  1,038.42 (2003), 966.58 (2002), 876.41 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  1 July - 30 June

§6. Tanzania Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  149,100 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  1.64 million (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fair system operating below capacity and being
    modernized for better service; very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system
    under construction
  domestic: 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 and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 12, FM 11, shortwave 2 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
  3 (1999)

Internet country code:
  .tz

Internet hosts:
  9,241 (2005)

Internet users:
  333,000 (2005)

§7. Tanzania Transportation

Airports:
  123 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 11
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 112
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
  914 to 1,523 m: 61
  under 914 m: 33 (2005)

Pipelines:
  gas 29 km; oil 866 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 3,690 km
  narrow gauge: 969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,721 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 78,891 km
  paved: 6,808 km
  unpaved: 72,083 km (2003)

Waterways:
  Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Nyasa principal avenues of
  commerce with neighboring countries; rivers not navigable (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 10 ships (1000 GRT or over) 25,838 GRT/33,745 DWT
  by type: cargo 2, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 4
  registered in other countries: 1 (Honduras 1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, Zanzibar City

§8. Tanzania Military

Military branches:
  Tanzanian People's Defense Force (JWTZ): Army, Naval Wing, Air Defense
    Command (includes Air Wing), National Service

Military service age and obligation:
  15 years of age for voluntary military service; 18 years of age for
  compulsory military service upon graduation from secondary school;
  conscript service obligation - two years (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 7,422,869 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 3,879,630 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $21.2 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  0.2% (2005 est.)

§9. Tanzania Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  disputes with Malawi over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the
  meandering Songwe River remain dormant

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 443,706 (Burundi) 153,474 (Democratic
    Republic of the Congo) 3,036 (Somalia) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  growing role in transshipment of Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and
  South American cocaine destined for South African, European, and US markets
  and of South Asian methaqualone bound for southern Africa; money laundering
  remains a problem


<Factbook 2006>
