Tanzania

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Tanzania

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania/United Republic of Tanzania Area 945,000 sq km/364,864 sq mi Capital Dodoma (official), Dar es Salaam (administrative) Language Kiswahili, English (both official), Arabic (in Zanzibar), many local languages Religion Muslim, Christian, traditional religions Time difference GMT +3 Major holidays 1, 12 January, 5 February, 1 May, 7 July, 9, 25 December; variable: Eid-ul-Adha, Good Friday, Easter Monday, end of Ramadan (2 days), Prophet's Birthday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Zanzibar, Mwanza, Mbeya, Tanga, Morogoro Major ports Dar es Salaam Physical features central plateau; lakes in north and west; coastal plains; lakes Victoria, Tanganyika, and Nyasa; half the country is forested; comprises islands of Zanzibar and Pemba; Mount Kilimanjaro, 5,895 m/19,340 ft, the highest peak in Africa; Olduvai Gorge; Ngorongoro Crater, 14.5 km/9 mi across, 762 m/2,500 ft deep Airports three international airports and 50 domestic airports and landing strips; total passengers carried: 151,000 (2003 est) Railways total length: 4,582 km/2,847 mi; total passenger journeys: 2.2 million (1999) Roads total road network: 88,200 km/54,807 mi, of which 4.2% paved (1999 est); passenger cars: 1.8 per 1,000 people (1998)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Jakay Kikwete from 2005 Head of government Edward Lowassa from 2005 Political system emergent democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions 27 regions Political parties Revolutionary Party of Tanzania (CCM), African, socialist; Civic Party (Chama Cha Wananchi), left of centre; Tanzania People's Party (TPP), left of centre; Democratic Party (DP), left of centre; Justice and Development Party, left of centre; Zanzibar United Front (Kamahuru), Zanzibar-based, centrist Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 27,000; plus 80,000 reservists and paramilitary forces of 1,400 (2006 est) Conscription two years Defence spend (% GDP) 1.1 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 3.4 (1999) Health spend (% GDP) 2.4 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Tanzanian shilling GDP (US$) 12.1 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 5.9 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 12.7 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 730 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 7.5% (2006 est) Unemployment 5.1% (2001) Labour force 82.1% agriculture, 2.6% industry, 15.3% services (2002) Foreign debt (US$) 8.1 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners Canada, South Africa, India, China, the Netherlands, Japan, United Arab Emirates Resources diamonds, other gemstones, gold, salt, phosphates, coal, gypsum, tin, kaolin (exploration for petroleum in progress) Industries food processing, textiles, cigarette production, pulp and paper, petroleum refining, diamonds, cement, brewing, fertilizers, clothing, footwear, pharmaceuticals, electrical goods, metalworking, vehicle assembly Exports gold, raw cotton, coffee beans, cashew nuts, tea, tobacco, cloves, petroleum products. Principal market: Canada 8.7% (2005) Imports consumer goods, machinery and transport equipment, crude petroleum and petroleum products, construction materials, foodstuffs. Principal source: South Africa 12.3% (2005) Arable land 4.2% (2006 est) Agricultural products coffee, cotton, tobacco, cloves, tea, cashew nuts, sisal, pyrethrum, sugar cane, coconuts, cardamoms


POPULATION

Population 39,024,800 (2006 est) Population growth rate 1.8% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 41 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 38 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 43%, 15–59 52%, 60+ 5% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 99% of the population are Africans, ethnically classified as Bantu, and distributed among over 130 tribes; main tribes are Bantu, Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Khoisan, and Iraqwi Life expectancy 46 (men); 47 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 126 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 7 Literacy rate 85% (men); 69% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 0.2 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 0.9 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 6.5 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 140,000 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 92 (urban); 62 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 0.4 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 5.2 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 406 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 41 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 0.7 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 0.9 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

8th century Growth of city states along coast after settlement by Arabs from Oman. 1499 Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama visited island of Zanzibar. 16th century Portuguese occupied Zanzibar, defeated coastal states, and exerted spasmodic control over them. 1699 Portuguese ousted from Zanzibar by Arabs of Oman. 18th century Sultan of Oman reasserted Arab overlordship of East African coast, which became subordinate to Zanzibar. 1744–1837 Revolt of rulers of Mombasa against Oman spanned 93 years until final victory of Oman. 1822 Moresby Treaty: Britain recognized regional dominance of Zanzibar, but protested against slave trade. 1840 Sultan Seyyid bin Sultan moved his capital from Oman to Zanzibar; trade in slaves and ivory flourished. 1861 Sultanates of Zanzibar and Oman separated on death of Seyyid. 19th century Europeans started to explore inland, closely followed by Christian missionaries. 1884 German Colonization Society began to acquire territory on mainland in defiance of Zanzibar. 1890 Britain obtained protectorate over Zanzibar, abolished slave trade, and recognized German claims to mainland. 1897 German East Africa formally established as colony. 1905–06 Maji Maji revolt suppressed by German troops. 1916 Conquest of German East Africa by British and South African forces, led by Gen Jan Smuts. 1919 Most of German East Africa became British League of Nations mandate of Tanganyika. 1946 Britain continued to govern Tanganyika as United Nations (UN) trusteeship. 1954 Julius Nyerere organized Tanganyikan African National Union (TANU) to campaign for independence. 1961–62 Tanganyika achieved independence from Britain with Nyerere as prime minister, and became a republic in 1962 with Nyerere as president. 1963 Zanzibar achieved independence. 1964 Arab-dominated sultanate of Zanzibar overthrown by Afro-Shirazi Party in violent revolution; Zanzibar merged with Tanganyika to form United Republic of Tanzania. 1967 East African Community (EAC) formed by Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda; Nyerere pledged to build socialist state. 1974 Dodoma designated new national capital, replacing Dar es Salaam. 1977 Revolutionary Party of Tanzania (CCM) proclaimed sole legal party; EAC dissolved. 1979 Tanzanian troops intervened in Uganda to help overthrow President Idi Amin. 1992 Multiparty politics permitted. 1995 Benjamin Mkapa of CCM elected president. 1998 Islamic extremists claimed responsibility for bomb attack on US embassy in Dar es Salaam. 1999 Tanzania withdrew from Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. Julius Nyerere died. 2000 President Mkapa and CCM re-elected. 2002 Nearly 300 people killed in Tanzania's worst-ever train disaster. 2005 In elections CCM candidate Jakaya Kikwete won presidency and party retained parliamentary control. 2006 African Development Bank cancelled more than $640 million of Tanzanian debt.


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