History[link]

Significant measures have been taken to liberalize the Tanzanian economy along market lines and encourage both foreign and domestic private investment. Beginning in 1986, the Government of Tanzania embarked on an adjustment program to dismantle the socialist (Ujamaa) economic controls and encourage more active participation of the private sector in the economy. The program included a comprehensive package of policies which reduced the budget deficit and improved monetary control, substantially depreciated the overvalued exchange rate, liberalized the trade regime, removed most price controls, eased restrictions on the marketing of food crops, freed interest rates, and initiated a restructuring of the financial sector.

Current GDP per capita of Tanzania grew more than 40% between 1998 and 2007. In May 2009, the International Monetary Fund approved an Exogenous Shock Facility (ESF) for Tanzania to help the country cope with the global economic crisis[1]. Tanzania is also engaged in a Policy Support Instrument (PSI) with the International Monetary Fund, which commenced in February 2007 after Tanzania completed its second 3-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF), the first having been completed in August 2003. The PRGF was the successor program to the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF), which Tanzania also participated in from 1996-1999. The IMF's PSI program provides policy support and signaling to participating low-income countries and is intended for countries that have usually achieved a reasonable growth performance, low underlying inflation, an adequate level of official international reserves, and have begun to establish external and net domestic debt sustainability.

Tanzania also embarked on a major restructuring of state-owned enterprises. The program has so far divested 335 out of some 425 parastatal entities. Overall, real economic growth has averaged about 4% a year, much better than the previous 20 years, but not enough to improve the lives of average Tanzanians. Also, the economy remains overwhelmingly donor-dependent. Moreover, Tanzania has an external debt of $7.9 billion. The servicing of this debt absorbs about 40% of total government expenditures. Tanzania has qualified for debt relief under the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Debts worth over $6 billion were canceled following implementation of the Paris Club 7 Agreement.

Macro-economic trend[link]

This is a chart of trend of gross domestic product of Tanzania at market prices estimated by the International Monetary Fund with figures in millions of Tanzanian Shillings. See [2]

Mean wages were $0.52 per manhour in 2009.

Agriculture[link]

A market near Arusha.

The Tanzanian economy depends heavily on agriculture, which accounts for more than 25% of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 80% of the work force [3]. Topography and climatic conditions, however, limit cultivated crops to only 4% of the land area. Cash crops, including coffee (its largest export), tea, cotton, cashews, sisal, cloves, and pyrethrum, account for the vast majority of export earnings. The volume of all major crops—both cash and goods, which have been marketed through official channels—have increased over the past few years, but large amounts of produce never reach the market. Poor pricing and unreliable cash flow to farmers continue to frustrate the agricultural sector.

Industry[link]

Accounting for 22.6% of GDP, Tanzania's industrial sector is one of the fastest growing in Africa (2010 rankings). Though it has been hit hard recently by persistent power shortages caused by low rainfall in the hydroelectric dams catchment areas, a condition compounded by years of neglect and bad management at the state-controlled electric company. Management of the electric company was contracted to the private sector in 2003. And power production countrywide is currently undergoing various diversification projects. The main industrial activities include agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine), diamond-, gold-, and iron mining, oil refining, wood products, salt, soda ash, cement, shoes, apparel and fertilizer productions. Foreign exchange shortages, bureaucracy and corruption continue to deprive factories of much-needed spare parts and reduces industrial capacities.

Mining[link]

The Ministry of Energy and Minerals is responsible for the management and governing the mining and energy industry in Tanzania.

Gold[link]

Gold mining in Tanzania in modern times dates back to the German colonial period, beginning with gold discoveries near Lake Victoria in 1894. The first gold mine in what was then Tanganyika, the Sekenke Gold Mine, began operation in 1909, and gold mining in Tanzania experienced a boom between 1930 and World War II. By 1967, gold production in the country had dropped to insignificance but was revived in the mid-1970s, when the gold price rose once more. In the late 1990s, foreign mining companies started investing in the exploration and development of gold deposits in Tanzania, leading to the opening of a number of new mines, like the Golden Pride mine, which opened in 1999 as the first modern gold mine in the country, or the Buzwagi mine, which opened in 2009.^[3][4]

External trade and investment[link]

Tanzanian exports in 2006

Tanzania's history of political stability has encouraged Foreign Direct Investment. Government has committed itself to improve the investment climate including redrawing tax codes, floating the exchange rate, licensing foreign banks, and creating an investment promotion center to cut red tape. Tanzania has mineral resources and a largely untapped tourism sector, which might make it a viable market for foreign investment.

The stock market capitalisation of listed companies in Tanzania was valued at $588 million in 2005 by the World Bank.^[5]

Zanzibar[link]

Zanzibar's economy is based primarily on the production of cloves (90% grown on the island of Pemba), the principal foreign exchange earner. Exports have suffered from the downturn in the clove market. Tourism is an increasingly promising sector, and a number of new hotels and resorts have been built in recent years.

The Government of Zanzibar has been more aggressive than its mainland counterpart in instituting economic reforms and has legalized foreign exchange bureaus on the islands. This has loosened up the economy and dramatically increased the availability of consumer commodities. Furthermore, with external funding, the government plans to make the port of Zanzibar a free port. Rehabilitation of current port facilities and plans to extend these facilities will be the precursor to the free port. The island's manufacturing sector is limited mainly to import substitution industries, such as cigarettes, shoes, and process agricultural products. In 1992, the government designated two export-producing zones and encouraged the development of offshore financial services. Zanzibar still imports much of its staple requirements, petroleum products, and manufactured articles.

Literature[link]

• Paul Collier: Labour and Poverty in Rural Tanzania. Ujamaa and Rural Development in the United Republic of Tanzania. Oxford University Press, New York 1991, ISBN 0-19-528315-6.

See also[link]

• Economy of Africa
• List of companies of Tanzania
• Taxation in Tanzania

References[link]

1. ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2001rank.html
2. ^ "Doing Business in Tanzania 2012". World Bank. http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/tanzania/. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
3. ^ Tanzania Mining History tanzaniagold.com, accessed: 24 July 2010
4. ^ •Mineral Sector Overview Ministry of Energy and Minerals website, accessed: 27 July 2010
5. ^ World Bank

External links[link]

• Economy of Tanzania at the Open Directory Project
• Tanzania Economic Forum
• Confederation of Tanzanian Industries
• CIA World Factbook Tanzania economy
• [4]
• Tanzania latest trade data on ITC Trade Map

Government ministries, agencies and sites

• Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs
• Ministry of Industry, Trade and Marketing
• Ministry of Infrastructure Development
• Bank of Tanzania
• Economic and Social Research Foundation
• Tanzania Socioeconomic Database

v t e  Tanzania topics History Timeline · British East Africa · East African Campaign (World War I) · German East Africa · Maji Maji Rebellion · Tanganyika · Ujamaa · Zanzibar Revolution Politics Elections · Flag · Foreign relations · Political parties · President · Prime Minister Geography Cities · Districts · Lakes · Regions · Rivers · Volcanoes · Wildlife Economy and infrastructure Airports · Bank of Tanzania · Communications · Tanzanian shilling · Tourism · Transport · Water supply and sanitation Demographics and society Ethnic groups · Notable Tanzanians · Education · Public holidays Culture Cuisine · Music · Religion Zanzibar History · Pemba · Unguja · Zanzibar Archipelago Portal

United Republic of Tanzania Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Uhuru na Umoja"  (Swahili) "Freedom and Unity"
Anthem: Mungu ibariki Afrika "God Bless Africa"
Capital		Dodoma
Largest city		Dar es Salaam
Official language(s)		Swahili (de facto) English (Higher courts, higher education)[1]
Demonym		Tanzanian
Government		Federal presidential constitutional republic
-	President	Jakaya Kikwete
-	Prime Minister	Mizengo Pinda
Legislature		National Assembly
Independence		from the United Kingdom
-	Tanganyika	9 December 1961
-	Zanzibar	10 December 1963
-	Merger	26 April 1964
Area
-	Total	945,203 km2 (31st) 364,898 sq mi
-	Water (%)	6.2
Population
-	2010 estimate	43,188,000[2] (30th)
-	2003 census	34,443,603
-	Density	46.3/km2 (124th) 119.9/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2011 estimate
-	Total	$63.892 billion[3]
-	Per capita	$1,515[3]
GDP (nominal)		2011 estimate
-	Total	$23.333 billion[3]
-	Per capita	$553[3]
Gini (2007)		37.6[4] (medium)
HDI (2012)		0.466 (low) (152nd)
Currency		Tanzanian shilling (TZS)
Time zone		EAT (UTC+3)
-	Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+3)
Drives on the		left
ISO 3166 code		TZ
Internet TLD		.tz
Calling code		+2552
1 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. ² 007 from Kenya and Uganda.

Coordinates: 6°18′25″S 34°51′14″E / 6.307°S 34.854°E / -6.307; 34.854 Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( /ˌtænzəˈniːə/ Swahili: Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania)^[5], is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern border lies on the Indian Ocean.

Tanzania is a state composed of 26 regions (mikoa), including those of the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar.^[6] The head of state is President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, elected in 2005. Since 1996, the official capital of Tanzania has been Dodoma, where Parliament and some government offices are located.^[7] Between independence and 1996, the main coastal city of Dar es Salaam served as the country's political capital. Today, Dar es Salaam remains the principal commercial city of Tanzania and the de facto seat of most government institutions.^[6][8] It is the major seaport for the country and its landlocked neighbours.

The name Tanzania derives from the names of the two states Tanganyika and Zanzibar that united in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which later the same year was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania.^[9]

History[link]

Tanzania is one of the oldest known inhabited areas on Earth; fossil remains of humans and pre-human hominids have been found dating back over two million years. More recently, Tanzania is believed to have been populated by hunter-gatherer communities, probably Cushitic and Khoisan speaking people. About 2,000 years ago, Bantu-speaking people began to arrive from western Africa in a series of migrations. Later, Nilotic pastoralists arrived, and continued to immigrate into the area through to the 18th century.^[10]

The people of Tanzania are associated with the production of steel. The Haya people of East Africa invented a type of high-heat blast furnace which allowed them to forge carbon steel at 1,802 °C (3,276 °F) nearly 2,000 years ago. The Shana clan in the Pare tribe also produced iron.^{[citation needed]}

One of Tanzania's most important archeological sites is Engaruka in the Great Rift Valley which includes an irrigation and cultivation system.

Travellers and merchants from the Persian Gulf and western India have visited the East African coast since early in the first millennium AD. Islam was practised on the Swahili Coast as early as the eighth or ninth century AD.^[11]

Claiming the coastal strip, Omani Sultan Seyyid Said moved his capital to Zanzibar City in 1840. During this time, Zanzibar became the centre for the Arab slave trade.^[12] Between 65% to 90% of the population of Arab-Swahili Zanzibar was enslaved.^[13] One of the most famous slave traders on the East African coast was Tippu Tip, who was himself the grandson of an enslaved African. The Nyamwezi slave traders operated under the leadership of Msiri and Mirambo.^[14] According to Timothy Insoll, "Figures record the exporting of 718,000 slaves from the Swahili coast during the 19th century, and the retention of 769,000 on the coast."^[15]

General von Lettow-Vorbeck in Dar es Salaam with a British Officer (left) and German Officer (right), March 1919

Tanzania's founding leader Julius Nyerere with U.S. President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter in 1977.

In the late 19th century, Imperial Germany conquered the regions that are now Tanzania (minus Zanzibar), Rwanda, and Burundi, and incorporated them into German East Africa. During World War I, an invasion attempt by the British was thwarted by German General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, who then mounted a drawn out guerrilla campaign against the British. The post–World War I accords and the League of Nations charter designated the area a British Mandate, except for a small area in the northwest, which was ceded to Belgium and later became Rwanda and Burundi, as well as a small area in the southeast (Kionga Triangle), incorporated to Portuguese East Africa (later Mozambique).

British rule came to an end in 1961 after a relatively peaceful (compared with neighbouring Kenya, for instance) transition to independence. In 1954, Julius Nyerere transformed an organization into the politically oriented Tanganyika African National Union (TANU). TANU's main objective was to achieve national sovereignty for Tanganyika. A campaign to register new members was launched, and within a year TANU had become the leading political organization in the country.

Nyerere became Minister of British-administered Tanganyika in 1960 and continued as Prime Minister when Tanganyika became officially independent in 1961. Soon after independence, Nyerere's first presidency took a turn to the Left after the Arusha Declaration, which codified a commitment to socialism in Pan-African fashion. After the Declaration, banks were nationalized as were many large industries.

After the Zanzibar Revolution overthrew the Arab dynasty in neighbouring Zanzibar, which had become independent in 1963, the island merged with mainland Tanganyika to form the nation of Tanzania on 26 April 1964. The union of the two, hitherto separate, regions was controversial among many Zanzibaris (even those sympathetic to the revolution) but was accepted by both the Nyerere government and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar owing to shared political values and goals.

From the late 1970s, Tanzania's economy took a turn for the worse. Tanzania was also aligned with China, which from 1970 to 1975 financed and helped to build the 1,860 kilometers (1,160 mi)-long TAZARA Railway from Dar es Salaam to Zambia.^[16] From the mid 1980s, the regime financed itself by borrowing from the International Monetary Fund and underwent some reforms. From the mid 1980s Tanzania's GDP per capita has grown and poverty has been reduced.^[17]

Politics[link]

The President of Tanzania, and the members of the National Assembly, are elected concurrently by direct popular vote for five-year terms. The president appoints a prime minister who serves as the government's leader in the National Assembly. The president selects his Cabinet from among the National Assembly members. The Constitution also empowers him to nominate ten non-elected members of Parliament, who are also eligible to become cabinet members. Elections for president and all National Assembly seats were held in October 2010. Tanzania is a one party dominant state with the Chama Cha Mapinduzi in power. Opposition parties are widely considered to have no real chance of gaining power, though the country remains peaceful.^{[citation needed]}

The unicameral National Assembly elected in 2010 has 343 members. These include the Attorney General, five members elected from the Zanzibar House of Representatives to participate in the Parliament, the special women's seats which are made up of 30% of the seats that a given party has in the House, 181 constituent seats of members of Parliament from the mainland, and 50 seats from Zanzibar. Also in the list are forty-eight appointed for women and the seats for the 10 nominated members of Parliament. At present, the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi holds about 75% of the seats in the Assembly. Laws passed by the National Assembly are valid for Zanzibar only in specifically designated union matters.

Zanzibar's House of Representatives has jurisdiction over all non-union matters. There are seventy-six members in the House of Representatives in Zanzibar, including fifty elected by the people, ten appointed by the president of Zanzibar, five ex officio members, and an attorney general appointed by the president. In May 2002, the government increased the number of special seats allocated to women from ten to fifteen, which will increase the number of House of Representatives members to eighty-one. Ostensibly, Zanzibar's House of Representatives can make laws for Zanzibar without the approval of the union government as long as it does not involve union-designated matters. The terms of office for Zanzibar's president and House of Representatives also are five years. The semi-autonomous relationship between Zanzibar and the union is a unique system of government.

Tanzania has a five-level judiciary combining the jurisdictions of tribal, Islamic, and English common law. Appeal is from the Primary Courts through the District Courts, Resident Magistrate Courts, to the High Courts, and the Court of Appeal.^[18] Judges are appointed by the Chief Justice of Tanzania, except for those of the Court of Appeal and the High Court, who are appointed by the President. The Zanzibari court system parallels the legal system of the union, and all cases tried in Zanzibari courts, except for those involving constitutional issues and Islamic law, can be appealed to the Court of Appeal of the Union.^[18] A commercial court was established in September 1999 as a division of the High Court.

Economy[link]

A market near Arusha

The economy is mostly based on agriculture, which accounts for more than half of the GDP, provides 75% (approximately) of exports, and employs approximately 75% of the workforce. Topography and climate, though, limit cultivated crops to only 4% of the land area. The nation has many natural resources including minerals, natural gas, and tourism.

Extraction of natural gas began in the 2000s. Gas is drawn into the commercial capital, Dar Es Salaam and exported to various markets overseas. Tanzania has vast amounts of minerals including gold, diamonds, coal, iron, uranium, nickel, chrome, tin, platinum, coltan, niobium, and others. It was announced in February 2012 that the collapsed volcano approximately 200km north of Mbeya, Mount Ngualla, contained one of the largest rare earths oxide deposits in the world.^[19]

It is the third-largest producer of gold in Africa after South Africa and Ghana. The country is also known for Tanzanite, a type of precious gemstone that is found only in Tanzania. The mineral sector started to pick-up slowly in the late 90s; major discoveries are announced regularly. However, the mineral sector has yet to start contributing significantly to the overall Tanzanian economy, and industry is still mainly limited to processing agricultural products and light consumer goods.

Growth from 1991 to 1999 featured industrial production and a substantial increase in output of minerals, led by gold. Commercial production of natural gas from the Songo Songo island in the Indian Ocean off the Rufiji Delta commenced in 2004,^[20] with natural gas being pumped in a pipeline to Dar es Salaam, the bulk of it converted to electricity by both public utility and private operators. A new gas field is being brought on stream in Mnazi Bay.

Panorama of Dar es Salaam

Recent public sector and banking reforms, as well as revamped and new legislative frameworks, have all helped increase private-sector growth and investment. Short-term economic progress also depends on curbing corruption.^[21]

Prolonged drought during the early years of the 21st century has severely reduced electricity generation capacity (some 60% of Tanzania's electricity supplies are generated by hydro-electric methods).^[22] During 2006, Tanzania suffered a crippling series of "load-shedding" or power-rationing episodes caused by a shortfall of generated power, largely because of insufficient hydro-electric generation. Plans to increase gas- and coal-fueled generation capacity are likely to take some years to implement, and growth is forecast to be increased to 7% or more per year.^[23]

There are two major airlines in Tanzania: the Air Tanzania Corporation and Precision Air; both provide local flights to Arusha, Kigoma, Mtwara, Mwanza, Musoma, Shinyanga, Zanzibar and regional flights to Kigali, Nairobi and Mombasa. There are also several charter firms and smaller airlines, such as Bold Aviation Ltd., Tropical Air and Coastal Aviation Ltd. There are two railway companies: TAZARA provides service between Dar-es-Salaam and Kapiri Mposhi, a district of the Central Province in Zambia. The other one is the Tanzania Railways Corporation, which provides services between Dar-es-Salaam and Kigoma, a town on the shores of Lake Tanganyika and between Dar-es-Salaam and Mwanza, a city on the shores of Lake Victoria. Several modern hydrofoil boats also provide transportation across the Indian Ocean between Dar-es-Salaam and Zanzibar.

Tanzania is part of the East African Community and a potential member of the planned East African Federation.

Tourism[link]

Unlike minerals, the contribution of the tourism sector to the Tanzanian economy is steadily rising year after year.

Tanzania is the home of the world-famous Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain. The country has dozens of beaches such as those found in Zanzibar and world-appreciated national parks like the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which generate tourism income that plays a vital part in the economy.

Administrative subdivisions[link]

Regions of Tanzania

Tanzania is divided into 26 regions (mkoa), 21 on the mainland and five in Zanzibar (three on Unguja, two on Pemba). Ninety-nine districts (wilaya), each with at least one council, have been created to further increase local authority; the councils are also known as local government authorities. There are 114 councils operating in 99 districts; 22 are urban and 92 are rural. The 22 urban units are further classified as city councils (Dar es Salaam and Mwanza), municipal councils (Arusha, Dodoma, Iringa, Kilimanjaro, Mbeya, Morogoro, Shinyanga, Tabora, and Tanga) or town councils (the remaining eleven communities).

Tanzania's regions are: 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

Geography[link]

Landscape in Northern Tanzania, inside the East African Rift

At 947,300 km²,^[24] Tanzania is the world's 31st-largest country. Compared to other African countries, it is slightly smaller than Egypt and comparable in size to Nigeria. It lies mostly between latitudes 1° and 12°S, and longitudes 29° and 41°E.

Tanzania is mountainous in the northeast, where Mount Kilimanjaro,^[25] Africa's highest peak, is situated. To the north and west are the Great Lakes of respectively Lake Victoria (Africa's largest lake) and Lake Tanganyika (the continent's deepest lake, known for its unique species of fish) - and to the southwest lies Lake Malawi whose elongated depression forms most of the country's border with Malawi. Central Tanzania comprises a large plateau, with plains and arable land. The eastern shore is hot and humid, with the island of Zanzibar lying just offshore.

Tanzania contains many large and ecologically significant wildlife parks,^[26] including the famous Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park^[27] in the north, and Selous Game Reserve and Mikumi National Park in the south. Gombe National Park in the west is known as the site of Dr. Jane Goodall's studies of chimpanzee behaviour.

The government of Tanzania through its department of tourism has embarked on a campaign to promote the Kalambo water falls in the southwestern region of Rukwa as one of Tanzania's main tourist destinations. The Kalambo Falls are the second highest in Africa and are located near the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika. The Menai Bay Conservation Area is Zanzibar's largest marine protected area.

Climate[link]

Landscape of the ridge at the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater.

Tanzania has a tropical climate. In the highlands, temperatures range between (10 and 20 °C (50 and 68 °F)) during cold and hot seasons respectively. The rest of the country has temperatures rarely falling lower than 20 °C (68 °F). The hottest period extends between November and February (25–31 °C / 77–87.8 °F while the coldest period occurs between May and August (15–20 °C / 59–68 °F). Annual temperature is 32 °C (89.6 °F). The climate is cool in high mountainous regions.

Tanzania has two major rainfall regions. One is uni-modal (December–April) and the other is bi-modal (October–December and March–May). The former is experienced in southern, south-west, central and western parts of the country, and the latter is found to the north and northern coast.

In the bi-modal regime the March–May rains are referred to as the long rains or Masika, whereas the October–December rains are generally known as short rains or Vuli. As this country lies near the equator, the climate is hot and humid. The easterlies winds cause rainfall in the eastern coastal region.

Biodiversity[link]

Lion on rock in Serengeti National Park.

Tanzania has considerable wildlife habitat, including much of the Serengeti plain, where the white-bearded wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus mearnsi) and other bovids participate in a large-scale annual migration. Up to 250,000 wildebeest perish each year in the long and arduous movement to find forage in the dry season. Tanzania is also home to 130 amphibian and over 275 reptile species, many of them strictly endemic and included in the IUCN Red Lists of different countries.^[28]

Savanna at Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Tanzania has developed a Biodiversity Action Plan to address species conservation. A recently discovered species of elephant shrew called Grey-faced Sengi was filmed for the first time in 2005, and it was known to live in just two forests in the Udzungwa Mountains. In 2008, it was listed as "vulnerable" on the 2008 Red List of Threatened Species. Lake Natron in northern Tanzania is the largest breeding site for the threatened Lesser Flamingo, a huge community of which nest in the salt marshes of the lake. Areas of East African mangroves on the coast are also important habitats.

Demographics[link]

Almost half of the population is under 15.

As of 2010, the estimated population is 43,188,000. Population distribution is extremely uneven, with density varying from 1 person per square kilometre (3/mi²) in arid regions to 51 per square kilometre (133/mi²) in the well-watered mainland highlands, to 134 per square kilometre (347/mi²) on Zanzibar.^[29] More than 80% of the population is rural. Dar es Salaam is the largest city and is the commercial capital; Dodoma, located in the centre of Tanzania is the new capital and houses the Union's Parliament. The African population consists of more than 120 ethnic groups, of which the Sukuma, Nyamwezi, Chagga, Nyakyusa, Haya, Hehe, Bena, Gogo, and the Makonde have more than 1 million members. Other Bantu peoples include the Pare, Zigua, Shambaa, and Ngoni. The majority of Tanzanians, including the Sukuma and the Nyamwezi, are Bantu. Cushitic peoples include the half million Iraqw. Nilotic peoples include the nomadic Maasai and Luo, both of which are found in greater numbers in neighbouring Kenya. The Sandawe speak a language that may be related to the Khoe languages of Botswana and Namibia, while the language of the Hadza, although it has similar click consonants, is a language isolate.

The population also includes people of Arab, Indian, and Pakistani origin, and small European and Chinese communities.^[30] Many also identify as Shirazis. As of 1994, the Asian community numbered 50,000 on the mainland and 4,000 on Zanzibar. An estimated 70,000 Arabs and 10,000 Europeans resided in Tanzania.^[31] The Zanzibar Revolution of 12 January 1964 ended the local Arab dynasty. Thousands of Arabs and Indians in Zanzibar were massacred in riots, and thousands more were detained or fled the island.^[32]

Largest cities[link]

v t e Largest cities or towns of Tanzania http://www.geonames.org/TZ/largest-cities-in-tanzania.html
	Rank	City name	Region	Pop.
Dar es Salaam Mwanza	1	Dar es Salaam	Dar es Salaam	2 698 652	Zanzibar Arusha
	2	Mwanza	Mwanza	436 801
	3	Zanzibar	Zanzibar Urban/West	403 658
	4	Arusha	Arusha	341 136
	5	Mbeya	Mbeya	291 649
	6	Morogoro	Morogoro	250 902
	7	Tanga	Tanga	224 876
	8	Dodoma	Dodoma	180 541
	9	Kigoma	Kigoma	164 268
	10	Moshi	Kilimanjaro	156 959

Religion[link]

Tanzania's population has been estimated to consist of roughly – Christian 62%, Muslim 35%, followers of indigenous religious groups 3%.^[33] The CIA World Factbook however states that 30% of the population is Christian with Muslim being 35% and indigenous beliefs 35%.^[34]

The national census, however, has not asked for religious affiliation since 1967 as the religious balance is seen as a sensitive topic. As Tanzanians pride themselves on living together with their diversity, the use of a statistic that is conveniently equal is seen as avoiding rivalries between the various religious groups by not identifying the majority. All figures on religious statistics for Tanzania are at best educated guesswork and differ widely on the question whether there are more Christians or Muslims. Most assume that the share of traditionalists has dwindled.^[35]

The Christian population is mostly composed of Roman Catholics. Among Protestants the strong numbers of Lutherans and Moravians point to the German past of the country, the numbers of Anglicans to the British history of Tanganyika. All of them have had some influence in varying degrees from the Walokole movement (East African Revival) which has also been fertile ground for the spread of charismatic and Pentecostal groups. Zanzibar is about 97% Muslim. On the mainland, Muslim communities are concentrated in coastal areas, with some large Muslim majorities also in inland urban areas especially and along the former caravan routes. A large majority of the Muslim population is Sunni. The Islamic population of Dar es Salaam, the largest and richest city in Tanzania, is composed of mainly Sunni Muslims.

There are also active communities of other religious groups, primarily on the mainland, such as Buddhists, Hindus, and Bahá'ís.^[36]

Language[link]

Swahili in Arabic script on the clothes of an African woman from East Africa, Tanzania Early 1900s

Swahili language and English are the Official languages, however the former is the national language.^[37] English is still the language of higher courts,^[1] it can however be considered a de facto official language. Tanzanians see themselves as having two "official" languages, English and Swahili. Swahili is seen as the unifying language of the country between different tribes, who each have their own tribal language; English serves the purpose of providing Tanzanians with the ability to participate in the global economy and culture. The first language typically learned by a Tanzanian is that of his or her tribe, with Swahili and English learned thereafter.

According to the official linguistic policy of Tanzania, as announced in 1984, Swahili is the language of the social and political sphere as well as primary and adult education, whereas English is the language of secondary education, universities, technology, and higher courts.^[1] Though the British government financially supports the use of English in Tanzania,^[1] its usage in the Tanzanian society has diminished over the past decades: In the seventies Tanzanian university students used to speak English with each other, whereas now they almost exclusively use Swahili outside the classroom. Even in secondary school and university classes, where officially only English should be used, it is now quite common to use a mix of Swahili and English.

Other spoken languages are Indian languages, especially Gujarati, and Portuguese (spoken by Indians and Mozambican blacks, respectively) and to a lesser extent French (from neighbouring Rwanda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of the Congo). Historically German was widely spoken during that colonial period, but this practice is already forgotten.

Education[link]

The literacy rate in Tanzania is estimated as 73%.^[38] Education is compulsory for seven years, until children reach the age of 15 years, but most children do not attend school until this age, and some do not attend at all. In 2000, 57% of children age 5–14 years were attending school. As of 2006, 87.2% of children who started primary school were likely to reach grade 5.^[39]

Health[link]

Malaria Clinic in Tanzania helped by SMS for Life program

The under-five mortality rate in 2010 is estimated to be 76 out of 1,000.^[40] Life expectancy at birth is estimated to be 52.^[41] The 15–60 year old adult mortality (the probability of dying between the ages 15–60) in 2009 was 456/1000 for men and 311/1000 for women.^[42]

The leading cause of death in children who survive the neonatal period is malaria.^[43] Other leading causes of death in under 5’s is pneumococcal disease (pneumonia) and rotavirus (diarrhea). The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a significant problem in Tanzania; in 2009, the prevalence rate was estimated to be 5.6% of the adult population.^[44] Anti-retroviral treatment coverage for people with advanced HIV infection was 30% in 2011 - 7% below the average for the continent.^[45] According to the 2011 UNAIDS Report, HIV prevalence has declined among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics, young people (ages 15–24 years) and men in the general population.^[46]

2006 data show that 55% of the population had sustainable access to improved drinking water sources and 33% had sustainable access to improved sanitation.^[45]

Culture[link]

Makonde carvings

The music of Tanzania stretches from traditional African music to the string-based taarab to a distinctive hip hop known as bongo flava. Famous taarab singers names are Abbasi Mzee, Culture Musical Club, Shakila of Black Star Musical Group.

Internationally known traditional artists are Bi Kidude, Hukwe Zawose and Tatu Nane.

Tanzania has its own distinct African rumba music, termed muziki wa dansi ("dance music") where names of artists/groups like Tabora Jazz, Western Jazz Band, Morogoro Jazz, Volcano Jazz, Simba Wanyika, Remmy Ongala, Marijani Shaabani, Ndala Kasheba,^[47] NUTA JAZZ, ATOMIC JAZZ, DDC Mlimani Park, Afro 70 & Patrick Balisidya,^[48][49][50] Sunburst, Tatu Nane^[51] and Orchestra Makassy must be mentioned in the history of Tanzanian music.

Tanzania has many writers. The list of writers' names includes well-known writers such as Godfrey Mwakikagile, Mohamed Said, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Prof. Julius Nyang'oro, Prof. Clement Ndulute, Prof. Frank Chiteji, Prof. Joseph Mbele,^[52] Juma Volter Mwapachu, Prof. Issa Shivji, Jenerali Twaha Ulimwengu, Prof. Penina Mlama,^[53] Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, Adam Shafi, Dr. Malima M.P Bundala and Shaaban Robert.

Tanzania has remarkable position in art. Two styles became world known: Tingatinga and Makonde. Tingatinga are the popular African paintings painted with enamel paints on canvas. Usually the motifs are animals and flowers in colourful and repetitive design. The style was started by Mr. Edward Saidi Tingatinga born in South Tanzania. Later he moved to Dar Es Salaam. Since his death in 1972 the Tingatinga style expanded both in Tanzania and worldwide. Makonde is both a tribe in Tanzania (and Mozambique) and a modern sculpture style. It is known for the high Ujamaas (Trees of Life) made of the hard and dark ebony tree. Tanzania is also a birthplace of one of the most famous African artists – George Lilanga.

Sports[link]

Filbert Bayi and Suleiman Nyambui both won track and field medals in the 1980 Summer Olympics. Tanzania competes in the Commonwealth Games as well as in the African Championships in Athletics.

Football is widely played all over the country with fans divided between two major clubs, Young African Sports Club (Yanga) and Simba Sports Club (Simba). Football is the most popular sport in Tanzania, despite the little success that has been achieved by the national team. To date, they have never qualified for the FIFA World Cup and have made just one appearance in the African Cup of Nations, back in 1980, where they finished last in their group with just 1 draw and 2 losses.

Basketball is also played but mainly in the army and schools. Hasheem Thabeet is a Tanzanian-born NBA player with the Portland Trailblazers. He is the first Tanzanian to play in the NBA. Cricket is a rapidly growing sport in Tanzania after hosting the ICC Cricket League division 4 in 2008, Tanzania finished with one win for the tournament, and Tanzania also has its own national team. Rugby is a minor sport in Tanzania. Tanzania now has a national team, which used to be part of the East Africa team, but was separated. The city of Arusha is home to Tanzanian rugby, and the city was host to 2007 Castel Beer Trophy.

See also[link]

	Geography portal
	Africa portal
	Tanzania portal

	Book: Tanzania
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Outline of Tanzania
• Index of Tanzania-related articles
• German East Africa
• Commonwealth of Nations
• Education in Tanzania
• Foreign relations of Tanzania
• List of hospitals in Tanzania
• List of Tanzanian companies
• Military of Tanzania
• Stamps and postal history of Tanzania
• Tanzania Scouts Association
• Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute
• Tanzanian general election, 2005
• Tingatinga (painting)

References[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Tanzania on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks

Government

• Chief of State and Cabinet Members
• National government website

General

• Tanzania entry at The World Factbook
• Tanzania at the Open Directory Project
• Wikimedia Atlas of Tanzania
• Tanzania Maps
• Tanzania from UCB Libraries GovPubs
• The Citizen from The Citizen – Tanzania most preferred independent English Newspaper
• Mwananchi from Mwananchi – Tanzania's most circulated daily Newspaper (Swahili)
• Mwanaspoti from Mwanaspoti – Tanzania most circulated biweekly sports and entertainment Newspaper
• Key Development Forecasts for Tanzania from International Futures

Culture

• www.afrum.com – art from Tanzania
• Tinga Tinga paintings
• Tinga Tinga Cooperative
• Tingatinga Book (ThorupArt , 2011) ISBN 978-87-992635-2-3

Tourism

• Tanzania National Parks
• Tanzania travel guide from Wikitravel
• Tanzania.eu

v t e Regions of Tanzania Arusha · Dar es Salaam · Dodoma · Geita · Iringa · Kagera · Katavi · Kigoma · Kilimanjaro · Lindi · Manyara · Mara · Mbeya · Morogoro · Mtwara · Mwanza · Njombe · North Pemba · Pwani · Rukwa · Ruvuma · Shinyanga · Simiyu · Singida · South Pemba · Tabora · Tanga · Zanzibar Central/South · Zanzibar North · Zanzibar Urban/West

v t e Countries and territories of Africa Sovereign states Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia France Mayotte Réunion Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Italy Pantelleria Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Portugal Madeira Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Spain Canary Islands Ceuta Melilla Plazas de soberanía Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Yemen Socotra Zambia Zimbabwe States with limited recognition Azawad Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland Dependencies Îles Éparses (France) Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) Unclear sovereignty Western Sahara

v t e Countries and territories bordering the Indian Ocean Africa Comoros · Djibouti · Egypt · Eritrea · France (Mayotte and Réunion) · Kenya · Madagascar · Mauritius · Mozambique · Rodrigues, Mauritius · Seychelles · Somalia · Somaliland (Unrecognized) · South Africa · Sudan · Tanzania · Zanzibar, Tanzania Asia Bahrain · Bangladesh · British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago), United Kingdom · Burma · Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Jordan · Kuwait · Malaysia · Maldives · Oman · Pakistan · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Sri Lanka · Thailand · Timor-Leste · United Arab Emirates · Yemen Other Antarctica · Australia

v t e Niger–Congo-speaking nations   Mande      Gambia  Guinea  Guinea-Bissau  Mali  Mauritania  Senegal  Sierra Leone  Liberia  Côte d'Ivoire  Nigeria  Burkina Faso  Benin  Togo   Atlantic      Benin  Burkina Faso  Cameroon  CAR  Chad  Côte d'Ivoire  Gambia  Guinea  Guinea-Bissau  Liberia  Mali  Mauritania  Niger  Senegal  Sierra Leone  Sudan  Togo   Savanna     Gur  Benin  Burkina Faso  Côte d'Ivoire  Ghana  Mali  Nigeria  Togo Adamawa  Cameroon  CAR  Chad  Nigeria   (other branches)     Dogon  Mali Senufo  Benin  Côte d'Ivoire  Mali Kru  Burkina Faso  Côte d'Ivoire  Liberia Kwa  Côte d'Ivoire  Ghana  Togo Volta–Niger  Ghana  Togo  Benin  Nigeria Ijoid  Nigeria Kordofanian  Sudan   Benue–Congo     Bantu  Angola  Botswana  Burundi  Cameroon  DRC (other)  Cameroon  Rep. of the Congo  Equatorial Guinea  Gabon  Kenya  Lesotho  Nigeria  Nigeria  Malawi  Mozambique  Namibia  Rwanda  South Africa  Swaziland  Tanzania  Uganda  Zambia  Zimbabwe CAR = Central African Republic DRC = Democratic Republic of the Congo