Shortly after achieving independence from Britain in the early 1960s, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule ended 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. The formation of a government of national unity between Zanzibar's two leading parties succeeded in minimizing electoral tension in 2010.

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

6 00 S, 35 00 E

Africa

slightly larger than twice the size of California

1,424 km

varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands

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

hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel

1,840 sq km (2003)

91 cu km (2001)

flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought

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

Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa and one of only two mountains on the continent that has glaciers (the other is Mount Kenya); 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 (Lake Malawi) in the southwest

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

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

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

46,912,768 (July 2012 est.)

1.96% (2012 est.)

31.81 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

11.92 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

-0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

DAR ES SALAAM (capital) 3.207 million (2009)

460 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

5.08 children born/woman (2012 est.)

5.1% of GDP (2009)

0.008 physicians/1,000 population (2006)

1.1 beds/1,000 population (2006)

5.6% (2009 est.)

1.4 million (2009 est.)

86,000 (2009 est.)

16.7% (2005)

6.8% of GDP (2008)

republic

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

26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent on 9 December 1961 (from UK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became independent on 19 December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar on 26 April 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed United Republic of Tanzania on 29 October 1964

Union Day (Tanganyika and Zanzibar), 26 April (1964)

25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984

English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (357 seats; 239 members elected by popular vote, 102 allocated to women nominated by the president, 5 to members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives; members serve five-year terms, up to 10 additional members appointed by the president, 1 seat reserved for the Attorney General); 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 with jurisdiction exclusive to Zanzibar (the Zanzibar House of Representatives has 50 seats; members elected by universal suffrage to serve five-year terms)

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)

Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Party of Democracy and Development) or CHADEMA [Willibrod SLAA]; Chama Cha Mapinduzi or CCM (Revolutionary Party) [Jakaya Mrisho KIKWETE]; Civic United Front or CUF [Ibrahim LIPUMBA]; Democratic Party [Christopher MTIKLA] (unregistered); National Convention for Construction and Reform - Mageuzi [Hashim RUNGWE]; Tanzania Labor Party or TLP [Mutamwega MUGAHWYA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Fahma DOVUTWA]

Economic and Social Research Foundation or ESRF; Free Zanzibar; Tanzania Media Women's Association or TAMWA

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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; the banner combines colors found on the flags of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; green represents the natural vegetation of the country, gold its rich mineral deposits, black the native Swahili people, and blue the country's many lakes and rivers, as well as the Indian Ocean

Uhuru (Freedom) torch

Tanzania is one of the world's poorest economies in terms of per capita income, however, Tanzania averaged 7% GDP growth per year between 2000 and 2008 on strong gold production and tourism. The economy depends heavily on agriculture, which accounts for more than one-quarter of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs about 80% of the work force. The World Bank, the IMF, and bilateral donors have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's aging economic infrastructure, including rail and port infrastructure that are important trade links for inland countries. Recent banking reforms have helped increase private-sector growth and investment, and the government has increased spending on agriculture to 7% of its budget. Continued donor assistance and solid macroeconomic policies supported a positive growth rate, despite the world recession. In 2008, Tanzania received the world's largest Millennium Challenge Compact grant, worth $698 million. Dar es Salaam used fiscal stimulus and loosened monetary policy to ease the impact of the global recession. GDP growth in 2009-11 was a respectable 6% per year due to high gold prices and increased production.

$64.71 billion (2011 est.)

$60.66 billion (2010 est.)

$56.94 billion (2009 est.)

$23.33 billion (2011 est.)

6.7% (2011 est.)

6.5% (2010 est.)

6.7% (2009 est.)

$1,500 (2011 est.)

$1,500 (2010 est.)

$1,400 (2009 est.)

24.06 million (2011 est.)

NA%

36% (2002 est.)

37.6 (2007)

34.6 (2000)

26.1% of GDP (2011 est.)

19.7% of GDP (2011 est.)

-6.5% of GDP (2011 est.)

36.1% of GDP (2011 est.)

35% of GDP (2010 est.)

12.7% (2011 est.)

7.2% (2010 est.)

8.25% (31 December 2010 est.)

3.7% (31 December 2009 est.)

14.96% (31 December 2011 est.)

14.55% (31 December 2010 est.)

$4.964 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$3.223 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$8.285 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$7.528 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$5.077 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$4.647 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.539 billion (31 December 2011)

$1.264 billion (31 December 2010)

$1.293 billion (31 December 2008)

coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), cashew nuts, tobacco, cloves, corn, wheat, cassava (tapioca), bananas, fruits, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats

agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine); mining (diamonds, gold, and iron), salt, soda ash; cement, oil refining, shoes, apparel, wood products, fertilizer

7% (2010 est.)

-$2.297 billion (2011 est.)

-$1.978 billion (2010 est.)

$5.433 billion (2011 est.)

$4.297 billion (2010 est.)

gold, coffee, cashew nuts, manufactures, cotton

China 14.2%, India 9.9%, Japan 7.7%, Germany 6.7%, UAE 4.5% (2011)

$8.65 billion (2011 est.)

$7.125 billion (2010 est.)

consumer goods, machinery and transportation equipment, industrial raw materials, crude oil

India 19.8%, China 17%, South Africa 6.5%, Kenya 5.8%, UAE 4.6% (2011)

$3.726 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$3.905 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$9.49 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$8.664 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$NA

$NA

Tanzanian shillings (TZS) per US dollar -

1,572.1 (2011 est.)

1,409.3 (2010 est.)

1,320.3 (2009)

1,178.1 (2008)

1,255 (2007)

1 July - 30 June

4.489 billion kWh (2009 est.)

3.589 billion kWh (2009 est.)

0 kWh (2010 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

957,000 kW (2009 est.)

39.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

60.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

43,310 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

32,680 bbl/day (2008 est.)

780 million cu m (2010 est.)

780 million cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

6.513 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

7.566 million Mt (2010 est.)

161,100 (2011)

25.666 million (2011)

a state-owned TV station and multiple privately-owned TV stations; state-owned national radio station supplemented by more than 40 privately-owned radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2007)

.tz

25,832 (2010)

678,000 (2009)

106 (2012)

gas 254 km; oil 888 km; refined products 8 km (2010)

(Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) are the principal avenues of commerce with neighboring countries; the rivers are not navigable) (2011)

Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar

the International Maritime Bureau reports that shipping in territorial and offshore waters in the Indian Ocean remain at risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships, especially as Somali-based pirates extend their activities south; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

Tanzania People's Defense Force (Jeshi la Wananchi la Tanzania, JWTZ): Army, Naval Wing (includes Coast Guard), Air Defense Command (includes Air Wing), National Service (2007)

18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)

0.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Tanzania still hosts more than a half million refugees, more than any other African country, mainly from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, despite the international community's efforts at repatriation; disputes with Malawi over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant

targeted by traffickers moving hashish, Afghan heroin, and South American cocaine transported down the East African coastline, through airports, or overland through Central Africa; Zanzibar likely used by traffickers for drug smuggling; traffickers in the past have recruited Tanzanian couriers to move drugs through Iran into East Asia