Tanzania

Tanzania Profile

Overview

Tanzania (/ˌtænzəˈniːə/), officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Swahili: Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania) is a nation in East Africa bordered by the Republic of Kenya and the Republic of Uganda to the north; the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; the Republic of Malawi and the Republic of Mozambique to the south. And also, Tanzania is bordered by three lakes: Lake Victoria to the north, Lake Tanganyika to the west, and Lake Malawi to the south. The country’s eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean. Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, is in northeastern Tanzania.


 The United Republic of Tanzania was formed by two sovereign states, Tanganyika and Zanzibar, on April the 26^th in 1964. Tanganyika became a sovereign state on December the 9^th in 1961 and a Republic in 1962. Zanzibar became independent on December the 19^th in 1963 as a constitutional monarchy under sultan and the People’s Republic of Zanzibar was established after the Revolution of 12^th January 1964.

 The country is divided into thirty administrative regions: five on semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar and twenty-five on the mainland in Tanganyika. Between independence and 1996, the main coastal city of Dar es Salaam served as Tanzania’s political capital. Since 1996, the official capital has been Dodoma, where the National Assembly and some government offices are located. Dar es Salaam has been the major commercial city of Tanzania and also the principal port of the country. Official currency is Tanzanian Shilling and the National language is Kiswahili whilst English is widely used in official communication. The head of state is President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete. He has been president since 2005 and now is serving his second term, having won re-election in October 2010. Mr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete has won much international praise for his management of the Tanzanian economy, but his political power base was undercut at 2010 election when he won 61% of the vote on a low turnout of 42%, down from the 80% he won in 2005 on a turnout of 72%, according to BBC news. 


The name Tanzania is a portmanteau of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The two states united in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which later in the same year was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania.

Facts

• Full name: United Republic of Tanzania
• Population: 47.6 million (UN, 2012)
• Capital: Dodoma (official), Dar es Salaam (commercial)
• Largest city: Dar es Salaam
• Area: 945,087 sq km (364,900 sq miles)
• Major languages: English, Swahili
• Major religions: Christianity, Islam
• Life expectancy: 58 years (men), 60 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 Tanzanian shilling = 100 cents
• Main exports: Gold, sisal, cloves, coffee, cotton, cashew nuts, minerals, tobacco
• GNI per capita: US $540 (World Bank, 2011)
• Internet domain: .tz
• International dialling code: +255