Language: Swahili, English
Currency: Tanzanian Shilling (TZS)
Calling Code: +255
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of
Tanzania (in Swahili Jamhuri and Muungano wa Tanzania, in English:
United Republic of Tanzania), is a country located on the east coast
of Central Africa. It borders on the north with Kenya and Uganda, on
the west with Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
on the south with Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique and on the east with
the Indian Ocean. Its capital is Dodoma. The name of the country
comes from the union of the words "Tanganyika" and "Zanzibar".
In Tanzania, some of the oldest human settlements have been
found, including those in the Olduvai gorge where the oldest human
footprints (3.6 million years) have been found in Laetoli. Remains
of Australopithecus and Paranthropus were found in this gorge
Arusha National Park is situated near Arusha region in North eastern Tanzania. It protects large expanse of land around Maru volcano, Momella lakes and Ngurdoto Crater.
Gombe Stream National Park was found in 1960 as a chimpanzee habitat intended for behavioral research program of these beautiful apes.
Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park is a nature reserve located on the Zanzibar island that belongs to Tanzania. It covers an area of 50 km2.
Katavi National Park covers an area of 4,471 sq km that protect floodplain of Lake Katavi, Lake Chada and Katuma River.
Lake Manyara National Park is located in the Arusha Region of Tanzania. It covers a total area of 325 km².
Mahale Mountains National Park is a nature reserve in the Western part of Tanzania. It covers an area of 1650 km².
Mikumi National Park is a nature reserve near Mikumi in central Tanzania. It was found in 1964 and today covers an area of 3230 km².
Mount Kilimanjaro that stands in the North- eastern Tanzania is the tallest mountain in Africa that reaches an elevation of 19,334 ft.
Ngorongoro Crater was formed 2.5 million years ago as a large volcanic caldera after collapse of a large volcano. It covers an are of over 100 square miles.
Ruaha National Park is a protected area situated 130 km from a city of Iringa in Tanzania. It covers a total area of 20,200 km².
Saadani National Park is a protected area on the shores of the Indian Ocean. This nature reserve covers an area of 1100 km2.
Serengeti National Park is a nature reserve in the Northern Tanzania. It covers an area of 14,763 km2.
Tarangire National Park is situated near town of Arusha in the Northern Tanzania. It covers an area of 2,850 km².
The toponym "Tanzania" is formed as a combination of the names of two former colonies that became part of this country: -tan from Tanganyika and -zan from Zanzibar, and the ending -iya is usually for country names.
Most of the country is occupied by vast plateaus. The coastal lowland
stretches along the coast of the Indian Ocean.
The territory of
the country includes part of the largest lakes in Africa: Lake Victoria
in the north, Lake Tanganyika (which is often called the twin of Baikal)
in the west and Nyasa in the south.
On the territory of Tanzania
is the highest mountain in Africa - the stratovolcano Kilimanjaro (5895
m).
The total length of land borders is 3402 km, of which with
Burundi - 451 km, with Kenya - 769 km, Malawi - 475 km, with Mozambique
- 756 km, Rwanda - 217 km, Uganda - 396 km and with Zambia - 338 km.
Climate
The climate in Tanzania is subequatorial. There are two
rainy seasons in the north (March-May and September-November), in the
south - one (November-April).
On the islands of the Zanzibar
archipelago, the climate is humid, the average daily temperature is from
+28 to 30 ℃, sea breezes make the weather very pleasant. The water
temperature in the Indian Ocean is 24-26 ℃. In the central part of the
country (1200-1700 m above sea level), the average temperature is 22-25
℃, the nights can be cool.
Pre-colonial period
From ancient times, the
territory of present-day Tanzania was inhabited by peoples related
to the Bushmen and Hottentots, who were engaged in hunting and
gathering. Then in the 1st millennium BC. Cushite tribes came from
the Ethiopian highlands. By the beginning of N. e. came the Bantu
tribes.
Around the middle of the 1st millennium A.D. Persian
and then Arab slave traders appeared on the coast of present-day
Tanzania. It was then that the formation of a new ethnic community
of Swahili began. It was made up of local coastal tribes and
newcomers from Iran, Arabia, and also from India.
The Swahili
were engaged in international trade, slaves, ivory, gold were
exported from Africa, handicrafts, fabrics, food products were
imported.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the
Portuguese appeared on the coast of present-day Tanzania. Since
1505, they captured almost all port cities, but in the second half
of the 17th century, the Arabs and Negroes managed to drive out the
Portuguese.
After the expulsion of the Portuguese, the Arabs
and locals actively engaged in the slave trade. Negro slaves were
supplied to the countries of the Middle East, as well as to India
and for European planters on the islands in the Indian Ocean. As a
result, some areas in the depths of present-day Tanzania were
significantly depopulated in the 18th century.
The peoples of
Shambhala, Jagga, Khehe, Khaya, Nyamwezi began to form the
beginnings of statehood. For example, the state of the supreme
leader of the Shambhala tribe Kimveri extended from the slopes of
Kilimanjaro to the coast of the Indian Ocean. The country of the
Hehe tribe also arose under the leadership of the supreme leader
Muyugumba.
In the middle of the 19th century, many Europeans
appeared on the coast of modern Tanzania: traders and missionaries
from Great Britain, France, Germany and the USA. The British were
especially active, who forbade the Sultan of Zanzibar to engage in
the slave trade.
colonial period
In 1885, the 29-year-old
German Carl Peters landed on the coast of Tanzania. He quickly
concluded agreements with the leaders of 12 tribes about the
protectorate, that is, about their transition under the rule of
Germany, and in 1888 he rented the entire coastal part of
present-day Tanzania from the Sultan of Zanzibar for 50 years.
Concerned British in November 1890 concluded with the Sultan of
Zanzibar a protectorate treaty over him, and in 1891 Peters
announced the creation of an imperial colony of German East Africa.
The Germans wanted to turn German East Africa into their settler
colony. They created plantations there and cultivated rubber,
coffee, cotton, sisal. Since 1902, they began to build railways that
connected the coastal ports with the hinterland. By 1914, the number
of German settlers had reached 5,400.
In 1905-1907, the
Maji-Maji uprising took place in Tanzania, which was suppressed.
In August 1914, the First World War began, Tanzania became a
theater of operations. The German troops, which also mobilized local
residents, were led by Colonel von Lettow-Vorbeck, who fought with
his soldiers against the troops of Great Britain, Belgium and
Portugal, making raids in the colonies of these countries, until
November 1918, until he was informed that Germany had concluded
truce with the Entente.
After the First World War, Tanzania
came under the tutelage of Great Britain. The British continued to
develop the plantation economy, primarily sisal, as well as cotton
and coffee.
period of independence
On December 9, 1961,
Britain granted independence to Tanganyika, the mainland of
present-day Tanzania, and on December 10, 1963, to Zanzibar, which
remained a sultanate. However, already on January 12, 1964, an
uprising broke out in Zanzibar, the power of the Sultan was
overthrown, on April 26, 1964, the leadership of the Republic of
Tanganyika and the People's Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba announced
the creation of the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. On
October 29, 1964, the name was shortened, the country became known
as Tanzania.
In Tanzania, led by Julius Nyerere, a
nation-building course was proclaimed. A “voluntary campaign” has
begun throughout the country for the participation of young people,
women, and the elderly in the construction of public facilities,
roads, and bridges. This duty was combined with military training.
At the same time, many of the leaders of the ruling party TANU
(Tanganyika African National Union) engaged in personal enrichment.
In 1966, student protests broke out, refusing to perform labor
duties. The Tanzanian authorities suppressed these demonstrations by
military force.
In January 1967, the leadership of TANU
announced a program to build communism in Tanzania. After that,
banks, industrial enterprises, foreign trade organizations, as well
as agricultural plantations, including those owned by foreigners,
were nationalized in the country.
In rural areas, collective
farms began to be created according to the concept of Ujamaa
communism in Tanzania. These innovations met with particular
resistance in Zanzibar, where it came to the point that in 1972 the
main party leader was assassinated. In retaliation, Tanzanian
authorities executed dozens of conspirators.
In the
mid-1970s, Operation Maduka took place to completely nationalize all
retail trade in the country, but it ended in failure.
The
one-party system of government that had existed since the 1970s
ceased to exist in 1995 when elections were held on a multi-party
basis.
Tanzania has 200 cities with over 12,000 inhabitants. Two capitals: the historical capital of Dar es Salaam serves as the administrative center, and Dodoma, where the government moved the main organs in the 1970s, serves as the legislative center.
As of 2019, the population of the country is about 60
million people. The population is distributed rather unevenly. About 80%
of the country's inhabitants live in rural areas. The largest city in
Tanzania is Dar es Salaam, which is home to over 4 million people. About
120 different ethnic groups live in the country, the most numerous of
which are: Sukuma, Nyamwezi, Jagga, Ngonde, Mkhaya, Khehe, Bena, Gogo
and Makonde, Kuria, Chagga, Wakha, Niaturu. Most of the ethnic groups
belong to the Bantu group of peoples, some belong to the Nilotic and
Khoisan peoples. A small proportion of the population of Tanzania is of
Indian, Arabic, European, Chinese and other origin.
The
proportion of persons under the age of 15 years is 44.3%; persons over
the age of 65 - 2.6%.
The average age is 17.8 years.
The
average life expectancy for 2011 is 58 years.
The average
population growth is about 2%. The birth rate is 32.64 per 1,000 people;
mortality - 12.09 per 1000. Fertility - 4.16 births per 1 woman.
Infection with the immunodeficiency virus (HIV) - 6.2% (2007 estimate).
Languages
The official languages of Tanzania are English and
Swahili. Swahili is usually the language of interethnic communication,
which is especially true for a country with such a rich ethnic and
linguistic diversity. However, the mother tongue of most Tanzanians is
the language of their ethnic group. English and Swahili are in the vast
majority of cases the second and third languages.
According to
Tanzania's language policy, Swahili should be used in the social and
political spheres, primary and adult education, English - the language
of secondary and higher education, technology and the country's supreme
court. In recent decades, there has been a trend towards a decrease in
the role of English and, accordingly, an increase in the role of Swahili
in various industries.
Religion
Slightly more than half of the
inhabitants of Tanzania (55-60%) are Christians. The share of Muslims is
estimated at 30-32%. Another 12% of the population adheres to local
autochthonous beliefs. Among ethnic minorities there are Hindus, Bahais,
Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, etc.
The largest Christian denominations
are Catholics (12.4 million), Lutherans (5.8 million), Pentecostals
(2.35 million) and Anglicans (2 million).
Muslims are the
majority in Zanzibar (97%), in many coastal areas, as well as in some
urban areas in the interior of the country. Almost all Muslims are
Sunnis (from 80 to 90%), there is a Shiite minority.
Republic. The head of state and head of government
is the president, elected by the people for a 5-year term, with the
possibility of a second term in a row.
On December 14, 2005,
the candidate from the ruling Revolutionary Party, the head of the
Foreign Ministry of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, won the presidential
election, gaining more than 80% of the vote. His main rival was
Ibrahim Lipumba, the candidate of the opposition Civic United Front.
In 2015, Jakaya Kikwete was replaced as president by John Magufuli,
also a candidate of the ruling party. Although he had to face a
serious challenge from opposition candidate Edward Lovass, in the
elections held on October 25, 2015, Magufuli was declared the winner
of the presidential race: he received 58% of the vote. He was sworn
in on November 5, 2015. Kikwete remained as leader of the
Revolutionary Party.
Parliament is a unicameral State
Assembly (Bunge), 274 deputies, of which 232 are elected by the
population for a 5-year term, 37 women deputies are personally
appointed by the president, and 5 deputies are appointed by the
autonomous parliament of Zanzibar.
Political parties
(according to the results of the elections in December 2005):
Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary Party) - 206 seats in parliament;
Civil United Front - 19 seats;
Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendelelo
(Party of Democracy and Development) - 5 seats.
According to the
Economist Intelligence Unit, the country in 2018 was classified on
the Democracy Index as a hybrid regime.
Tanzania is the only East African country that is part
of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Tanzania was a
non-permanent member of the UN Security Council from 2005 to 2006.
Diplomatic relations between the USSR and Tanzania (then Tanganyika)
were established on December 11, 1961.
Tanzania's GDP in 2014 was $33 billion. GDP at PPP per
capita was $1,813.
Natural resources: hydropower, tin,
phosphates, uranium, iron ore, coal, diamonds, precious stones, gold,
gas, nickel. At the end of February 2012, the Zafarani gas field was
discovered on the Tanzanian shelf.
Despite the richest natural
resources, Tanzania's economy is based on agriculture, which employs
about 80% of workers. GDP per capita in 2012 - 3.4 thousand dollars
(156th place in the world).
Agriculture (27% of GDP) - coffee,
sisal, tea, cotton, cashews, tobacco, cloves, corn, corn, tapioca,
bananas, fruits, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats are bred.
Industry (23% of GDP) - processing of agricultural products (sugar,
beer, cigarettes), mining of diamonds, gold, iron ore, salt, footwear
production.
Service sector - 50% of GDP.
International
trade
Exports in 2017: $5.19 billion - gold, coffee, tea, cashew
nuts, cotton.
Major buyers: India - 21.8%, South Africa - 17.9%,
Kenya - 8.8%, Switzerland - 6.7%.
Imports in 2017: $8.61 billion
- consumer goods, machinery and vehicles, fuel.
Major suppliers:
India - 16.5%, China - 15.8%, UAE - 9.2%, South Africa - 5.1%.
It
is a member of the international organization of ACT countries.
The culture of the peoples of Tanzania has rich
traditions. This is wood carving, they are famous for their masks,
sculpture, household items. In Zanzibar, they keep the tradition of
coconut shell carving and wood sawing. In Tanzania, the Tingatinga style
of painting was born, named after the author - Eduardo Saidi Tingatinga.
Sport
Football is popular in Tanzania (the strongest clubs are
the capital's Young Africans and Simba), boxing, volleyball, athletics,
and rugby. The Tanzania national football team, which is controlled by
the Tanzania Football Federation, has never reached the finals of the
World Cup, and played the only time in the African Cup of Nations in
1980 in Nigeria, where they lost two matches in the group and drew with
Côte d'Ivoire. Almost all players of the Tanzania national team play in
local clubs.
Despite a very large population by African
standards, Tanzania has hardly achieved significant success in any
sport, even at the regional level.
Tanzania first competed at the
Olympic Games in 1964 in Tokyo as the United Republic of Tanganyika and
Zanzibar. In 1980, at the Games in Moscow, Tanzanians won the first and
so far the only Olympic medals in history: runner Suleiman Nyambui won
silver in the 5000 meters, and Filbert Bayi became the second in the
3000 meters hurdles. Tanzanians have never competed in the Winter
Olympics. In addition to the Olympic Games, Tanzania participates in
such major international competitions as the Commonwealth Games, the
All-African Games, and the African Athletics Championship.
One of
the most famous athletes from Tanzania is basketball player Hashim
Thabit, who was selected with the second overall pick in the 2009 NBA
draft and has played over 220 league games for Memphis, Houston and
Oklahoma City.
The literacy rate in Tanzania was 73% in 2011. Seven years of education is compulsory, but many students drop out of school earlier, and some children don't go to school at all. As of 2000, only about 57% of children aged 5 to 14 attended school.
Mortality among children under 5 years old is 76 per 1000 newborns. The average life expectancy is 51.45 years (50.06 years for men and 52.88 years for women). About 5.7% of the country's adult population is infected with HIV. The most common cause of death among children is malaria. Among adults, HIV/AIDS is the cause. As of 2006, about 55% of the population had access to improved sources of drinking water. 33% have access to improved sanitation.
There are 693 registered periodicals in Tanzania, of
which 171 are published regularly. The most popular publications include
the following newspapers (all published in Dar es Salaam):
Daily News
- government publication, published since 1972, in English, circulation
50 thousand copies;
The Guardian - has been published since 1994, in
English and Swahili, with a circulation of 70,000 copies;
Uhuru - has
been published since 1961, in Swahili, with a circulation of 120,000
copies.
The state television and radio company TBC (Tanzania
Broadcasting Corporation - “Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation”) includes
the TV channel of the same name, radio stations TBC Redio ya Taifa, TBC
FM and TBC International.
Radio broadcasting in the country has
been carried out since 1956, television - since 1994 (in Zanzibar -
since 1972). Television receivers have less than 5% of the population.
State news agency - Press Services Tanzania.