Tanzania

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 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.

 

Capital: Dar Es Salaam

Government: Republic

Economy:

• 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.

Population: 45 million (UN 2011)

Land Size: 945,087 sq km (364,900 sq miles)

Major Ethic Groups:

• 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

Religions:

• Mainland
  • Christian: 30%
  • Muslim: 35%
  • indigenous beliefs: 35%

• Zanzibar
  • Muslim: > 99%

Language(s):

• 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
• note: Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety of sources including Arabic and English; it has become the lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of most people is one of the local languages.

For more information about Tanzania, please visit:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tz.html