Tanzania << `TAN` zuh NEE uh >> is a large country in eastern Africa that borders the Indian Ocean. Most of Tanzania lies on the mainland of Africa. Several nearby islands make up the rest of the country. Dar es Salaam is Tanzania’s largest city, and Dodoma is the capital. The country’s official name is the United Republic of Tanzania.
Tanzania’s population consists mainly of Black Africans. The rest are people of Asian or European descent. Tanzania is one of the world’s poorest countries. Most of its people live in rural areas and farm for a living. The government has tried to develop industries, but the economy still depends heavily on agricultural production and imported goods.
Tanzania’s fascinating wildlife and spectacular scenery are world famous. Elephants, giraffes, lions, zebras, and other wild animals roam across the vast Serengeti National Park, Selous Game Reserve, and other areas where hunting is banned or limited. Africa’s highest mountain—the majestic Kilimanjaro—rises 19,340 feet (5,895 meters) in northern Tanzania. Lake Tanganyika, the world’s longest freshwater lake, extends 420 miles (680 kilometers) along the country’s western border. Part of Lake Victoria, which is the largest lake in Africa, lies within northern Tanzania. The lake covers an area of 26,800 square miles (69,500 square kilometers).
In the 1800’s, Germany founded a colony on the mainland of what is now Tanzania. The United Kingdom ruled Zanzibar, a group of nearby islands, including Zanzibar Island and Pemba Island. In the early 1900’s, the mainland area became the British colony of Tanganyika. Both Tanganyika and Zanzibar gained independence in the early 1960’s. In 1964, they united to form Tanzania.
Government
From 1964 to 1992, Tanzania was a one-party state. The Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), or Revolutionary Party, established government policies. In 1992, Tanzania legalized opposition parties. The country’s first national multiparty elections were held in late 1995.
National government.
Voters throughout Tanzania elect a president, who heads the national government. Voters in Zanzibar also elect their own president. Both presidents serve five-year terms. The president of Tanzania is assisted by a Cabinet, which includes the vice president, a prime minister, other appointed ministers, and the president of Zanzibar.
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The National Assembly is the nation’s main lawmaking body. In addition, Zanzibar has its own House of Representatives. This body makes laws for Zanzibar, though the national government controls Zanzibar’s finances. Voters elect most members of both legislatures. Some members are appointed. Members of both bodies serve five-year terms.
Regional and local government.
Tanzania is divided into regions for administrative purposes. Local government has special responsibility in the areas of agriculture, education, and health care.
Politics.
The CCM is Tanzania’s largest political party. Other parties include the Civic United Front (CUF), the Party of Democracy and Development (CHADEMA), the Tanzania Labor Party (TLP), and the United Democratic Party (UDP).
Courts.
The Tanzania Court of Appeals is the country’s highest court. Lower courts include district courts and local primary courts.
Armed forces.
Tanzania has an army, a small navy, and an air force. Military service is voluntary.
People
Population and ancestry.
More than half of Tanzania’s people live in the northern third of the country. Areas near mountains in the north and lakes in the west have especially dense populations. About 70 percent of the country’s people live in rural areas. See Life expectancy (table: Life expectancy at birth for selected countries).
Nearly all of Tanzania’s people are of African ancestry. Most of the rest are people descended from Arabs, Europeans, and Asians from India and Pakistan.
The Africans belong to about 120 ethnic groups, including the Chagga, Maasai, Makonde, Nyamwezi, and Sukuma peoples. No single group is large enough to control the country, and Tanzania has not suffered the ethnic violence that has troubled many other African nations. Tanzania’s ethnic balance has helped the government develop a sense of national unity.
Many of Tanzania’s people live in poverty and are undernourished. Tanzania, like other African nations, has been affected greatly by the spread of AIDS. Much of the mainland adult population is infected by HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. However, Tanzania has been relatively successful in educating its young people about the disease.
Way of life.
Most rural Tanzanians farm for a living. Some raise livestock, such as chickens, goats, and sheep. Raising cattle is the chief activity of the Maasai and other peoples in the interior of Tanzania. Fishing is an important activity for people who live along the Indian Ocean, on the nearby islands, and near inland lakes.
Many city dwellers work for the government or for the trade, tourism, and service industries. Many other men and women run their own small businesses. 
Under Tanzanian law, women have the same rights as men. In practice, however, many women have less opportunity for education and ownership of property. Women are largely responsible for homemaking and raising children. In rural areas, they often perform more farm work than men do.
Languages.
Swahili (also known as Kiswahili) and English are the official languages of Tanzania. Swahili, a Bantu language that borrows many Arabic words, is more commonly used in everyday speech and serves as the national language. In addition, most Tanzanians speak the languages of their own ethnic groups. Almost all of these languages are also Bantu languages.
Housing.
In rural areas, most homes have rectangular or round wooden frames, mud walls, and thatched roofs. Some have metal roofs. Rural homes often include a nearby garden area. In urban areas, many houses are made of cement blocks or baked clay bricks and have metal roofs. Only about 10 percent of Tanzanians, most of them city dwellers, have electric power in their homes.
Clothing
in Tanzania is similar to that worn in other parts of eastern Africa. The most common clothes are pants and shirts for men and dresses for women. Many women wear a colorful, wrap-style garment called a kanga. Some men wear a flowing white robe called a kanzu.
Food and drink.
Tanzanians prepare a variety of dishes with corn, rice, sorghum, and other grains. The most popular meal is a porridge made with corn called ugali. Fish is an important part of the diet of Tanzanians who live on the islands and along the coast. Bottled beers and soft drinks are popular. Tanzanians also drink a variety of traditional alcoholic beverages.
Recreation.
Common forms of recreation in Tanzania include dancing, watching television, and gathering with friends and relatives. Soccer is the most popular sport in Tanzania. A number of Tanzanians have become world-class long-distance runners.
Religion.
About 35 percent of the population are Muslims, followers of Islam. Many of Tanzania’s Muslims live on Zanzibar and along the country’s coast. Christians make up about 30 percent of Tanzania’s population. Most other Tanzanians practice traditional African religions. 
Education.
Most of the adult population of Tanzania can read and write. Although Tanzanian law requires seven years of elementary education, only about half of the children go to elementary school. Only a small percentage of children attend high school. Many schools lack basic supplies. For years, enrollment fees kept many children from poor families from attending school. In 2015, the government announced it would offer free primary and secondary education to all Tanzanian children to address this issue.
The University of Dar es Salaam is Tanzania’s chief university. Tanzania’s system of universities, technical colleges, and vocational schools expanded rapidly in the 1990’s and early 2000’s.
The arts.
Tanzania has many traditional forms of music, dance, sculpture, and carving. Many art forms are associated with particular ethnic groups. People in Tanzania have developed a number of popular music styles, as well as television and radio dramas in Swahili.
Land and climate
Lake Nyasa, Lake Tanganyika, and many mountains of Tanzania are part of the Great Rift Valley. This long valley, which runs north and south through eastern Africa, consists of a series of cracks in the earth that form deep, steep-sided valleys. The valley has branches that extend through central Tanzania and along the country’s western border. Tanzania’s land regions include the (1) coastal lowlands and islands, (2) plateaus, and (3) highlands.
The coastal lowlands and islands.
The mainland borders the Indian Ocean along a 500-mile (800-kilometer) coast. The coastal strip has many coconut palm groves and mangrove swamps, where the spreading roots of mangrove trees catch and hold the soil. The northern and southern lowlands extend inland between 10 to 40 miles (16 to 64 kilometers). The central lowlands extend farther into the country.
Zanzibar Island, the largest coral island off the African coast, covers 640 square miles (1,658 square kilometers). Another Tanzanian island, Pemba Island, lies 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Zanzibar Island. Zanzibar Island, Pemba Island, and a few other islands make up the Zanzibar island group.
The coastal lowlands and islands make up the hottest and wettest part of Tanzania. High temperatures average 85 °F (29 °C) the year around. Annual rainfall totals between about 31 and 55 inches (80 and 140 centimeters) on the lowlands and exceeds 40 inches (100 centimeters) on the islands.
The plateaus
rise gradually from the coastal lowlands. They include a vast grassland in northeastern Tanzania called the Maasai Steppe and a grassy central plateau that covers more than a third of the country. The Maasai Steppe rises to about 3,500 feet (1,100 meters) above sea level. It is home to the Maasai people, who graze cattle there. West of the steppe, the central plateau reaches about 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) above sea level. The central section is usually drier than the coastal lowlands or highlands. It is mostly covered by grasses or barren land, with patches of trees and shrubs. Parts of this region receive less than 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain annually. The plateaus have average daytime highs of 84 °F (29 °C) and cool nights.
The highlands.
Northern Tanzania has some of the country’s highest mountains, including Kilimanjaro. Several other highlands rise in the central and southern regions. Temperatures in the highlands average about 75 °F (24 °C). Highland regions often receive more than 40 inches (100 centimeters) of rain each year. 
Rivers and lakes.
The Rufiji is Tanzania’s chief river. It flows from the southern highlands and drains much of southern Tanzania. Other major rivers include the Pangani, the Ruvuma, and the Wami. Lake Victoria lies in northern Tanzania and forms part of its border with Kenya and Uganda. Lakes Tanganyika and Nyasa lie along the country’s western border.
Animal life.
Tanzania is famous for its millions of large, wild animals that thrive in vast parklands. In northern Tanzania, Serengeti National Park covers about 5,600 square miles (14,500 square kilometers) and is noted for its lions and huge herds of antelope and zebras. In the south, the Selous Game Reserve—the world’s largest animal reserve—covers about 21,000 square miles (54,000 square kilometers). It has about 50,000 elephants—one of the largest populations in Africa. Other animals common to Tanzania include baboons, buffaloes, hippopotamuses, giraffes, monkeys, and rhinoceroses. The government allows limited hunting in some areas. But poachers (people who hunt illegally) remain a problem. 
Economy
Tanzania is a poor country. The country is heavily dependent on foreign aid. Unemployment is a major problem for young Tanzanians, especially in the cities. Many Tanzanians live in poverty.
Tanzania has a capitalist economy based heavily on agriculture, service industries, and mining. Agriculture produces about one-fourth of Tanzania’s gross domestic product (GDP)—that is, the total value of goods and services produced in the country. Service industries, such as tourism and banking, contribute about half of the GDP. Other industries include the processing of agricultural products; the mining of coal, gemstones, and gold; and the manufacture of chemicals, textiles, and other products. Tanzania depends on hydroelectric plants and imported petroleum to generate electric power.
Agriculture.
Climate and soil conditions limit farming to one-sixth of Tanzania’s land area. The richest soil lies in the northern and southern highlands and around Lake Victoria. The agriculture industry employs about 67 percent of the country’s work force.
Most farming is done by hand with hoes and long-bladed knives. Many farmers grow only enough food to feed themselves and their families. Chief food crops include bananas, cassava (a root crop), corn, millet, rice, sorghum, sweet potatoes, and vegetables. The Maasai and some other peoples raise beef and dairy cattle.
Large, privately operated farms produce many of the crops that Tanzania exports. The major export crops include cashew nuts, cloves, coffee, cotton, sisal (a plant used in making rope), tea, and tobacco.
Service industries
include banking, education, government, health care, insurance, tourism, and trade. Much of Tanzania’s wholesale and retail trade involves the sale of farm products. Hotels, restaurants, and shops benefit from the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit each year. Many of these tourists come from Italy, Kenya, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The chief tourist attractions are the wildlife in the national parks. Many visitors also enjoy the palm-shaded coastal beaches.
Manufacturing
contributes about 6 percent of the country’s economic production. Food processing is Tanzania’s chief industry. Other important industries produce aluminum, cement, chemicals, clothing, petroleum products, steel, textiles, and tobacco products. Dar es Salaam accounts for about half of Tanzania’s total industrial output.
Mining
is one of Tanzania’s fastest growing economic sectors. Mining operations produce diamonds and other gemstones, coal, and gold.
Foreign trade.
Tanzania imports more than it exports. The country imports chemicals, iron and steel, machinery, petroleum products, and transportation equipment. The country’s main exports include cashews, coffee, cotton, fish, gold, and tobacco. Tanzania’s main trading partners include China, India, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates.
Transportation and communication.
Tanzania’s large area and poor economic conditions have made development of transportation and communication services difficult. Most roads are unpaved and poorly maintained. Tanzania’s main railway links Dar es Salaam with Zambia on the west. Dar es Salaam is Tanzania’s chief port. International airports operate at Dar es Salaam, near Arusha, and on Zanzibar Island.
Dar es Salaam is the communications center of Tanzania. One government-owned newspaper and many privately owned newspapers are published in Tanzania. The newspapers are published in Swahili and English. Radio and television stations operate under both private and state ownership. A growing number of Tanzanians use the Internet.
History
The prehistoric human beings who lived in what is now Tanzania were hunters and gatherers. They lived in small groups, catching animals and collecting wild plants for food. The British anthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey, with other scientists, found some of the earliest-known remains of human beings in Olduvai Gorge in northern Tanzania. Some of these remains were over 2 million years old.
About 3,000 years ago, the first groups to farm and raise livestock in present-day Tanzania lived around Lake Victoria in the west and in some highland areas. Many of the cultures of modern Tanzania began with these groups.
The development of trade
in eastern Africa accelerated in the A.D. 700’s, when traders arrived from the Arabian Peninsula. These traders introduced Islam to the region and intermarried with local Africans. Their port settlements along the mainland coast and in Zanzibar became centers of trade and Swahili culture.
In the early 1500’s, Portuguese traders established forts along Africa’s east coast. Local rebellions helped push out the Portuguese in the late 1600’s. In 1698, Arabs from Oman, a country on the Arabian Peninsula, took control of Zanzibar and developed trade on the mainland. By this time, the Nyamwezi and Yao ethnic groups had become active in long-distance trade. Their caravans brought gold, ivory, and enslaved people from the interior to the coast, where the traders exchanged them for such items as ceramics, cloth, and glassware from Asia.
The Arabs also developed the slave trade. From the mid-1700’s to the late 1800’s, Arab and African traders sold thousands of Africans into slavery. The slave trade caused much conflict and broke apart many African communities.
Colonial rule.
In the 1800’s, European nations increasingly competed for control of African territory. During the 1880’s, Germany took control of the present-day mainland of Tanzania. The Germans forced many Africans to work on plantations and pay taxes, but excluded the Africans from government. This practice contributed to a major uprising in 1905 called the Maji Maji rebellion. German forces killed many thousands of Africans before putting down the revolt.
The United Kingdom made Zanzibar and Pemba islands a British protectorate in 1890. The British gradually took over the powers of the Omani sultans in local affairs. After Germany’s defeat in World War I (1914-1918), the United Kingdom gained control over the mainland and named it Tanganyika. During this period, thousands of Indians immigrated to Tanganyika.
Independence.
In 1946, Tanganyika became a United Nations trust territory. The United Kingdom had the responsibility of preparing Tanganyika for independence. The British proposed a system in which Africans would have the same number of legislative representatives as the small communities of Europeans and Asians. Africans objected to the system because, as the vast majority, they would be underrepresented.
The representation issue and the lack of economic development led Africans to form the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) in 1954. Led by Julius Nyerere and others, TANU peacefully won independence for Tanganyika in 1961. The next year, Nyerere was elected president. The United Kingdom granted Zanzibar independence in 1963.
The united republic and socialism.
After a brief, violent revolution in Zanzibar in early 1964, Nyerere and the new leader of Zanzibar, Sheik Abeid Karume, agreed to unify the two countries. The new nation was called the United Republic of Tanzania. However, voters were not given an opportunity to ratify (approve) the unification, and many constitutional issues were not clarified. Unification has remained a controversial political issue in Tanzania ever since.
Nyerere, representing the CCM, became Tanzania’s first president. Under his direction, Tanzania adopted a socialist economic system. Nyerere based the system on ujamaa, a Swahili word for traditional African cooperation. The government took control of many privately owned businesses. It forced about 5 million farmers to move from their villages and to resettle in larger ujamaa villages.
In foreign affairs, Nyerere worked to preserve Tanzania’s neutrality during the Cold War. The Cold War was a period of tension between Communist and non-Communist nations following World War II (1939-1945).
Nyerere also sought to promote regional cooperation. His government assisted other southern African countries in their struggles to end colonialism and racial oppression. In 1967, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda formed the East African Community (EAC). However, the group disbanded in 1977. In 1978, the effort for regional cooperation faced another setback when Uganda attacked Tanzania. Tanzania responded by invading Uganda and overthrowing its dictator, Idi Amin Dada. In 1980, Tanzania helped found what is now the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a group devoted to improving economic conditions in the region.
The end of socialism.
During the early 1980’s, socialist Tanzania fell deeply into debt and came near economic collapse. Causes of the economic problems included the war with Uganda, the disruption of the agricultural system created by resettling farmers into ujamaa villages, and government interference with business. A weak world economy also contributed to the crisis.
To qualify for new loans, Tanzania accepted governmental changes proposed by major international lenders, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Lenders required the government to spend less on social services, to transfer industries to private owners, and to shift to a more democratic political system. These changes began under Ali Hassan Mwinyi, who succeeded Nyerere as president in 1985.
In 1992, the government legalized opposition parties, and such parties developed quickly. However, the national government continued to be controlled by Nyerere’s CCM party. The CCM won the first multiparty elections in 1995, and Benjamin Mkapa became president.
After socialism.
Tanzania developed closer relations with the rest of the world after socialism ended in the country. After terrorists bombed the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam in 1998, Tanzania developed a closer relationship with the United States. In 1999, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda signed a treaty to revive the EAC, which was then relaunched in 2001. In 2007, Burundi and Rwanda joined the treaty.
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tanzania’s trade expanded swiftly while its debt declined. Growing numbers of people began using automobiles, the internet, and cellular telephones. Tanzania’s cities grew quickly, but the rapid population growth created more unemployment. Although some people became rich, poverty became more widespread. Tanzania’s large refugee population—over 500,000 refugees from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—also strained its economy.
The CCM remained in control after elections in 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015. The 2005 election, in which the CCM’s Jakaya Kikwete won the presidency, caused controversy in Zanzibar. Supporters of the CUF party there charged that the CCM used fraud to achieve victory. Kikwete was reelected in 2010. Following the 2015 elections, John Magufuli succeeded Kikwete as president. Magufuli was reelected in 2020, but he died in 2021. He was succeeded by the vice president, Samia Suluhu Hassan. She became Tanzania’s first woman president and was to serve until the next election in 2025.
