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Tanzania Country Guide
Explore Tanzania in Africa
The landscape offers plains along coast with central plateau and highlands in north, south. The average density of population is approximately 43 per km². The notable climate conditions in Tanzania can be described as varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands. Potential threats by nature are flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season or drought.
To reach someone in Tanzania dial +255 prior to a number. There are 173,552 installed telephones. And there are 17,677,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".tz". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of .
About the flag and history of Tanzania
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.
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.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Africa Neighbours: Mozambique, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Zambia, Burundi, Uganda, Malawi Capital: Dodoma |
| Size | 945,087 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 364,900 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly larger than twice the size of California |
| Population | 40,213,000 |
| Currency | Name Shilling, Currency Code:TZS |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .tz |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +255 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 17,677,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 173,552 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 947,300 (sq km) | 31 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 48,261,942 | 27 |
| Population growth rate | 2.82 (%) | 17 |
| Birth rate | 37.25 (births/1,000 population) | 17 |
| Death rate | 8.41 (deaths/1,000 population) | 85 |
| Net migration rate | -0.60 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 138 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 460.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 23 |
| Infant mortality rate | 45.10 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 49 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 60.76 (years) | 190 |
| Total fertility rate | 5.01 (children born/woman) | 18 |
| Health expenditures | 6.00 (% of GDP) | 110 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 5.60 (%) | 12 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 1,400,000 | 6 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 86,000 | 4 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 5.00 (%) | 156 |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 16.70 (%) | 44 |
| Education expenditures | 6.20 (% of GDP) | 34 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 8.80 (%) | 114 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 75,070,000,000 | 85 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 6.90 (%) | 30 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 1,600 | 201 |
| Labor force | 24,770,000 | 27 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 37.60 | 77 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 26.50 (% of GDP) | 39 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 21.50 (% of GDP) | 152 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -5.60 (% of GDP) | 167 |
| Public debt | 34.40 (% of GDP) | 104 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 15.30 (%) | 213 |
| Central bank discount rate | 3.70 (%) | 97 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 14.96 (%) | 48 |
| Stock of narrow money | 4,964,000,000 | 101 |
| Stock of broad money | 8,285,000,000 | 113 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 6,803,000,000 | 110 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 1,264,000,000 | 105 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 7.00 (%) | 38 |
| Current account balance | -3,946,000,000 | 157 |
| Exports | 5,031,000,000 | 112 |
| Imports | 9,724,000,000 | 99 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 3,787,000,000 | 102 |
| Debt - external | 11,180,000,000 | 94 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 4,489,000,000 (kWh) | 121 |
| Electricity - consumption | 3,589,000,000 (kWh) | 128 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 957,000 (kW) | 124 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 39.50 (% of total installed capacity) | 170 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 60.50 (% of total installed capacity) | 31 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 43,310 (bbl/day) | 106 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 32,680 (bbl/day) | 86 |
| Natural gas - production | 780,000,000 (cu m) | 67 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 780,000,000 (cu m) | 93 |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 6,513,000,000 (cu m) | 83 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 7,566,000 (Mt) | 109 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 161,100 | 132 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 25,666,000 | 39 |
| Internet hosts | 26,074 | 110 |
| Internet users | 678,000 | 111 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 106 | 52 |
| Railways | 3,689 (km) | 45 |
| Roadways | 91,049 (km) | 51 |
| Merchant marine | 94 | 52 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 0.90 (% of GDP) | 136 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Kilimanjaro National Park At 5,895 m, Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa. This volcanic massif stands in splendid isolation above the surrounding plains, with its snowy peak looming over the savannah. The mountain is encircled by mountain forest. Numerous mammals, man ... | 1987 |
| Kondoa Rock-Art Sites On the eastern slopes of the Masai escarpment bordering the Great Rift Valley are natural rock shelters, overhanging slabs of sedimentary rocks fragmented by rift faults, whose vertical planes have been used for rock paintings for at least two millen ... | 2006 |
| Ngorongoro Conservation Area The Ngorongoro Conservation Area spans vast expanses of highland plains, savanna, savanna woodlands and forests. Established in 1959 as a multiple land use area, with wildlife coexisting with semi-nomadic Maasai pastoralists practicing traditional li ... | 1979 |
| Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara The remains of two great East African ports admired by early European explorers are situated on two small islands near the coast. From the 13th to the 16th century, the merchants of Kilwa dealt in gold, silver, pearls, perfumes, Arabian crockery, Per ... | 1981 |
| Selous Game Reserve Large numbers of elephants, black rhinoceroses, cheetahs, giraffes, hippopotamuses and crocodiles live in this immense sanctuary, which measures 50,000 km2 and is relatively undisturbed by human impact. The park has a variety of vegetation zones, ran ... | 1982 |
| Serengeti National Park The vast plains of the Serengeti comprise 1.5 million ha of savannah. The annual migration to permanent water holes of vast herds of herbivores (wildebeest, gazelles and zebras), followed by their predators, is one of the most impressive natural even ... | 1981 |
| Stone Town of Zanzibar The Stone Town of Zanzibar is a fine example of the Swahili coastal trading towns of East Africa. It retains its urban fabric and townscape virtually intact and contains many fine buildings that reflect its particular culture, which has brought toget ... | 2000 |