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Tanzania
AFRICA
FACTFILE
OFFICIAL NAME: United Republic
of Tanzania
DATE OF FORMATION: 1964
CAPITAL: Dodoma
POPULATION: 43.7 million
TOTAL AREA: 364,898 sq. miles
(945,087 sq. km)
DENSITY: 128 people per sq. mile
LANGUAGES: Kiswahili, English, other
RELIGIONS: Muslim 33%, Christian 33%,
traditional beliefs 30%, other 4%
ETHNIC MIX: Native African (over 120
tribes) 99%, European, Asian, Arab 1%
GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
CURRENCY: Tanzanian shilling = 100 cents
The east African state of Tanzania was formed in
1964 by the union of Tanganyika and the Zanzibar islands.
A third of its area is game reserve or national park.
GEOGRAPHY
The mainland is mostly a high
plateau lying to the east of the Great Rift
Valley. Forested coastal plain. Highlands in
the north and south.
CLIMATE
Tropical on the coast and
Zanzibar. Semiarid on central plateau,
semitemperate in the highlands.
March–May rains.
PEOPLE & SOCIETY
99% of people belong to one of
120 small ethnic Bantu groups. Arabs,
Asians, and Europeans make up the
remaining population. Use of Kiswahili as
the lingua franca has eliminated ethnic
rivalries. The majority of Tanzanians are
subsistence famers.
THE ECONOMY
Heavily reliant on agriculture,
including forestry and cattle. Coffee,
cotton, tea, cashew nuts, sisal, and cloves
are cash crops. Gold, diamonds, and gems
are mined. Safari and beach tourism.
Debt relief.
INSIGHT: At 19,340 ft (5895 m),
Kilimanjaro in northeast Tanzania
is Africa’s highest mountain
3000m/9843ft
2000m/6562ft
1000m/3281ft
500m/1640ft
200m/656ft
Sea Level200 km200 miles00RWANDABURUNDIUGANDAMOZAMBIQUEMALAWIZAMBIADEM. REP.
CONGOK E N Y AINDIAN
OCEANG
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e
a
t
R
if
t
V
al
le
ySerengeti^PlainMasai
SteppeEquatorL.NyasaL. TanganyikaKilimanjaro
19,340ft (5895m)Lake
VictoriaRuvum
aDar es
SalaamMwanzaTanga
ZanzibarMbeyaKigomaIringaArushaMoshiMorogoroShinyangaTaboraMusomaSongea MtwaraLindiDODOMA