Tanzania
in Eastern Africa
Africa

Location Summary
Currency and Currency Code:
Shilling - TZS
Spoken languages:
Swahili, English, Arabic
Local electricity:
230 V - 50 Hz (plugs: D, G)
Mobile phone / cellular frequencies (MHz):
900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3G, 4G
ISO 2-Letter code:
TZ
Internet top level domain:
.tz
Country phone prefix:
+255
Local Time (capital):
Timezone:
UTC/GMT offset: hours
Current travel safety evaluation for Tanzania in Eastern Africa

Safety Score: 3,0 of 5.0 based on data from 9 authorites. Meaning we advice caution when travelling to Tanzania.

Travel warnings are updated daily. Source: Travel Warning Tanzania. Last Update: 2024-03-28 08:18:27

Explore Tanzania

Tanzania with its capital Dodoma is located in Africa (Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean). It covers some 947,301 square kilometers (more than six times the size of Georgia) with 53,950,900 citizens. Swahili, English and Arabic are the languages commonly used by the people in Tanzania (consider regional differences). Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia are bordering countries.

Tanzania is the largest country in East Africa, bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north; Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. Tanzania is a country with great national parks, where you can see some of the finest African flora and fauna. Tanzania is home to several national parks and game reserves. Safaris in Tanzania can be put into two categories, the Northern Circuit (Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Manyara and Tarangire) and the Southern Circuit (Selous, Mikumi and Ruaha). This is certainly an oversimplification and does not include other interesting but harder to reach parks such as Katavi and Gombe, just to name two. For tourist, the two first groupings are more accessible as several tour companies offer a variety a packages for these.

Popular Destinations in Tanzania

Administrative regions of Tanzania

About the country

Website: Tanzania Tourism

The landscape is plains along coast with central plateau as well as highlands in north, south. The average density of population is about 57 per km². The climate in Tanzania can be described as varying from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands. Potential threats by nature are drought, flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season and limited volcanic activity; Ol Doinyo Lengai (2,962 m) has emitted lava in recent years; other historically active volcanoes include Kieyo and Meru.

To reach someone Tanzania dial +255 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".tz". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 230 V - 50 Hz (plugs: D, G). The sign for the locally used currency Shilling is TZS.

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.

Flag of Tanzania

Shortly after achieving independence from Britain in the early 1960s, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the United Republic 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.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 32) 947,300sq km
Land (World Rank: 32) 885,800sq km
Water (World Rank: 12) 61,500sq km
Forest (World Rank: 65) 27.10%
Comparative more than six times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than twice the size of California
Note includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar
Coastline
1424
Landborder
4161
Elevation
Highest point (World Rank: 17) 5,895m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 89) 43.70%
Arable (World Rank: 83) 14.30%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 83) 2.30%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 65) 27.10%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 78) 1,840sq km
Map reference
Africa
Environment
Issues
  • - deforestation
  • - desertification
  • - destruction of coral reefs threatens marine habitats
  • - especially for ivory
  • - recent droughts affected marginal agriculture
  • - soil degradation
  • - wildlife threatened by illegal hunting and trade
Agreement party
  • - Biodiversity
  • - Climate Change
  • - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
  • - Desertification
  • - Endangered Species
  • - Hazardous Wastes
  • - Law of the Sea
  • - Ozone Layer Protection
  • - Wetlands
Hazzards
  • - drought
  • - flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season
  • - limited volcanic activity; Ol Doinyo Lengai (2,962 m) has emitted lava in recent years; other historically active volcanoes include Kieyo and Meru
Location
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique
Climate
varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands
Terrain
plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south

People

Population
Total (World Rank: 26) 53,950,900
Deathrate (World Rank: 104) 0.76%
Birthrate (World Rank: 16) 3.56%
Growthrate (World Rank: 12) 2.75%
Migration rate (World Rank: 90) -0.05%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 19) 4.77%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 214) 17.50
Female (World Rank: 214) 18.00
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 15) 11,921,400
0 14 female (World Rank: 15) 11,678,500
15 24 male (World Rank: 19) 5,361,750
15 24 female (World Rank: 19) 5,351,790
25 54 male (World Rank: 34) 8,098,180
25 54 female (World Rank: 33) 8,020,290
55 64 male (World Rank: 48) 836,313
55 64 female (World Rank: 45) 1,055,350
65 x male (World Rank: 54) 687,118
65 x female (World Rank: 53) 940,215
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 46) 3.99%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 194) 63years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 195) 64years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 188) 61years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 177) 0.03
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 160) 0.70
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 200) 15.60%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 150) 8.40%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 194) 55.60%

Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 114) 6,025,000,000kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 119) 4,976,000,000kWh
Import (World Rank: 99) 71,000,000kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 155) 46.00%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 42) 47.30%
Source renew (World Rank: 80) 6.80%
Refined products
Consumption (World Rank: 95) 60,000bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 74) 58,700bbl / day
Natural gas
Production (World Rank: 65) 1,100,000,000
Consumption (World Rank: 89) 1,500,000,000
Carbon footprint
10000000

Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 120) 4% of GDP
Military (World Rank: 106) 1% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 121) 6% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 120) -3% of GDP
National symbol
Uhuru torch
National colours
yellow
Adjective
Tanzanian
Noun
Tanzanian(s)
Background
Shortly after achieving independence from Britain in the early 1960s, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the United Republic 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.
Flag description
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

Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 75) 150,300,000,000USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 13) 7.00%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 188) 3,100USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 33) 24.50%
Source industry (World Rank: 96) 27.60%
Source service (World Rank: 184) 47.30%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 26) 24,050,000
In poverty (World Rank: 89) 22.80%
Products
Industries
  • - agricultural processing
  • - apparel
  • - beer
  • - cement
  • - cigarettes
  • - diamonds
  • - fertilizer
  • - gold
  • - iron
  • - mining
  • - oil refining
  • - salt
  • - shoes
  • - sisal twine
  • - soda ash
  • - sugar
  • - wood products
Agriculture
  • - bananas
  • - cashew nuts
  • - cassava
  • - cattle
  • - cloves
  • - coffee
  • - corn
  • - cotton
  • - fruits
  • - goats
  • - insecticide made from chrysanthemums
  • - manioc
  • - pyrethrum
  • - sheep
  • - sisal
  • - tapioca
  • - tea
  • - tobacco
  • - vegetables
  • - wheat
Exports
  • - cashew nuts
  • - coffee
  • - cotton
  • - gold
  • - manufactures
Imports
  • - consumer goods
  • - crude oil
  • - industrial raw materials
  • - machinery
  • - transportation equipment

Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 135) 129,597
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 190) 1.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 172) 76.00
Assessment 0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 61) 6,822,750
Population (World Rank: 201) 13.00%

Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 117) 10.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 25) 156.00
Rail
Total length (World Rank: 41) 4,567
Road
Total length (World Rank: 56) 86,472
Paved length (World Rank: 86) 7,092
Unpaved length (World Rank: 24) 79,380
Water
Total length (World Rank: 43) 2,011