Country Information on Tanzania 

Terrain

The mainland of Tanzania (called Tanganyika) has a low-lying coastal plain without any high peaks. The largest part of the country is a highland plateau with an average altitude of between 1,000 and 1,500 m, some of it is semi-desert and the rest is savannah. The Great Rift Valley runs from north to south, dividing Tanzania into two geographical areas. Kilimanjaro, a volcano which is not currently active (5,895 m, Africa's highest peak), rises in the north-east near the border with Kenya. Three of Africa's largest lakes, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa), and Lake Victoria are located in Tanzania's border regions.

Climate

Because of its altitude, Tanzania is much cooler than those countries that are situated on the same latitude. The country is only very hot inland. The coastal strip along the Indian Ocean and the islands of Pemba and Zanzibar have a hot and humid tropical climate that is only alleviated by sea breezes. In the mountains of the north-east, the climate is temperate all year round. During the long rainy season from March to May, it rains almost every day. There is also a short rainy season between November and January when the rain is not as heavy.

Fauna/Flora

Tanzania has nearly all of Africa's big mammals, such as antelopes, zebras, elephants, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, giraffes, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and monkeys. There are a number of game reserves and national parks. The most famous is the Serengeti National Park. Protected areas include the Selous Game Reserve in the south-east and Ruaha and Ngorongoro National Parks. The latter is situated in the vast crater of an extinct volcano and constitutes a unique habitat for animals living in the wild. Tanzania's forests, which cover about 30% of the country, are one of its most important assets.

History/Politics

Fossil fragments of the very earliest ancestors of Homo sapiens in the world were found in Tanzania, but little is known about the country's history up to the 7th century AD. The Zandj civilization flourished in the region between 696 and 1550. The arrival of the Portuguese resulted in the destruction of this civilization. At the beginning of the 15th century, the Portuguese spread along the East African Coast and subsequently settled in Zanzibar as well.

From the 18th century onwards, they were increasingly superseded by Arabs from Oman, who dared to venture into the territory of the then dreaded Masai in the country's inhospitable inland areas in the mid 18th century. This led to an increase in the slave trade. European explorers reached the area in the mid 19th century, the most famous being Stanley and Livingstone. At the beginning of the 20th century, Tanzania became a German colony and railways were built inland in areas that had already been explored in order to facilitate the transport of various goods.

After World War I, Germany lost all its overseas territories, and the League of Nations gave Tanzania to the British, since the island of Zanzibar was already a British protectorate. The Party of the African National Union of Tanganyika was founded under the leadership of Julius Nyerere in 1954. It promoted Tanzania's independence.

The independent state of Tanzania was finally proclaimed in 1961 with Nyerere as the country's first president. Nyerere tried to find more organised sources of income for the country which had very little industry through increased nationalisation. The early 1960s saw Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda linked in the economic alliance of the East African Community, which resulted in an economic boom for all three countries. However, various political differences led to the dissolution of the East African Community in 1977, leaving the Tanzanians with serious economic problems.

Ali Hassan Mwinyi was elected president in 1985 and started to implement a plan for economic recovery in 1986. The incorporation of Zanzibar in the early 1990s caused political unrest as Islamic parties gained strength in the island. Tanzania faced a massive influx of refugees during the years of civil war in Rwanda (1990-1994). Humanitarian problems in refugee camps finally led to the expulsion of the Rwandans in 1996. In 1995, William Mkapa was elected president. He also won the 1998 elections. Rumours of electoral fraud in Zanzibar caused protests, during which 30 people died. The election had to be held again in two constituencies. In 2000, Mkapa was re-elected president. A year later, the two major opposing political parties signed a treaty which ended the conflict in Zanzibar. In 2001, the presidents of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda founded a regional parliament and a court of justice for East Africa. A customs union was established in March 2004. In December of the same year, the tsunami that devastated parts of Southern Asia caused ten deaths in Tanzania.

Economy

Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. Its economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for 56% of its GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 90% of the work force. Topography and climatic conditions limit cultivated crops to only 4% of the land area. Industry only accounts for 15% of the GDP and is mainly limited to processing raw materials and producing a small variety of consumer goods. Tanzania is rich in diamonds; gold and rock salt are also mined. In the south, there are rich deposits of coal and iron ore, which are not however exploited on a large scale. There is natural gas in the area around the isle of Songo Songo southeast of Dar-es-Salaam. The inflation rate was 4.6% in 2003.

Culture

Tanzanian music is very popular in East Africa. Strong in rhythm and renowned for catchy lyrics, the country's Swahili-based sounds are kept very much alive by a thriving dance-band scene. Remmy Ongala is the country's best-known singer. The island of Zanzibar is known for its tradition of sung poetry. The most famous singer of these songs was Siti bint Saad.