ARCHIVE // TZ // 1990
Tanzania
1990 Edition — sovereign
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Communications
Airports
[time series]
103 total, 92 usable; 13 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 44 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
[time series]
6 major transport aircraft
Roadways
(Highways)
[time series]
total 81,900 km, 3,600 km paved; 5,600 km gravel or crushed stone; remainder improved and unimproved earth
Waterways
(Inland waterways)
[time series]
Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Lake Nyasa
Merchant marine
[time series]
7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 29,174 GRT/39,186 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 3 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
Pipelines
[time series]
982 km crude oil
Ports
[time series]
Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, Tanga, and Zanzibar are ocean ports; Mwanza on Lake Victoria and Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika are inland ports
Railways
(Railroads)
[time series]
3,555 km total; 960 km 1.067-meter gauge; 2,595 km 1.000-meter gauge, 6.4 km double track, 962 km Tazara Railroad 1.067-meter gauge; 115 km 1.000-meter gauge planned by end of decade
Telecommunication systems
(Telecommunications)
[time series]
fair system of open wire, radio relay, and troposcatter; 103,800 telephones; stations--12 AM, 4 FM, 2 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Military and security forces
(Branches)
[time series]
Tanzanian People's Defense Force includes Army, Navy, and Air Force; paramilitary Police Field Force Unit; Militia
Military expenditures
(Defense expenditures)
[time series]
3.3% of GDP (1985)
Military manpower
[time series]
males 15-49, 5,351,192; 3,087,501 fit for military service
Economy
Agricultural products
(Agriculture)
[time series]
accounts for over 40% of GDP; topography and climatic conditions limit cultivated crops to only 5% of land area; cash crops--coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), cashews, tobacco, cloves (Zanzibar); food crops--corn, wheat, cassava, bananas, fruits, and vegetables; small numbers of cattle, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in food grain production
Aid
[time series]
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $387 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $8.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $44 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $607 million
Budget
[time series]
revenues $568 million; expenditures $835 million, including capital expenditures of $230 million (FY89)
Exchange rates
(Currency)
[time series]
Tanzanian shilling (plural--shillings); 1 Tanzanian shilling (TSh) = 100 cents
Electricity
[time series]
401,000 kW capacity; 895 million kWh produced, 35 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
[time series]
Tanzanian shillings (TSh) per US$1--192.901 (January 1990), 143.377 (1989), 99.292 (1988), 64.260 (1987), 32.698 (1986), 17.472 (1985)
Exports
[time series]
$394 million (f.o.b., FY89); commodities--coffee, cotton, sisal, cashew nuts, meat, tobacco, tea, diamonds, coconut products, pyrethrum, cloves (Zanzibar); partners--FRG, UK, US, Netherlands, Japan
Debt - external
(External debt)
[time series]
$4.5 billion (December 1989 est.)
Fiscal year
[time series]
1 July-30 June
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
(GDP)
[time series]
$5.92 billion, per capita $235; real growth rate 4.5% (1989 est.)
Imports
[time series]
$1.3 billion (c.i.f., FY89); commodities--manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, cotton piece goods, crude oil, foodstuffs; partners--FRG, UK, US, Iran, Japan, Italy
Industrial production growth rate
(Industrial production)
[time series]
growth rate 6% (1988 est.)
Industries
[time series]
primarily agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine), diamond mine, oil refinery, shoes, cement, textiles, wood products, fertilizer
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
29% (1989)
Economic overview
(Overview)
[time series]
Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for about 40% of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 90% of the work force. Industry accounts for about 10% of GDP and is mainly limited to processing agricultural products and light consumer goods. The economic recovery program announced in mid-1986 has generated notable increases in agricultural production and financial support for the program by bilateral donors. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have increased the availability of imports and provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's deteriorated economic infrastructure.
Unemployment rate
[time series]
NA%
Geography
Climate
[time series]
varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands
Coastline
[time series]
1,424 km
Area - comparative
(Comparative area)
[time series]
slightly larger than twice the size of California
Disputes - international
(Disputes)
[time series]
boundary dispute with Malawi in Lake Nyasa; Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of the Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled
Environment - current issues
(Environment)
[time series]
lack of water and tsetse fly limit agriculture; recent droughts affected marginal agriculture; Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa
Extended economic zone
[time series]
200 nm;
Land boundaries
[time series]
3,402 km total; Burundi 451 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217 km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km
Land use
[time series]
5% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 40% meadows and pastures; 47% forest and woodland; 7% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Natural resources
[time series]
hydropower potential, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel
Terrain
[time series]
plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south
Maritime claims
(Territorial sea)
[time series]
12 nm
Area
(Total area)
[time series]
945,090 km2; land area: 886,040 km2
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
25 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza, Pemba North, Pemba South, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Singida, Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South, Zanzibar North, Zanzibar Urban/West, Ziwa Magharibi
Capital
[time series]
Dar es Salaam; some government offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is planned as the new national capital in the 1990s
Political parties
(Communists)
[time series]
no Communist party; a few Communist sympathizers
Constitution
[time series]
15 March 1984 (Zanzibar has its own Constitution but remains subject to provisions of the union Constitution)
Diplomatic representation in the US
(Diplomatic representation)
[time series]
Ambassador-designate Charles Musama NYIRABU; Chancery at 2139 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6125; US--Ambassador Edmond DE JARNETTE; Embassy at 36 Laibon Road (off Bagamoyo Road), Dar es Salaam (mailing address is P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam); telephone [255] (51) 37501 through 37504
Executive branch
[time series]
president, first vice president and prime minister of the union, second vice president and president of Zanzibar, Cabinet
Flag
[time series]
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
Independence
[time series]
Tanganyika became independent 9 December 1961 (from UN trusteeship under British administration); Zanzibar became independent 19 December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar 26 April 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed United Republic of Tanzania 29 October 1964
Judicial branch
[time series]
Court of Appeal, High Court Chief of State--President Ali Hassan MWINYI (since 5 November 1985); Head of Government--First Vice President and Prime Minister Joseph Sinde WARIOBA (since 6 November 1985)
Legal system
[time series]
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
[time series]
unicameral National Assembly (Bunge)
Country name
(Long-form name)
[time series]
United Republic of Tanzania
International organization participation
(Member of)
[time series]
ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
[time series]
Union Day, 26 April (1964)
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
only party--Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM or Revolutionary Party), Julius Nyerere, party chairman
Suffrage
[time series]
universal at age 18 President--last held 27 October 1985 (next to be held October 1990); results--Ali Hassan Mwinyi was elected without opposition; National Assembly--last held 27 October 1985 (next to be held October 1990); results--CCM is the only party; seats--(244 total, 168 elected) CCM 168
Government type
(Type)
[time series]
republic
People
Birth rate
[time series]
50 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
[time series]
16 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic groups
(Ethnic divisions)
[time series]
mainland--99% native African consisting of well over 100 tribes; 1% Asian, European, and Arab
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
107 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
[time series]
732,200 wage earners; 90% agriculture, 10% industry and commerce (1986 est.)
Languages
(Language)
[time series]
Swahili and English (official); English primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education; Swahili widely understood and generally used for communication between ethnic groups; first language of most people is one of the local languages; primary education is generally in Swahili
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
49 years male, 54 years female (1990)
Literacy
[time series]
79%
Nationality
[time series]
noun--Tanzanian(s); adjective--Tanzanian
Net migration rate
[time series]
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
[time series]
15% of labor force
Population
[time series]
25,970,843 (July 1990), growth rate 3.4% (1990)
Religions
(Religion)
[time series]
mainland--33% Christian, 33% Muslim, 33% indigenous beliefs; Zanzibar--almost all Muslim
Total fertility rate
[time series]
7.1 children born/woman (1990)