The territory of Tanganyika united with Zanzibar on April 26, 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; which was renamed United Republic of Tanzania on October 29,1964

The United Republic of Tanzania is located in the East-Africa region alongside the Indian Ocean; with a total coastline of: 1,424 km.

It has a total area of: 945,090 sq. km land: 886,040 sq. km (including the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar) water: 59,050 sq. km

The bordering countries are: Mozambique on the South (over 756 km); Malawi (over 475 km ) and Zambia (over 338 km) on the Southwest; the Democratic Republic of Congo on the west ( alongside the Lake Tanganyika); Burundi (over 451 km), Uganda (over 396 km) and Rwanda (over 217 km) in the Northwest and Kenya (over 769 km) in the North.

National holiday:April 26, 1964.

Population: 31,270,820 (July 1999); 35,922,454 (July 2003 est.). Population growth rate: 2.14% (1999); 1.72% (2003 est.)

Natural resources: hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel.

Tanzania's economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for nearly 50% of GNP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 90% of the work force.

Agriculture productions: coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), cashew nuts, tobacco, cloves, corn, wheat, cassava, tapioca, bananas, fruits, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats.

Topography and climatic conditions, however, limit cultivated crops to only 4% of the land.The climate of Tanzania varies dramatically as it has both the highest and the lowest points on the continent.

Industrial productions - originating from agricultural products processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine, diamond and gold mining, oil refining, shoes, cement, textiles, wood products, fertilizer, salt) accounts for 15% of GNP and is mainly limited to processing agricultural products and light consumer goods; with a very low growth rate in the range of 0.4%-1% annum throughout the early years of the last decade of past century.

The new free enterprise economy reform engineered by President Benjamin Mpaka, boosted industrial production rate to highest level (4.6% in 1999 over 1998 figures; and a estimation of 8% growth in 2000 over 1999 figures).

Indeed, since mid 1990's, the consensus is quite complete among Tanzanian policy makers to depart from the state-controlled economy' strategy implemented for three decades - since the independence - with no improvement for the developing of the country - to say the least.

The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and bilateral donors provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's deteriorated economic infrastructure. There is even a song - composed by Captain John Komba and often played on the national television, which depicts how the sale of national companies is a good thing for the global economic development of the country. Click here for business opportunities available thanks to the privatization policy now vigorously sponsored by the government.

Now in place is a regulatory framework that put emphasis on privatization; establishment of a stock exchange, an open market, removal of exchange controls, free repatriation of earned income, profits and dividends and reliance on market forces in allocating resources. Banking reforms have helped increase private sector growth and investment. Click here for an update on the privatization process.

There are plenty of investment opportunities in agribusiness sector (fertilizer production, soils preparation techniques, irrigation system setup, crops storage systems as buffers against famine Etc.). The mining sector is also promising to tape into the natural resources of the country (tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel). Infrastructure establishment: dams, hydropower, natural gas. Tourism promotion is also another good business opportunity: hotel construction, safaris circuit organization. Etc.

Natural gas exploration in the Rufiji Delta looks promising. This multi-million dollar project in southern Tanzania is designed to extract natural gas from the Songosongo area and transport it 345 kilometers, via pipeline, to Dar es Salaam, to be converted to electricity.

The consumer base exists - more than 35 millions people. Tanzania is a destination for investors who want to take advantage of quite a virgin territory where double digit return on vested money is possible for well planned ventures.

MORE ON TANZANIA 1- Kilimanjaro To The Roof of Africa by Audrey Salkeld 2- Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro By Stephan Carmichael 3- Serengeti Natural Order On African Plain by Mitsuaki Iwago 4- The Volunteer by Carter Coleman 5- Birds Of Northern Tanzania And Kenya by Dale A. Zimmerman 6- Purity And Exile Violence, Memory And National Cosmology / Among The Hutu Refugees In Tanzania by Liisa H. Malkki 7- A Plague of Paradoxes AIDS, Culture And Demography In Northern Tanzania / by Philip Setel 8- Managing Motherhood Risk Fertility And Danger In West Central Tanzania / by Denise Roth Allen

9- Serengeti Lion A Study of Predator-Pray Relations by George B. Schaller 10- The Leopard Son A True Story by jacquekine A. Ball 11- Voices of The Poor Poverty And Social Capital In Tanzania by Deepa Narayan-Parker 12- Performing The Nation Swali Music And Cultural Politics In Tanzania / by Kelli Michelle Askew 13- The Serengeti's Great Migration by Carlo Mari 14- African Dinausaurs Unearthed The Tendaguru Expeditions by Gerhard Maier 15- Gender, Family And Work by Collin Creighton 16- Country Profile by The BBC 17- More News On Tanzania by Yahoo!

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GNP: US$ 8.92 billion (2000); 9.41 (2001); 9.88 (2002 ); 10.39 (2003)
GNP-growth rate: 5.2% (2000); 5% (2001); 5.2% (2002); 5% (2003)
GNP-per capita: US$ 287 (2000); US$ 289 (2003)

Click here for the difference between GNP and Parity Purchasing Power

GNP-composition by sector

1. agriculture: 48.1%
   

2. industry: 15.4%
   
3. services: 36.5%

Exports: US$ 937 million (f.o.b., 2000); 898 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: coffee, manufactured goods, cotton, cashew nuts, minerals, tobacco, sisal
Exports - partners: India 15.2%, Japan 12.4%, Netherlands 9.2%, UK 6.8%, Belgium 6.5%, Kenya 5.9%, Germany 4.8% (2002)

Imports: US$ 1.57 billion (f.o.b., 2000); 1.73 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: consumer goods, machinery and transportation equipment, industrial raw materials, crude oil.
Imports - partners: South Africa 12.7%, China 7.9%, Kenya 6.6%, India 6.3%, UK 6%, Japan 4.5%, US 4%, Australia 4% (2002)

FOR CURRENCY EQUIVALENCE CLICK HERE

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A valid passport for 3 months beyond sojourn duration and a visa are required for most nationalities. Tickets and documents for return or onward travel might be requested. An International Vaccination for yellow fever is required if arriving from infected areas within 5 days. For more contact one of the following addresses:

Tanzania Tourist Board PO Box 2485, Dar es Salaam Tel: +(255) 51 111244 +(255) 51 136105 Fax: +(255) 51 116420 Website: Click here Email: safari@ud.co.tz	Canada Embassy of the Republic of Tanzania 50 Range Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 8J4 Tel: +(1) 613 2321500 Fax: +(1) 613 2325184 tzottawa@synapse.net
USA Embassy of the Republic of Tanzania 2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 Tel: +(1) 202 9396125 Fax: +(1) 202 7977408 balozi@tanzaniaembassy-us.org	UK Embassy of the Republic of Tanzania 43 Hertford Street, London, W1Y 8DB Tel: +(44) 171 4998951 Fax: +(44) 171 4919321 tanzarep@tanzania-online.gove.uk balozi@tanzarep.online.gove.uk

Tanzania is well connected to its Southern African neighbors through daily or weekly schedules of their national carriers; and to the Middle East and Europe through international air carriers: Lufthansa, Swissair, AirFrance, South African Airways etc...

Its waterways: Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Lake Nyasa permit transshipment of goods and commodities particularly crude oil through a pipeline of 982 km length.

Its main Ports and harbors are: Bukoba, Dar es Salaam, Kigoma, Kilwa Masoko, Lindi, Mtwara, Mwanza, Pangani, Tanga, Wete.

Zanzibar Merchant marine has: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,618 GRT/26,321 DWT ships by type: cargo 2, oil tanker 2, passenger-cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1998)

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