Tanzania mainland and tiny Zanzibar Island just off the northeast coast from the country's capital Dar es Salaam combine to form the united country. Tanzania mainland used to be called Tanganyika before the union. It attained its independence in 1961 from Great Britain and Zanzibar attained its independence three years later in 1964. The two countries then formed The United Republic of Tanzania in 1964.
Tanzania lies just south of the Equator between the great Lakes of Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa on the west frontier and the Indian Ocean on the east. The country is bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda and Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south.
The governance of the country of Tanzania is carried out through 29 regions. This is similar to the 50 states in America. The mainland has 24 regions and Zanzibar Island has 5 regions. Every region has its own smaller districts similar to counties within each US state. Each district is comprised of three to four wards. And, five to seven villages compose each ward.
There are two forms of government: (1) the local government and (2) the central government. Districts are the most important local administrative authorities responsible for implementing public services.
To date Tanzania is estimated to have over 59 million people. Zanzibar makes up a mere 1.3 million people of the total. According to the world population statistics, Tanzania is considered as one of the countries in the world with the highest birth rates.
The country has a very young population with 45% of the population under the age of 15. Half of the population is between the ages of 15 and 64, while only 5% of the population is over the age of 64. Tanzania has more than 120 ethnic groups living in the country.
Catholics make up the majority of the religious practicing population in Tanzania.
Tanzania has enjoyed a high level of stability among the African countries since its independence over 50 years ago. The country has enjoyed peace because of the strong leadership of its first President Julius Kambarage Nyerere. He is the most respected leader in the history of the country.
He guided the country as President from 1961 and voluntarily retired in 1985. His influence is remarkable in the life of Tanzanian people. Three Presidents succeeding him have intentionally governed Tanzania in a manner that maintains his legacy. In 1992, multi-party politics was introduced in the country.
Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world in terms of per capita income. The economy of the country is mostly dependent on agriculture, which accounts for more than one quarter of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Overall, most of the country's GDP growth is based on its gold production and tourism.
Its GDP real growth rate is approximately 7% and GDP per person is $ 1,700. Most of Tanzania's labor force by occupation is related to agriculture - approximately 80%. People working in industry and the service sector comprise the remaining 20% of the labor force.
Since independence the government has strived to practice a "socialistic" economy focusing on agricultural production and its efforts to improve social services for its citizens. However, the policies the government did not reflect the real experience and working habits of rural areas.
Most of Tanzania's citizens work in some way related to agricultural production. To this day, poor infrastructures in the country's agriculture sector have been the source of low production and continued poverty.
The government receives grants from international funding agencies like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and bilateral country donors, who provide funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's aging economy and infrastructure. In recent years the government has introduced structural adjustment policies, which have promoted economic and trade liberalization, including the liberalization of agricultural production and distribution.
The financial sector in Tanzania has expanded in recent years. Foreign owned banks have increased and now account for 48% of the banking industry’s total assets. To be sure, foreign commercial bank competition has significantly improved the efficiency and quality of financial services in Tanzania.
