
Tanzania Guide
Tanzania – country information
Country name | Tanzania |
Official name | United Republic of Tanzania |
Capital | At home |
Continent | Africa |
Area | 945,087 km2 |
Population | 44,928,923 (2012) |
Foundation of a state | 26/04/1964 |
The highest mountains | Uhuru 5895 m (Kilimanjaro) |
Longest rivers | Rufiji 1400 km |
The largest lakes | Ukerewe (Victoria) 68,800 km 2 |
State system | transition to a multi-party system; presidential type republic |
The biggest cities | Dar es-Salaam (capital) 1,725,000, Mwanza 320,000, Tabora 280,000, Mbeya 240,000, Tanga 230,000, Zanzibar 190,000, Dodoma (seat of the legislature) 150,000 |
Official language | Swahili, English |
Ethnicity/National Composition | language groups Nyamwezi and Sukuma 22%, Swahili 9%, Hehet and Bena 7%, Makonde 5.8%, Haya 5.7%, others 50.5% |
Religious affiliation | Christians 35%, Muslims 34%, traditional and other religions 31% |
Currency | 1 Tanzanian shilling (T Sh) = 100 cents |
gross domestic product (GDP) | US$1,627 (2012) |
Average life expectancy of the population | 45.64 years (2006) |
Tanzania – Neighboring States
State | Capital | Area | Population |
Burundi | Bujumbura | 27,834 km2 | 10,163,000 |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | Kinshasa | 2,344,860 km2 | 67,514,000 |
Kenya | Nairobi | 580,367 km2 | 44,354,000 |
Malawi | Lilongwe | 118,484 km2 | 16,363,000 |
Mozambique | Maputo | 801,590 km2 | 23,700,715 |
Rwanda | Kigali | 26,338 km2 | 10,537,222 |
Uganda | Kampala | 241,038 km2 | 35,357,000 |
Zambia | Lusaka | 752,618 km2 | 14,580,290 |
Country overview
According to Abbreviationfinder, Tanzania, which lies in East Africa on the coast of the Indian Ocean, was formed in 1964 by the merger of mainland Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which form the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba.
Country data
Location: East Africa
Time zone: CET + 2 (during summer time: CET + 1)
Total area: 947,300 km²
Land area: 885,800 km²
Water area: 61,500 km²
Length of the state border: 3,861 km
Bordering countries:
Burundi: 451 km
Kenya: 769 km
Congo, Democratic Republic: 459 km
Malawi: 475 km
Mozambique: 756 km
Rwanda: 217 km
Zambia: 338 km
Uganda: 396 km
Coastline: 1,424 km
Capital: Dar es Salaam
Regions: 30
Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Geita, Iringa, Kagera, Kaskazini Pemba, Kaskazini Unguja, Katavi, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Kusini Pemba, Kusini Unguja, Lindi, Manyara, Mara, Mbeya, Mjini Magharibi, Morogoro, Mwanza, Njombe, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Simiyu, Singida, Tabora, Tanga
Telephone code: 00 255 (Source: Allcitycodes)
Highest point: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m
Population
Population: approx. 50 million residents (Countryaah, 2021)
Population growth: 2.8% per year
Population density (residents per km²): 53
Life expectancy: 60 (male), 63 (female)
Official language: Swahili, English
Religions:
- 35% Muslim
- 30% Christians
- 35% other
Climate
There are 4 different climatic regions in Tanzania:
Coastal area (Indian Ocean):
- very high humidity (over 70% on average)
- average daily temperature around 28 ° C
- the hottest months are from October to February
- Rainy season from March to May
Central plateau:
- strong temperature fluctuations every day
- during the day it is often very hot
- it can get very chilly at night
Edge plateau (between coastal plain and central plateau)
- temperate climate
- pleasant temperatures (around 22 ° C)
- only from October to November is it hot
Lake areas:
- there are very often heavier rains here
- there is permanently higher humidity
Currency / finance
Currency unit: Tanzanian Shilling (TZS)
Classification: 1 Schilling = 100 Senti / Cent
ATMs: are only available in larger cities.
International credit cards: These are only accepted in a few shops in the big cities.
Regulations: The import and export of the local currency is not permitted. There is no limit to the amount of foreign currencies that can be imported. The export is limited to the declared import.
We recommend using the US dollar as the foreign currency. However, only recent banknotes should be carried.
Outside of the big cities there are hardly any opportunities to change money.
Since it is seldom possible to exchange the local currency back, you should only exchange the amounts that you actually need!
Customs regulations
The following may be carried duty-free:
- 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco
- 1 liter of alcoholic beverages
- small amounts of perfume
(Information applies to people aged 18 and over)
Tourists and people in transit can bring items of personal use with them duty-free.
In order to ensure the export of valuable goods, the customs authorities can request the deposit of a guarantee upon entry.
Travel advice
Particular caution is advised when visiting religious sites and tourist attractions, as terrorist attacks cannot be ruled out.
Behavioral advice
You should avoid staying in isolated areas or in crowds, as violent crime is high.
There is a particularly great danger in the border regions in the north and west of the country, as there are many refugees from neighboring countries.
Economy
Due to the aggressive mining in the last decades, the deposits of diamonds have been exhausted. With this, Tanzania has lost a previously important source of income.
With the export of agricultural products (bananas, cotton, spices, coffee, coconuts, corn, cassava, tea, sugar cane) one tries to earn foreign exchange.
Industries: mining, wood processing, agriculture, textile manufacturing
Natural resources: diamonds, precious stones, iron ores, natural gas, gold, coal, nickel, phosphates, hydropower, tin
Land use:
- Usable land: 3%
- Grain cultivation: 1%
- Pasture area: 40%
- Forests: 38%
- other: 18%
Plants
There are many swamps and wetlands in the coastal areas. These go over to the interior in grasslands and long savannas.
The large forest areas are in the higher regions.
Animals
Most of the animal species that are native to the African continent are represented in Tanzania. These include, for example: monkeys, antelopes, buffalo, elephants, hippos, giraffes, lions, rhinos, ostriches and zebras.
Several national parks and protected areas have been created to protect the animals and to arouse tourist interest.