Tanzania Country & Tourist Information

Location
East Africa.

Area
945,087 sq km (364,900 sq miles).

Population
38.4 million (UN estimate 2005).

Population Density
40.6 per sq km.

Capital
Dodoma.
Population: 1,692,025 (2002).

Government
Federal Republic since 1964. Tanganyika gained independence from the UK in 1961. In 1964, Tanganyika joined with Zanzibar, which had been a British protectorate until 1963, and became Tanzania.
Recent history: Following constitutional changes implemented in 1995, legislative power rests with the unicameral National Assembly (Bunge), which is elected every five years. The Bunge has 274 members of whom 232 are directly elected, 37 are reserved for women appointed by the President and five allocated to members of the regional Zanzibar Assembly. Executive power belongs to the President, who is directly elected every five years. Ruling party Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) remains the overwhelmingly dominant force in Tanzanian mainland politics. President Benjamin Mkapa was elected with 62 per cent of the vote in Tanzania’s first multi-party elections in 1995. He was re-elected in 2000 with 67 per cent of the vote and stood down in 2005. He was succeeded by the long-serving Foreign Minister Jakaya Kikwete who secured 80 per cent of the vote against a weak and divided opposition. The Civic United Front (CUF), with a strong power base on Zanzibar (most notably the island of Pemba), managed to secure 19 parliamentary seats there. Elections on the island have been closely contested between CCM and CUF and marred by violence, intimidation and serious allegations of rigging. After some thirty demonstrators were killed by the security forces during an opposition demonstration on Pemba island in 2001, reconciliation talks culminated in the signing of an agreement between CCM and CUF providing for an inquiry into the January 2001 violence; the dropping of charges against CUF members; by-elections to fill the 16 seats left vacant by CUF and the establishment of a permanent voter register for 2005 and reform of the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC). There were elections throughout Tanzania, including Zanzibar, on 14 December 2005. In Zanzibar, Zanzibar’s Electoral Commission (ZEC) had declared Amani Abeid Karume on 1 November 2005 as the winner of the Presidential poll, held amid tension and violence, particularly in the capital, Stone Town. However, the results were disputed with claims that Sharif Hamad of the Civic United Front (CUF) won the majority of votes. There have been many reports of demonstrations by CUF supporters on the island, who have alleged widespread fraud in the proceedings: claims denied by the electoral commission. The elections were marred by controversy from the very beginning, since nationwide voting across Tanzania had been postponed due to the death of opposition Vice-Presidential candidate, Jumbe Rajab Jumb; postponement that Zanzibar did not adhere to. These incidents only serve to underscore Zanzibar’s increasing dislocation from the rest of Tanzania and what many perceive as a drive for autonomy amongst some islanders.

Language
Kiswahili and English are the official languages. The terms Swahili and Kiswahili are used interchangeably, though the term Swahili normally refers to the people while Kiswahili refers to the language. Originating along the coast, Kiswahili is a Bantu language with many words derived from Arabic. Other African languages such as Bantu and those of Nilo-Hamitic and Khoisan origin are also spoken.

Religion
Muslim, Christian, Hindu and traditional beliefs.

Time
GMT + 3.

Electricity
230 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs may be round or square three-pin, fused or unfused.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Edward Lowassa since 2005.

Head of State
President Jakaya Kikwete since 2005.
Note: Zanzibar is semi-autonomous and has its own Parliament and President.
President of Zanzibar: Amani Karume.


Telephone
Country code: 255. IDD is available. In some rural areas, international calls must go through the operator. There are many public call boxes in post offices and main towns.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is limited to main urban areas.

Internet
E-mail can be accessed in Internet cafes in main urban areas.

Media
Until the 1990s, Tanzania’s media were largely state-controlled. Founding President Julius Nyerere believed television would increase the divide between rich and poor. It was only in 1994 that the first private station was launched, and in 2001 that state-run TV was first broadcast. Numerous private radio stations are on the air. Liberalization laws were brought into force in 2001, but these do not apply to Zanzibar. There are no private broadcasters or newspapers in Zanzibar, though many locals can receive mainland broadcasters and read the mainland press.

Post
Airmail to Europe takes one week. Courier services take less than 24 hours.

Press
Newspapers in Tanzania include the government-owned Daily News, which is Tanzania’s oldest newspaper; Uhuru, which is also owned by the government and published in Swahili; the private English-language newspapers The Guardian and Daily Mail; the private Swahili-language newspapers Nipashe and Alasiri; and the private weeklies Business Times, The Express and Arusha Times.

Radio
State-run stations include Radio Tanzania Dar es Salaam, Parapanda Radio Tanzania and Voice of Tanzania-Zanzibar. There are dozens of private FM radio stations, most of them operating in urban areas. Among the private networks are Radio Free Africa, Radio One and Radio Uhuru. News bulletins from international radio stations - including the BBC, Voice of America and Germany’s Deutsche Welle, are carried by many stations.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
12 Jan Zanzibar Revolution Day.
31 Mar Birth of the Prophet.
6 Apr Good Friday.
9 Apr Easter Monday.
26 Apr Union Day.
1 May International Labor Day.
7 Jul Saba Saba (Industry’s Day).
8 Aug Nane Nane (Farmer’s Day).
13 Oct Eid al-Fitr (Ramadan).
14 Oct Nyerere Day.
9 Dec Independence and Republic Day.
20 Dec Eid al-Kebir.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
12 Jan Zanzibar Revolution Day. 
20 Mar Birth of the Prophet.
21 Mar Good Friday. 
24 Mar Easter Monday.
26 Apr Union Day.
1 May International Labor Day.
7 Jul Saba Saba (Industry’s Day).
8 Aug Nane Nane (Farmer’s Day).
2 Oct Eid al-Fitr (Ramadan).
14 Oct Nyerere Day.
9 Dec Independence and Republic Day.
9 Dec Eid al-Kebir.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.


Note
Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be disrupted slightly. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Kebir (Eid al-Adha) may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region.

Contact Information:

Tanzania Tourist Board
PO Box 13837, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Tel: (22) 213 6177.
Website: www.tanzaniatouristboard.com

High Commission for the United Republic of Tanzania in the UK
3 Stratford Place, London WC1 1AS, UK
Tel: (020) 7569 1470.
Website: www.tanzania-online.gov.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1230 (visa applications) and 1400-1530 (visa collection only).

Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania in the USA
2139 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 939 6125/7.
Website: www.tanzaniaembassy-us.org


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