Tanzania Travel Guide

Country Facts

Location

East Africa.

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 in more remote regions.

Area

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

Time Zone

GMT + 3.

Electricity

230 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are mostly UK-style square three-pin, though European round two-pin plugs can also be found, fused or unfused. Power cuts are common in the rainy season, though most large hotels and businesses have back-up generators.

Population

41.0 million (estimate 2009).

Population Density

43.4 per sq km. (estimate 2009).

Capital City

Dodoma. Population: 2.4 million (UN estimate 2003).

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.

Head of Government

Prime Minister Peter Mizengo Pinda (since 2008).

Head of State

President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete since 2005. Zanzibar is semi-autonomous and has its own parliament and president (President Amani Abeid Karume since 2000).

Religion

Mainland: Christian (30%), Muslim (35%), Indigenous beliefs (35%). Zanzibar: Muslim (99%).

Recent History

Ever since independence in 1964, the Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), formerly known as the Tanzanian African National Union (TANU), has remained entrenched as the dominant force in Tanzanian politics. President Benjamin Mkapa stood down in 2005 and was succeeded by the long-serving foreign minister Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, who was elected president in 2005 with 80.3% of the vote. The Civic United Front (CUF), with a strong power base on Zanzibar (most notably the island of Pemba), managed to secure 19 parliamentary seats out of a total of 319. Elections on these islands were closely contested between CCM and CUF and marred by violence, intimidation and allegations of vote rigging.

While the Zanzibar & Pemba separatist movement has remained relatively subdued in recent years, the island's increasing dislocation from the rest of Tanzania cannot be ignored, and a more powerful drive towards autonomy may yet emerge during the next elections scheduled for 2010.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +255. 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. Local providers, including Zain (Celtel), Vodacom, Tigo and Zantel, offer low-cost SIM cards with local numbers and reasonably priced pay-as-you-go services.

Internet

E-mail can be accessed in Internet cafes in main urban areas, which are affordable and efficient. Those in more remote towns that rely on satellite access are a little more expensive.

Media

Until the 1990s, Tanzania's media was largely state controlled. Founding president Julius Nyerere believed TV 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. There are now several channels as well as DSTV (Digital Satellite Television), a South African subscription satellite channel. Numerous private radio stations are on the air. Although liberalization laws were brought into force in 2001, these do not apply to Zanzibar, where there are no private broadcasters or newspapers, though many locals can receive mainland broadcasters and read the mainland press.

Post

Airmail to Europe takes one to two weeks. Courier services take three working days.Generally Mon-Fri 0800-1300 and 1400-1630; Sat 0900-1200.

Press

• Government-owned Daily News is Tanzania's oldest newspaper.
• Private English-language newspapers The Guardian and This Day.
• Private Swahili-language newspapers Nipashe and Alasiri.
• 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, Radio Sky, Radio Star 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.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
9 Dec Independence and Republic Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
12 Jan Zanzibar Revolution Day
15 Feb Birth of the Prophet
22 Apr Good Friday
25 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)
30 Aug Eid al-Fitr (Ramadan)
14 Oct Nyerere Day
6 Nov - 7 Nov Eid al-Adha
9 Dec Independence and Republic Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
12 Jan Zanzibar Revolution Day
4 Feb 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)
19 Aug Eid al-Fitr (Ramadan)
14 Oct Nyerere Day
25 Oct Eid al-Adha
9 Dec Independence and Republic Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day
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, especially along the coast and on the islands. Zanzibar and Pemba are fairly conservative and during this time it is considered highly impolite to eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight hours. 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

IPS Building, Samora Avenue, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Tel: (22) 211 1244/5.
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) 884 1080.
Website: www.tanzaniaembassy-us.org