Tanzania

Tanzania lies in eastern Africa, south of the Equator, with a mainland coast on the Indian Ocean. It shares land borders with Kenya and Uganda to the north; Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south. The offshore islands of Zanzibar and Pemba are part of the United Republic.

The mainland’s landscape includes coastal plains, an extensive interior plateau, highlands and branches of the East African Rift System. Rift depressions contain long, deep lakes, including Lake Tanganyika, while Lake Victoria occupies the northern border region. Mount Kilimanjaro, a volcanic massif in the northeast, rises to 5,895 metres and is the highest point in Africa. Differences in elevation and distance from the coast produce varied climates and habitats, from savanna and woodland to mountain forest.

The country’s union brought together two former states. Tanganyika became independent from Britain in 1961; Zanzibar became independent in 1963 and underwent a revolution in January 1964. On 26 April 1964, Tanganyika and Zanzibar formed the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania later that year. The union is the defining feature of the modern state.

Dodoma is the national capital. Dar es Salaam, the country’s largest city, remains a major commercial centre and seaport. Zanzibar has a separate constitution and government administration, giving the country a distinctive arrangement that combines a national government with an autonomous island government.

Tanzania is home to many ethnic communities and local languages. Swahili, also called Kiswahili, serves as a national language and a lingua franca used across communities; it also has a broader role in communication across eastern and central Africa. English is used in higher education and public life, alongside Swahili and local languages. The country’s cultural landscape reflects long-standing connections among inland societies, the coast and Indian Ocean trade networks, particularly in Zanzibar.

Tanzania’s National Bureau of Statistics and Zanzibar’s Office of the Chief Government Statistician counted 61,741,120 residents in the 2022 Population and Housing Census. The census distinguished the mainland from Tanzania Zanzibar and documented the country’s demographic and social conditions; the figure is a dated census count, not a current population estimate.

The World Bank describes Tanzania’s economy as diversified across agriculture, industry and services. Agriculture remains the largest source of employment, supporting livelihoods across rural areas, while mineral resources, infrastructure, trade and services also matter. The Bank notes that sustained economic growth has not translated as quickly into poverty reduction and improved livelihoods in recent years, an important distinction when assessing development progress.

Tanzania’s parks, landscapes and historic settlements are internationally recognized. UNESCO’s World Heritage list for the country includes natural sites such as Kilimanjaro National Park and Serengeti National Park, as well as cultural properties including Stone Town of Zanzibar and the ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara. The Serengeti is notable for the annual movement of large herds of herbivores toward water, followed by predators; Kilimanjaro’s exceptional height and isolated volcanic massif shape its ecology. These sites are significant both as protected heritage and as places where conservation, local livelihoods and tourism intersect.