Tanzenia United Republic

Tanzenia United Republic

AREA	945,087 sq km (364,900 sq miles).
POPULATION	28,251,511 (1995).
POPULATION DENSITY	29.9 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Dodoma (administrative capital designate)., ). Dar es Salaam remains the capital for the time being.
CAPITAL POPULATION	203,833 (1988). , 1,651,534 (1995).
GEOGRAPHY	The United Republic of Tanzania lies on the Indian Ocean and is bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, by Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, and by Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south. The Tanzanian mainland is divided into several clearly defined regions: the coastal plains, which vary in width from 16-64km (10-39 miles) and have lush, tropical vegetation; the Masai Steppe in the north, 213-1067m (698-3500ft) above sea level; and a high plateau in the southern area towards Zambia and Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi). Savannah and bush cover over half the country, and semi-desert accounts for the remaining land area, with the exception of the coastal plains. Over 53,000 sq km (20,463 sq miles) is inland water, mostly lakes formed in the Rift Valley. The United Republic of Tanzania includes the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, about 45km (28 miles) off the coast to the northeast of the country.
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 State: President Benjamin William Mkapa since 1995. Head of Government: Prime Minister Frederick Sumaye since 1995.
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.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 3.
ELECTRICITY	240 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs may be round or square 3-pin, fused or unfused.

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