United Republic of Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania, one of the most populous countries in East Africa, sits directly south of the Equator and shares its borders with Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi to the northwest, Kenya to the northeast, Mozambique to the southeast, Malawi directly south and Zambia to the southwest. It is bordered by Lake Victoria, Lake Nyasa, Lake Tanganyika and the Indian Ocean. Tanzania’s approximately 947,303 km² territory holds an array of diverse landscapes.

Northwestern Tanzania is home to massive mountain landforms including Mount Kilimanjaro, a popular attraction for hikers and the highest mountain in Africa, as well as the world’s highest free-standing mountain. Contrarily, the lowest point in Africa is at the floor of Lake Tanganyika, the westernmost region of Tanzania. Towards the center is where the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area are situated, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and among Africa’s leading safari destinations.

Other than Tanzania’s geological wonders, archaeological sites and historical records confirm that it is one of the origins of humanity; its rich culture and diverse ethnicity have lasted until this day, spreading their indigenous art and wisdom through agricultural activities, fishing, mining and tourism.

Demographics

Tanzania’s population, as at the 2022 Population and Housing Census, was 61,741,120. The World Bank’s 2024 estimate was 68,560,157. Tanzania remains one of the most populous countries in East Africa.

The high total fertility rate and a youthful age structure have contributed to its population growth. The country’s high dependency ratio is mainly attributable to its youthful population, with a substantial majority of Tanzanians below the age of 25. About 38% of Tanzania’s population lives in urban residences, and the nation has amongst the fastest rates of urbanisation in the region.

Ethnic compositions in the Mainland and Zanzibar differ. The great majority of Mainland Tanzanians are of African descent, predominantly Bantu-speaking peoples, comprising more than 120 ethnic groups. The population in Zanzibar consists of Arabs, Africans and mixed Afro-Arabs.

Overall, the main religion practiced in Tanzania is Christianity and Islam; however, reliable official nationwide religious-composition data are limited, and the 2022 census did not publish a religion breakdown. Almost the entire Zanzibar population are Muslims. Christianity is more prevalent in much of the Mainland, while Islam is especially prominent in Zanzibar and coastal areas.

Among the hundreds of languages used in Tanzania, Swahili is the national language while English is widely used for administration, foreign trade and higher education. Other languages used include Arabic, Kiswahili—which is the same language as Swahili—and more than 100 local languages and dialects.

History

Tanzania is one of the principal regions associated with early human ancestry, with archaeological evidence dating back millions of years, including at Olduvai Gorge. Its modern history started with Portuguese exploration and occupation of the island of Zanzibar in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries respectively. Their occupation, however, did not last long as Omani Arabs ousted them in 1699.

During the nineteenth century, the Germans began to acquire territory on mainland Tanzania and formed a colony called German East Africa in the 1880s. The German colonisation was replaced by British administration following Germany’s defeat in the First World War, when Britain received a mandate from the League of Nations over Tanganyika in 1919, today’s mainland Tanzania.

Following public campaigns for independence and majority rule, Tanganyika became independent in 1961 and a republic one year later. Subsequently, Zanzibar achieved independence in 1963. In 1964, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to become the United Republic of Tanzania.

Tanzania’s then president, Julius Nyerere, established diplomatic relations with Britain in the 1960s and subsequently with China in the 1970s, which largely contributed to financing the construction of a railway link between Dar es Salaam and Zambia. After Nyerere’s socialism policy faced major economic difficulties, Ali Hassan Mwinyi took over as president in 1985 and strived to repair Tanzania’s economy by combating corruption and encouraging foreign investment.

Thereafter, the Constitution of Tanzania was amended in 1992 to allow multiple political parties. Tanzania’s first multi-party elections were held in 1995 and concluded with the win of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi party, which has remained the governing party. President Samia Suluhu Hassan became Tanzania’s first female President in 2021 and was re-elected in 2025.

Key Dates

1498 The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama explores the East African coast, including the Tanzanian coast.

1506 The Portuguese occupied Zanzibar.

1884 Germans began seizing mainland Tanzanian territory.

1919 League of Nations gives Britain a mandate over Tanganyika.

1961 Tanganyika gains independence on 9^th December and joins the British Commonwealth.

1963 Zanzibar becomes independent.

1964 The United Republic of Tanzania is established with the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar on 26^th April.

1967 President Nyerere codifies socialism in the Arusha Declaration, nationalising banks and important commercial companies.

1985 President Nyerere retires from the Presidential position and is replaced by Ali Hassan Mwinyi.

1992 The Constitution is amended to allow multiple political parties.

1995 Tanzania holds its first multi-party elections and Benjamin Mkapa from the Chama Cha Mapinduzi party is elected as President of Tanzania.

2021 Samia Suluhu Hassan becomes Tanzania’s first female President.

2025 Samia Suluhu Hassan is re-elected President.

 

Legal System and Government

The Tanzanian government is a presidential republic based on multiparty parliamentary democracy following the amendment to the Constitution. The president, representing a registered political party, is elected by direct popular vote to serve a five-year term and a maximum of two terms. The president appoints a prime minister to perform the role of government leader in the National Assembly, which is the unicameral legislature.

Most of the members of the Assembly are directly elected, while some are indirectly elected and a minority are appointed. To promote gender equality in political participation and representation, the Constitution requires that women hold not less than 30% of all categories of Members of Parliament, including through special seats allocated to political parties.

Following the 2025 general election, 264 Members of Parliament were directly elected to represent constituencies, 113 special seats were allocated for women, five members were elected by the Zanzibar House of Representatives and up to 10 members may be appointed by the President. The National Assembly together with the President forms the Parliament of Tanzania, which performs the legislative functions and scrutinises governmental activities.

As a British colony during the twentieth century, Tanzania inherited and adopted the English common law system, which has been modified to suit Tanzanian constitutional, statutory and social conditions. Tanzania’s sources of law are as follows: the 1977 Constitution, the Statutes or Acts of Parliament, case law, Received Laws, and customary and Islamic law.

Customary law and Islamic law may apply in appropriate personal, family, succession and inheritance matters, subject to statutory law and constitutional requirements. Zanzibar also maintains a distinct legal and constitutional framework for non-Union matters. Members of the judiciary are appointed by the President upon consultations from the Chief Justice. As stipulated in the Constitution, Tanzanian judges and magistrates are independent of the government and are only required to observe the Constitution and the law.

Economy

The economy in Tanzania has experienced steady growth in recent years and remains one of the faster-growing economies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2010 and 2019, Tanzania’s GDP annual growth was 6%–7% on average. On 1 July 2020, following Tanzania’s increase in GNI per capita from $1,020 in 2018 to $1,080 in 2019, Tanzania’s status was upgraded from being low income to lower-middle income as its 2019 GNI per capita surpassed the threshold of $1,036 for lower-middle income status.

In 2024, Tanzania’s real GDP grew by 5.5%, compared with 5.1% in 2023. GDP at current prices was approximately TZS 156.6 trillion, equivalent to about US$78.8 billion.

The agricultural sector is the foundation of the economy in Tanzania, accounting for around one-quarter of GDP and employing a substantial share of the workforce. Apart from being crucial to Tanzanians in terms of employment opportunities, local agriculture is also key to Tanzanians as their major food source. As the geography and climate of Tanzania are diverse, Tanzanian farmers are able to grow a variety of crops, for instance food and cash crops, fruits, vegetables and spices. Maize, wheat, rice and sugar are amongst the most widely grown crops. They also raise cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and chicken.

The agricultural sector is also looking to see optimistic growth with the flagship project, Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT), as a source of foreign financing to boost crop production levels. The country strategic opportunities programme by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) also plays a part in improving farmers’ access to markets and promoting agricultural investments both publicly and privately.

Tanzania’s wealth of natural resources extends to minerals and metals. This contributes to the development of its mining sector, which is one of its leading industries. Gold remains the dominant mineral export and principal goods export. Tanzania also produces diamonds, tanzanite, rubies, coal, iron ore, graphite and industrial minerals.

Tanzania is among Africa’s leading gold producers. Gold exports were valued at approximately US$3.42 billion in 2024 and accounted for 39.8% of goods exports during FY 2024/25. Tanzania is also known for its abundance of gemstones including diamond and ruby. In particular, tanzanite, one of the rarest coloured stones, is exclusive to the Mererani Hills in Northern Tanzania. Industrial minerals like limestone and soda ash are also found and mined in Tanzania.

Tourism is another industry that has made significant contributions to Tanzania’s economy. Tourism earnings reached approximately US$3.9 billion in the year ending February 2025, supported by wildlife tourism, Mount Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar’s beaches and cultural tourism. Tourists are attracted by the wildlife and beaches of Tanzania, as they are considered among the finest in the world. Constituting more than 25% of Tanzania’s total area, the wildlife national parks and protected areas in Tanzania include national parks, game reserves, forest reserves, conservation areas and marine parks and reserves.

Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world, is also a popular international tourist attraction. The Tanzania Tourist Board is actively supporting cultural tourism enterprises in promoting cultural tourism, where tourists can experience the way of life of indigenous people, learn traditional handicrafts, taste local cuisines and much more.

 

Trade

The GDP of Tanzania reached approximately US$78.8 billion in 2024. In FY 2024/25, exports of goods and services amounted to approximately US$14.41 billion, up from US$12.13 billion in the corresponding previous period.

Gold was the largest goods export, followed by traditional exports such as cashew nuts, tobacco, coffee, cotton, tea and horticultural products. Tourism and transport services are also major foreign-exchange earners. Exports of goods were approximately US$8.47 billion in FY 2024/25, while service receipts were approximately US$5.94 billion.bot.go

Key export destinations include the United Arab Emirates, India, South Africa, Switzerland, Kenya and other regional African markets. The main products imported in Tanzania include mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation, machinery, mechanical appliances, vehicles, iron and steel, fertilisers and electrical equipment. These imports are mainly procured from China, the UAE, India, Saudi Arabia and regional trading partners.

As a member of the East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Tanzania enjoys free trade opportunities with multiple countries including members of EAC. Through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) of the US and the Everything But Arms (EBA) programme of the EU, Tanzania can export eligible goods into US and EU markets duty-free and quota-free.

Investment Opportunities

The Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) cooperates with entities to promote quality investments in Tanzania. With the support of Tanzania Investment Bank and other financial institutions, many investment projects are seeking joint venture partnership.

Regarding investment opportunities in the agricultural sector, fruit and vegetable processing has great potential because only a small proportion of Tanzania’s annual fruit and vegetable production is processed. For instance, the rapidly developing avocado sub-sector in Tanzania offers a wide variety of opportunities for interested investors. In addition, Tanzania’s large livestock population allows the leather sector as well as the meat and dairy sector to have significant investment potential.

Investment opportunities in Tanzania’s mining industry include the operation of gold refinery activities, gemstone cutting and polishing, rock and mineral carvings, mineral processing and mineral exploration. Reliable energy and transport alternatives are also much sought-after by the mining sector. Natural-gas development, power generation, transmission infrastructure, logistics and value-added mineral processing also present significant opportunities.

Tanzania’s Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), which are areas exclusive for nurturing wildlife habitats, offer meaningful and profitable investment opportunities. Since WMAs are completely managed by local communities, investors’ support directly goes to the socio-economic wellbeing of surrounding communities. This also leads investors to explore investments in the tourism sectors such as tour operators, travel agencies, hotel management and construction, infrastructure ventures and training institutions to support the continued growth in tourist arrivals and tourism receipts.