Tanzania is a nation in East Africa with an eastern border on the Indian Ocean.National Geographic: Tanzania Facts
On March 29, 2009, 15 people were killed in a central Tanzania train collision after a goods train hit a stationary passenger train in Dodoma. Bodies were still being recovered as wreckage was moved, so the death toll may rise.International Herald Tribune: Tanzanian official: Train crash kills at least 15 (March 29, 2009)
Fast Facts:
- Capital: DodomaNational Geographic: Tanzania Facts
- Largest city: Dar es SalaamNational Geographic: Tanzania Facts
- Government: Republic
- Current President: Jakaya Kikwete
- Population: 41,048,532CIA World Factbook: Tanzania overview
- Currency: Tanzanian Shilling (TZS)
- Exchange Rate: 1 USD 1,174.15TZS
- Official Language: Swahili
- HDI: 0.467 (low)
- Economy: agriculture, diamond and gold mining and oil refiningNational Geographic: Tanzania Facts
- Exports: gold, coffee and cashew nutsNational Geographic: Tanzania Facts
Brief History and Background
Tanzania was created from the merger of the former British colonies of Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964. More than twice the size of California, Tanzania is home to over 120 distinct ethnic groups (with nearly as many languages), and contains some of the most significant natural attractions in all of Africa. While Swahili is the official national language, English is used in universities as a medium of communication between different ethnic languages and dialects. Tanzani remains one of the poorest countries in the world; however, between 2000 and 2006 the nation experienced a phenomenal annual growth rate averaging 5.8%.BBC News: Country Profile: Tanzania
Geography
Tanzania shares borders with eight other African nations which from the south, clockwise, are Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya. The country is home to Africa's highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, and contains part of the Serengeti Desert. Tanzania also borders three of the Great Lakes of Africa: Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Nyasa.CIA World Factbook: Tanzania overview
