COUNTRY FACT SHEET | BASIC INFORMATION Government President: The United Republic of Tanzania was formed after the union of two Sovereign States, Republic of Tanganyika and People’s Republic of Zanzibar in 1964. One-party rule came to an end in 1992 with the first multi-party elections held since independence. H.E. Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Vice-President: H.E. Dr. Mohammed Gharib Bilal President of Zanzibar: H.E. Dr. Ali Mohammed Shein Prime Minister: Hon. Mizengo Peter Pinda Tanzania is located in Eastern Africa between longitude 290 and 410 East and latitude 10 and 120 South. The eastern part of Tanzania borders on the Indian Ocean with a coastline of 1,424 km from Kenya to Mozambique. In the north, Tanzania borders on Kenya 769 km and Uganda 396 km while in the west, it borders on Rwanda 217 km, Burundi 451 km, and Democratic Republic of the Congo 459 km. In the south, Tanzania borders on Zambia 338 km, Malawi 475 km and Mozambique 756 km. Background Location: Area: Resource Base: Population: Capital: Ethnic Groups: Languages: Regions: Districts: Independence: Constitution Executive: Legislature: Legal System: Judiciary: Mainland Tanzania: 945,090 sq. km.; Zanzibar: 2500 sq. km. Natural Resources: arable and pasture land; wetlands, inland water bodies (62,050 sq. km.) and the Indian Ocean. Forests and woodlands (3,350 sq. km). Mineral resources: gold, diamonds, nickel, coal, iron ore, gemstones, natural gas, caustic soda; small reserves of copper, silver, platinum; unconfirmed reserves of uranium. Planted area Mainland Tanzania: 1.5 million hectares during short rains, 5.7 million hectares during rainy season. Zanzibar: 11,100 hectares during short rains and 67,200 during rainy season. 41.9 million (Mainland 39.3 million; Zanzibar 1.2 million, 2008 est.) Female (51 per cent); Male (49 per cent) Age Structure: Under 15 years (40 per cent); 15-64 years (48 per cent); over 65 years (12 per cent) Dar es Salaam (Commercial Capital), Mwanza, Tanga, Arusha, Mbeya, Dodoma and Zanzibar. About 120 ethnic groups, the largest representing 13 per cent; remaining large groups under 5 per cent each and minority of Asians and Europeans. Official languages: Kiswahili and English, with Kiswahili being the widely spoken and written language. 21 Mainland and 5 Zanzibar 133 in Mainland Tanzania and 10 in Zanzibar 9 December 1961, Tanganyika; Zanzibar, 1963 (Revolution 1964) 1977, amended in 1992 to allow multi-party political system (last amendment 2005); Zanzibar Constitution 1984, last amended 2010) The President - Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Head of the Cabinet – heads the executive of the United Republic. The Vice President of the Union Government and the Prime Minister of the Union Government come immediately under him. Zanzibar has its President and the First Vice President and Second Vice President come under him. After the 2010 General Elections, the National Assembly consists of 357 seats including elected MPs and Special seats. Out of these, 50 MPs are from Zanzibar. The 239 National Assembly members are elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies using the first-past-the post system. The House reserves 102 seats for women elected by their political parties on the basis of proportional representation among the political parties represented in the National Assembly. The Zanzibar House of Representatives indirectly elects 5 members and up to 10 members may be appointed by the President of URT. The legal system is based on the English Common Law system, a legacy from British colonial times. The system of government, to a large degree, is based on the Westminster Parliamentary model. The Judiciary is formed by the various courts of judicature and is independent of Government. The Judiciary has five tiers, the Court of Appeal of the United Republic of Tanzania, the High Court for Mainland Tanzania. Magistrate courts are at two levels: the Resident Magistrate Courts and the District Courts, both of which have concurrent jurisdiction. Primary courts are the lowest in the judiciary hierarchy. Apart from sharing the Court of Appeal of the United Republic of Tanzania with Mainland Tanzania, Zanzibar has a distinct and separate legal system. Besides the High Court of Zanzibar, there are Magistrate Courts and Kadhi Courts. xii