5% of Tanzania is fertile and can be used to grow crops.
1% of the land is used for permanent crops.
40% is taken up by pastures and meadows.
47% of the land is made up of forests.
7% is left over for other uses.

Dodoma will be the new capital of Tanzania by the end of the 1990s.


Independence
On December 9th, 1961, Tanganyika (the old name for Tanzania's mainland) gained independence from Britain.

Zanzibar (One of Tanzania's islands) gained independence from Britain on December 19th, 1963.

On April 26th, 1964, Tanganyika and Zanzibar united to become the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.

Later that year, in October, the new country was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania.


National holiday
Union Day, 26 April (1964)


Languages
Swahili and English are the official languages of Tanzania.

Swahili is widely spoken and is taught in school.

English is mostly used for business and government, and is taught in higher education.

Most people speak one of the local languages as their first language.


Population
28,701,077 (July 1995 est.)


Age
47% of all Tanzanians are between 0-14 years of age.
50% of the population is between 15-64 years old.
The remaining 3% are 65 years and over.


Life expectancy at birth
Male Tanzanians are expected to live to be 40.
Female Tanzanians are expected to live to be 44.


Total fertility rate
Women have an average of 6 children each.


Ethnic divisions
99% of Tanzanians are native Africans (consisting of well over 100 tribes). The remaining 1% is made up of Asians, Europeans, and Arabs.


Religions
Muslim 45%, Christian 35%, native beliefs 20%

The island of Zanzibar is almost 100% Muslim.


Literacy
59% of all Tanzanians are literate.

71% of males can read and write.

48% of females can read and write.