Tanzania Today

Although there are some serious challenges ahead, the future for the 36 million Tanzanians looks OK. Apart from the situation in Zanzibar, where there is considerable tension between the two major political parties and the October 2000 elections were accompanied by violence and allegations of electoral fraud, politically things are fairly stable. The Dar es Salaam bombing of 1996 was a big shock for the local population5. Another terrorist attack could prove to be a disaster for the economy, but there is little support for religious extremists in the country.

The political system is essentially a loose union between Tanzania and Zanzibar. Zanzibar retains its own immigration rules (you get another stamp in your passport, but don't have to pay for another visa) and control over virtually all its domestic policies. Foreign and defense policy are shared. The president of Tanzania for the period 2000 to 2005 is Mr Benjamin Mkapa.

The national language of Tanzania is Swahili, or KiSwahili to be precise. It was originally only spoken by one ethnic group6, but has now been chosen as the national language. Swahili is a vehicular language, combining elements of Bantu languages, Arabic, English and a little German. English is very commonly spoken, especially in cities. Conversely, if you head off the beaten track, you may meet people who speak only Sukuma, or Masai.

Economically, Tanzania is poor, no doubt about it. Tourism brings in money, but this doesn't always percolate throughout the economy. Other cash crops, such as coffee or cotton, have seen catastrophic falls in value on occasions. If you want to generalise, the Tanzanian economy is caught in the same trap as many other African states, exporting the raw materials at low prices, while others make the serious money in processing. 80% of the population work in agriculture, although a lot of this is subsistence farming. The reviving of regional economic co-operation with Kenya and Uganda can only help in the long term, even if Kenya tends to dominate the commercial exchanges. Corruption is a problem, but less so than in the neighbouring countries. Despite this, Tanzania achieved a fairly healthy GDP growth rate of 5% in 2003.

The local currency is the Tanzanian shilling. It is fairly stable, and handily usually converts at around 1000 shillings to the US dollar. Dollars can be used directly in most hotels (although probably not guest houses - the lowest rung on the accomodation ladder) and in tourist shops. National Park fees must be paid in dollars. Everywhere else you'll be better off changing your money first - traveller's cheques work and are a good way to carry your money safely. Credit cards are only accepted in the top end shops and hotels, on the whole.

As with much of Africa, AIDS is a major issue. Nearly 8% of the adult population have HIV/AIDS, with a particularly high rate of infection among young adults. There is a National AIDS Plan and Commission, and measures to combat the spread of the disease are beginning to gather pace. More information on what's happening can be found in a Health and Family Planning Overview for Tanzania from the U.S. Agency for International Development (PDF document).

For general facts and figures on Tanzania, see the CIA World Factbook. For further political sources see the official Tanzanian government gateway.