Tanzania

REGION: East Africa
CAPITAL CITY: Dar es Salaam
POPULATION: 37,627,000
LAND AREA: Twice the size of California

The United Republic of Tanzania came into being in 1964, following the merger of Zanzibar (an island nation) and Tanganyika (principally mainland). Today's Tanzania also includes the islands of Mafia and Pemba. As so many African countries, Tanzania transitioned during the second half of the 20th century from socialist to capitalist economic systems. Clear economic progress has been achieved in recent years. Between 2000 and 2006, the annual growth rate averaged 5.8 percent ― making Tanzania among the best performers in Sub-Saharan Africa. A major source of revenue has been tourism. Tanzania has wildlife-rich national parks such as the Serengeti; it has the highest point in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro; and it is bordered by three of Africa's largest lakes: Lake Victoria (the world's second-largest freshwater lake), Lake Tanganyika (the world's second deepest lake) and Lake Nyasa. Yet the average Tanzanian remains poor. Only 4 percent of the country's land is arable, and 80 percent of the work force depends on agriculture. In addition, Tanzania has received thousands of refugees from conflicts elsewhere in the Great Lakes region.

(Updated, Dec. 18, 2007)