Tanzania |
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Links to relevant external web sites:
- East Africa Standard newspaper web site for current news
- allAfrica.com has news from all over Africa
- Anglican church of Tanzania
Geography and People 
Tanzania is the largest of the East African countries. Savannah grassland and semi-desert bush cover more than half of the country. The most fertile areas are the southern and northern highlands, the coastal plain and the area bordering the Great Lakes. The country is rich in wildlife.
There are over 120 ethnic groups in Tanzania - mostly Bantu in origin. No single group dominates. The largest is the the Sukuma (12%), then Makonde (4%), Chagga, Ha, Nyamwezi, Gogo and Hehe (3% each). Swahili is the national language. English is widely used in secondary education and above. Dodoma is the political capital and Dar es Salaam the commercial capital.
Some of the oldest human remains have been found in Tanzania. The present population derives chiefly from the waves of migration of Bantu and Nilo-Hamitic peoples over the last 1000 years. Trade across the Indian Ocean was the dominant feature of the coast, until Arab invaders developed the slave and ivory trade. European explorers and then missionaries aroused European interest in East Africa. The country was colonised as German East Africa from the 1880s, in spite of heroic resistance from Mkwawa, Chief of the Hehe, and many others. After the First World War, Tanganyika became a British Protectorate. The country achieved independence in 1961 under the presidency of Julius Nyerere and, after union with Zanzibar in 1964, became known as the United Republic of Tanzania.
In the Arusha Declaration of 1967 Nyerere set out the national policy of Ujamaa based on African Socialism, which owed more to traditional culture and Christianity than to Marxism. He aimed at mutual respect for all, eradication of inequalities and of colonial and ethno-centric mentalities, self-reliance and the advancement of the poorest of the poor. He was a committed Roman Catholic and renowned for his integrity and incorruptibility. He resigned in 1985 and died in 1999. Multi-party elections took place for the first time in 1995.
Tanzania was the first country in Africa to have universal primary education, and the literacy rate was higher than that of the USA, but since Nyerere's resignation, primary school enrolment has fallen to 70%, and literacy from 84% to about 70%. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has yet to peak in Tanzania, but already 1.6m are infected and it continues to militate against the achievement of social targets.
Economy Tanzania is reckoned the seventh poorest country in the world with half the population living below the poverty line. This is partly due to declining international market prices for cash crops such as coffee, the most important export. As a heavily indebted poor country, it qualifies for HIPC debt cancellation. Yet by the end of 2000, only a tiny proportion of its debts have been cancelled. Instead of helping to resource his nation's health and education, services, the typical Tanzanian citizen pays 40% of his income to Western creditors. Most people work on the land, many as subsistence farmers. Only half of them have access to safe water. Even so, inequalities between rich and poor are less in Tanzania than in most parts of Africa. Internal travel is by road (often affected by the weather, rail, and domestic flights).
Religion and Church One third of Tanzanians are Muslim, about 45% Christian and about 22% follow traditional religion. Religious freedom is guaranteed. Roman Catholics and Protestants are equal in number, with the Lutherans the largest Protestant denomination, followed by the Anglican Church (ACT) with about half a million members. The northern and western dioceses are predominantly in the evangelical tradition, whilst the coastal and southern dioceses are traditionally Anglo-Catholic. This divide is being challenged by the Province and the dioceses are being encouraged to work more closely together. Crosslinks first sent mission partners in 1954 and is now more committed to partnership with Tanzania than to any other country. The Society supports theological training at all levels, as well as medical and social service of many kinds. There are opportunities for Bible teaching and evangelism in new areas of the south. Personal links between the Tanzanian Church and parishes in Britain and Ireland are fostered through mission partners and sponsorship of students. Prayer needs |
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