Tanzania

C

Culture

Tanzanian culture is a product of African, Arab, European, and Indian influences. Traditional African values are being consciously adapted to modern life.

The country’s main libraries are located in Dar es Salaam, including the library of the University of Dar es Salaam, the National Archives, and the British Council Library. A lending service at the Dar es Salaam Technical College (1956) also circulates books by mail throughout the country. Zanzibar has several community and school libraries in addition to the Museum Library and the Zanzibar National Archives. The National Museum of Tanzania is located at Dar es Salaam. The Zanzibar Government Museum is located in the city of Zanzibar.

IV

Economy

The economy of Tanzania is primarily agricultural. Some 82 percent of the economically active population is engaged in farming, forestry, or fishing, and agricultural products account for a significant share of annual exports. The country is one of the world’s largest producers of sisal and cloves.

With an estimated per capita income of $316 a year, Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. From the late 1960s through the 1970s the government pursued a form of “African socialism,” aimed at reviving and modernizing precolonial African social and economic structures. The government nationalized most banks and industries in 1967. In the mid-1980s, after a decade of economic decline, Tanzania began moving away from socialist policies and adopted an economic recovery program. Agricultural production increased, as did financial support from donor nations. Since the mid-1990s the government has privatized many industries and banks, and has adopted financial restraints recommended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The estimated national budget in 1996 included $733 million in revenues and $768 million in expenditures.

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A

Agriculture

Much of the world production of cloves comes from Zanzibar and Pemba islands, and cloves are the islands’ principal export. For the country as a whole, chief exported crops are cashews, tobacco, and coffee. Cotton, tea, and sisal are also exported. The principal food crops for domestic consumption include corn, cassava, sorghum, rice, millet, sweet potatoes, and plantains. The livestock population includes cattle, goats, sheep, and poultry.

B

Forestry and Fishing

Timber production in Tanzania in 2005 totaled 24 million cu m (848 million cu ft), nearly all of which was used as fuel. Timber includes camphor, podo, and African mahogany. Fish and fish products are important Tanzanian exports. The fish catch in 2004 was 347,806 metric tons, most of which was caught in inland waters, especially Lake Victoria. Sardines and tuna are caught in the Indian Ocean.

C

Mining

Tanzania is rich in minerals and its mining sector is expanding. Diamonds, the top mineral export for decades, were surpassed in importance by gold in the late 1990s. Gold is by far Tanzania’s top export earner. Many other precious gemstones are found in Tanzania, including rubies, sapphires, and tanzanite, which is found nowhere else in the world. Coal, limestone, tin, salt, lead, iron ore, and tungsten are also mined in the country.