III.

Population

The population of Tanzania consists mostly of members of more than 120 black African groups, the majority of which speak a Bantu language. The largest ethnic groups are the Sukuma and the Nyamwezi. Other groups of significant size include the Haya, Ngonde, Chagga, Gogo, Ha, Hehe, Nyakyusa, Nyika, Ngoni, Yao, and Masai. The population also includes people of Indian, Pakistani, and Goan origin, and small Arab and European communities. People living in rural areas make up 62 percent of the population. About 45 percent of Tanzanians are Christians; Roman Catholicism is the largest denomination. Islam is the religion of about one-third of the people on the mainland and is dominant on Zanzibar. Less than one-fifth of the population follows traditional religions. Swahili and English are the official languages of Tanzania, but many people continue to use the language of their ethnic group.

A.

Population Characteristics

The population of Tanzania (2007 estimate) is 38,139,640, giving the country an overall population density of 43 persons per sq km (111 per sq mi). Yet the population distribution is irregular, with high densities found near fertile soils around Kilimanjaro and the shores of Lake Malawi, and comparatively low density throughout much of the interior of the country. In the late 1960s and 1970s the Tanzanian government resettled most of the rural population in collective farming villages as part of its socialist agenda. The country’s population growth rate is 1.85 percent (2007).

The largest city, Dar es Salaam, has a population (1999 estimate) of 2,545,000. Other major cities are Mwanza (population, 1988; 233,013), a port on Lake Victoria, and Tanga (187,634), an industrial center and seaport. Zanzibar (157,634) is the largest city on the island. Dodoma (189,000) has been designated as the eventual capital of Tanzania.

B.

Education

Primary education is free and compulsory in Tanzania, but not enough schools are available to accommodate all of the children, and only 84 percent of primary school-aged children are enrolled. It is estimated that 80 percent of people over the age of 15 are literate. Institutions of higher education in Tanzania include the University of Dar es Salaam (1961); the Open University of Tanzania (1992), also in Dar es Salaam; and Sokoine University of Agriculture (1984), in Morogoro.

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.