Tanzania is located in Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique.
Tanzania has borders with Burundi for 451km, Congo (Kinshasa) for 459km, Kenya for 769km, Malawi for 475km, Mozambique for 756km, Rwanda for 217km, Uganda for 396km and Zambia for 338km.
Land in Tanzania is plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south.
Tanzanian land covers an area of 945087 square kilometers which is slightly larger than twice the size of California
As for the Tanzanian climate; varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands.
Tanzanian(s) speak Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguja (name for Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in Zanzibar), many local languages
note: Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety of sources, including Arabic and English, and it has become the lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of most people is one of the local languages.
Shortly after independence, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule came to an end in 1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s. Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and popular opposition have led to two contentious elections since 1995, which the ruling party won despite international observers' claims of voting irregularities.
Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy depends heavily on agriculture, which accounts for almost half of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 80% of the work force. Topography and climatic conditions, however, limit cultivated crops to only 4% of the land area. Industry traditionally featured the processing of agricultural products and light consumer goods. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and bilateral donors have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's out-of-date economic infrastructure and to alleviate poverty. Long-term growth through 2005 featured a pickup in industrial production and a substantial increase in output of minerals, led by gold. Recent banking reforms have helped increase private-sector growth and investment. Continued donor assistance and solid macroeconomic policies supported real GDP growth of more than 6% in 2005.
Tanzanian natural resources include hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel
Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa; bordered by three of the largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa in the southwest
Tanzanian religion is mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 35%; Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim.
Natural hazards in Tanzania include flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought.