Country name:
conventional long form: United Republic of Tanzania
conventional short form: Tanzania
local long form: Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania
local short form: Tanzania
former: United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Dar es Salaam
geographic coordinates: 6 48 S, 39 17 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: legislative offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is
planned as the new national capital; the National Assembly now meets
there on a regular basis
Administrative divisions:
26 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kagera, Kigoma,
Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Manyara, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza,
Pemba North, Pemba South, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Singida,
Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South, Zanzibar North, Zanzibar
Urban/West
Independence:
26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent 9 December 1961 (from
UK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became independent 19
December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar 26 April
1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed
United Republic of Tanzania 29 October 1964
National holiday:
Union Day (Tanganyika and Zanzibar), 26 April (1964)
Constitution:
25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984
Legal system:
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts
limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December 2005);
Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July 2001); note -
the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December
2005); Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July 2001);
note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
note: Zanzibar elects a president who is head of government for
matters internal to Zanzibar; Amani Abeid KARUME was reelected to
that office on 30 October 2005
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
of the National Assembly
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ballot
by popular vote for five-year terms (eligible for a second term);
election last held 14 December 2005(next to be held in December
2010); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Jakaya KIKWETE elected president; percent of vote
- Jakaya KIKWETE 80.3%, Ibrahim LIPUMBA 11.7%, Freeman MBOWE 5.9%