Tanzania

Tanzania is one of the most politically stable countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, with leadership determined by free and fair multi-party elections since the mid-1990s. Its government has shown a strong commitment to improving governance both nationally and regionally. However, widespread poverty and environmental degradation have prevented it from successful development. Unification Tanzania is the product of a 1964 union between Tanganyika and the island of Zanzibar. Shortly after independence, Tanzania’s first president Julius Nyerere, issued the Arusha Declaration, intending ... more

Tanzania is one of the most politically stable countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, with leadership determined by free and fair multi-party elections since the mid-1990s. Its government has shown a strong commitment to improving governance both nationally and regionally. However, widespread poverty and environmental degradation have prevented it from successful development.

Unification

Tanzania is the product of a 1964 union between Tanganyika and the island of Zanzibar. Shortly after independence, Tanzania’s first president Julius Nyerere, issued the Arusha Declaration, intending to create a self-reliant and somewhat socialist economy of cooperative farming. Achieving Nyerere’s vision, however, required the forcible resettlement of 85% of Tanzania’s rural population. This mass resettlement transformed Tanzania into a nation of starving subsistence farmers and created significant resentment throughout the country, eventually resulting in the decline of the industrial sector. Despite its relative political stability and a strong sense of national identity, there has recently been much conflict over the autonomy of Zanzibar both within Tanzania and in the international community.

Economy

Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. In 2006, it ranked 162nd out of 177 countries in the UNDP Human Development Index. Around 80% of the population is dependent on subsistence agriculture and commodity exports. Unlike many other African nations, Tanzania is not rich in exportable natural resources, however much of its economic growth in recent years has occurred in the mining industry. Despite this growth and a steady influx of foreign investment (motivated by increasing economic liberalization), Tanzania remains behind on the Millennium Development Goals; while poverty reduction is readily visible in urban areas, in rural agricultural regions, poverty seems to be worsening. Although there is a relatively high level of workforce participation among Tanzanian women, access to health services and education remains inadequate.

Environmental Degradation

In 1990, 46% of Tanzania's land area was covered by forests; fifteen years later, forested land was reduced to 37.5%. Deforestation rates have increased significantly in order to provide fuel for the growing population and as a result of agricultural expansion. This is despite the fact that over 40% of the country is being preserved in parks such as the Serengeti National Park. It is thus necessary for development initiatives in Tanzania to take environmental sustainability into consideration.

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