Though one of the world’s poorer countries, Tanzania has a wealth of natural riches and traveller attractions. Safari game viewing is unparalleled, whether in the world famous Serengeti, site of the annual wildebeest migration, and the stunning Ngorongoro Crater or in less visited national parks like Selous Game Reserve. Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, is one of the world’s great trekking challenges and after conquering Kili you can unwind on the tropical island of Zanzibar, exploring its history in Stone Town and relaxing on its exquisite beaches. Explore in depth highlights of Tanzania.
| Tours | Unesco WHS | Guidebooks |
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| groups tours with set departures |
World Heritage Sites | country, regions and cities |
| Time zone: | GMT +3 (Eastern Africa time) | Daylight savings: None |
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| Main languages: | English, Swahili | Other languages: Arabic |
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| Currency: |
Tanzanian shillings (TZS) €1 = X2494, $1 = X2235, £1 = X2972 (rates as of Sep 2016) |
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| Internet Domain: | .tz | International Dialling Code: 255 |
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For help planning your trip to Tanzania including visas, vaccinations, currency exchange, flights, accomodation and insurance, see our Tanzania trip planning page.
Further information on Tanzania
Discover more about Tanzania - the country's geogrpahy and natural features, an assessment of its status on freedom and rights and data on the country's population and economy.
Geography & Natural Features
Total area: 945,087 sq km (59,050 sq km under water)
Coastline: 1,424 km (Indian Ocean)
Neighbours (border lengths): Burundi (451km), Democratic Republic of the Congo (459km), Kenya (769km), Malawi (475km), Mozambique (756km), Rwanda (217km), Uganda (396km), Zambia (338km)
Climate: Tropical climate along the coast and Zanzibar, temperate in the highlands. The main rainy season is between April and May. The cool, dry season which follows between July and September is the best time for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro allowing unobstructed views. The great herd migration occurs in the Serengeti between December and May with calving season in January and February.
Highest mountain: Kilimanjaro (5,895m) - Climb this mountain!
Freedom & Rights
Summary status and rankings for Tanzania from classifications of different organisations measuring political and economic freedom, democracy and civil rights. See more details of these rankings.
| Index | Status | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Freedom in the World | Partly Free | - |
 | Democracy Index | Hybrid regime | 86/167 |
 | Economic Freedom | Mostly Unfree | 109/179 |
 | Press Freedom | Noticeable problems | 74/179 |
 | ILGA LGBT rights | No rights | - |
 | Corruption Perceptions | Medium corruption | 119/174 |
| Overall Ranking: | 120/195 | ||
Other Data & Links
Full name: United Republic of Tanzania Status: Independent Country
Population: 49,639,138 (rank: 25/196) Density: 52.5 people/sq km (rank: 124/196)
Ethnic groups: mainland - African 99% (of which 95% are Bantu consisting of more than 130 tribes), other 1% (consisting of Asian, European, and Arab); Zanzibar - Arab, African, mixed Arab and African
Religions: mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 35%; Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim
GDP (PPP): $79.29 billion GDP per capita: $1,700 (rank: 168/195)
Information derived from the CIA World Factbook. Other country profiles: BBC News.