Tanzania
Africa Β· Capital: Dodoma
How it is run: Tanzania is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Tanzania is home to 70.5 million people in Eastern Africa, where people speak English, Swahili.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
70.5 million people
That is 0.9% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
945,087 kmΒ²
Bigger than Texas β a long road trip from one side to the other.
ποΈ How crowded
About 75 people per square kilometre β a comfortable mix of cities and open land.
π Size in its region
5th most people in Africa
13th largest by land in Africa.
π£οΈ Official languages
English, Swahili
More than one language is used for official business.
π° Money
Tanzanian shilling (Sh)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
67.2 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$1,319
A lower-income country: money for schools, clinics and roads has to stretch a very long way.
π’ Living in cities
36.9% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
π Kids under 15
42.3% of the population
A very young country β schools have to be built quickly.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+255
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.tz
π§ People here are called
Tanzanian
π·οΈ Name at home
Tanzania
Also written: Tanzania, United Republic of, United Republic of Tanzania, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
African Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Tanzania touches 8 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Tanzania
French
Tanzanie
Arabic
ΨͺΩΨ²Ψ§ΩΩΨ§
Chinese
ε¦ζ‘ε°ΌδΊ
Japanese
γΏγ³γΆγγ’
Russian
Π’Π°Π½Π·Π°Π½ΠΈΡ
Portuguese
TanzΓ’nia
German
Tansania
Put it in perspective π
- Nigeria β the most populated country in Africa β has about 3.4Γ as many people as Tanzania.
- Tanzania covers roughly 9,001 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Tanzania lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 35,273 km.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Tanzania is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
π·οΈ Official name
United Republic of Tanzania
ποΈ Capital
Dodoma
π Region
Africa Β· Eastern Africa
π€ Country code
TZ
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Tanzania π
Mount Kilimanjaro
Africa's highest peak, 5,895 m, with glaciers sitting almost on the equator. Climbers pass through five climate zones on the way up.
See it in Street Viewπ§ Where on the map
6.0Β° S, 35.0Β° E
π Half of the world
Southern & Eastern hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC+2 β when it is noon in London it is about 14:00 in Dodoma.
- Tanzania shares its part of the world with Burundi. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- Tanzania lies in the tropics, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, so the sun gets very high overhead.
- Tanzania sits in Eastern Africa, in the southern and eastern half of the globe.
- Tanzania is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
- Tanzania is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Tanzania has 2 official languages. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Tanzania can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Tanzania spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Tanzania?
Dodoma
Which money do people spend in Tanzania?
Tanzanian shilling (Sh)
How many countries share a land border with Tanzania?
8 β Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia.
Roughly how many people live in Tanzania?
70.5 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.