The history of Tanzania
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by: Fred Mlaponi
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Word Count: 1143
The United Republic of Tanzania as it exists today consists of the union of what was once Tanganyika and the islands of Zanzibar. Formerly a German colony from the 1880s through 1919, the post-World War I accords and the League of Nations charter designated the area a British Mandate (except for a small area in the northwest.
British rule came to an end in 1961 after a relatively peaceful transition to independence. At the head of the transition was Julius Nyerere, a former schoolteacher and intellectual who entered politics in the early 1950s. In 1953 he was elected president of Tanganyika African Association (TAA), a civic organization dominated by civil servants, that he had helped found while a student at Makerere University. In 1954 he changed TAA into the politically oriented Tanganyika African National Union (TANU), This party was mainly to achieve national sovereignty for Tanganyika. A campaign to register new members was launched, and within a year TANU had become the leading political organization in the country. Nyerere became Minister of British-administered Tanganyika in 1960 and continued as Prime Minister when Tanganyika became officially independent in 1961. since this time the government was owned by mono party, which was TANU, later is was then changed to CCM in 1977, this system went up to 1992, where the government launched the multi party system, here the government started to be challenged and the democratic system start to be established, also here the government was under president Ally Hassan Mwinyi, he is from island, he ruled from 1985 up to 1995, then left to Benjamini Mkapa who ruled up to 2000. The government was ruled Three president past, and from 2000 up to currently under Jakaya kikwete, from then up to now the ruling party is Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM)
Soon after independence, Nyerere's first presidency took a turn to the Left after the Arusha Declaration, which codified a commitment to Pan-African Socialism, social solidarity, collective sacrifice and "ujamaa" (familyhood). After the Declaration, banks were nationalized as were many large industries.
After a Leftist revolution overthrowing the Sultan in neighboring Zanzibar, which had become independent in 1963, the island merged with mainland Tanganyika to form the nation of Tanzania on April 26, 1964. The union of the two, hitherto separate, regions was disputable among many Zanzibaris but was accepted by both the Nyerere government and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar owing to shared political values and goals. Also this union is not for all matter, it there for some matter
Tanzania's president and National Assembly members are elected by direct popular vote after the interval of five-year.. The president appoints a prime minister who serves as the government's leader in the National Assembly. The president selects his cabinet from among National Assembly members. The Constitution also empowers him to nominate ten non-elected members of Parliament, who also are eligible to become cabinet members .The unicameral National Assembly elected in 2000 has 295 members. These 295 members include the Attorney General, five members elected from the Zanzibar House of Representatives to participate in the Parliament, the special women's seats which are made up of 20% of the seats that a given party has in the House, 181 constituent seats of members of Parliament from the mainland, and 50 seats from Zanzibar. Also in the list are forty-eight appointed for women and the seats for the 10 nominated members of Parliament. At present, the ruling CCM holds about 93% of the seats in the Assembly.
Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda on the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique on the south. To the east it borders the Indian Ocean.
Tanzania is the world 31st largest country with about 364,875 mē (945,087 kmē) it comes after Egypt.
To the north and west of Tanzania there are the Great Lakes of Lake Victoria (Africa's largest lake) and Lake Tanganyika (Africa's deepest lake). Central Tanzania comprises a large plateau, with plains and arable land. The eastern shore is hot and humid, with the island of Zanzibar lying just offshore. Also Tanzania contain the famous national parks and Game reserve which flags Tanzania in high level of tourism. Many people of Tanzania are participate mostly in agriculture, hence large number of people are living in rural area.
Tanzania has more than 126 ethnic groups and each ethnic group has its own language. Swahili is the of the fact official national language, used for inter-ethnic communication and for official matters. After attaining independence, English, the language of colonial administration during the area of British rule, was still used for some official issues, and was thus considered of the fact official alongside Swahili.
To the north and west of Tanzania there are the Great Lakes of Lake Victoria (Africa's largest lake) and Lake Tanganyika (Africa's deepest lake). Central Tanzania comprises a large plateau, with plains and arable land. The eastern shore is hot and humid, with the island of Zanzibar lying just offshore. Also Tanzania contain the famous national parks and Game reserve which flags Tanzania in high level of tourism.
For a long time the Tanzania economy has suffered several shocks with severe destabilizing effects. They include the oil shocks. collapse of commodity prices, drought, breakup of the East African Community and the Uganda war. These shocks coupled with a poor policy regime culminated in severe economic crisis in the early I 930s. Several adjustment measures were implemented since 1981 but by mid 1990 fiscal instability was still severe.
The privatisation programme is now concentrating on the large and monopolistic enterprises whose privatisation has to be preceded by formulation of a legal and regulatory framework.
In early 1996, the Government committed itself to a shadow programme monitored by the IMF and from September 1996 a three-year Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF) underpinned by a Policy Framework Paper (PFP). To-date, Tanzania has made significant progress in restoring macro economic stability. Overall fiscal balance (including grant) has been a surplus of around 0.8 to I.2 percent of GDP during the past three years. Inflation has been controlled from more than 30 percent in 1995 to 6.6 percent in early 2000. Foreign reserves have increased from 1.5 months of merchandise imports in 1995 to 4.5 months currently.
Many people of Tanzania are participate mostly in agriculture, hence large number of people are living in rural area.
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About the Author
Fred Mlaponi is a Tanzanian Student researcher on work experience with Wild Things and MK Safaris in Tanzania http://www.wildthingsafaris.com . http://www.mksafaris.com
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