Native name
Conventional long name	United Republic of Tanzania
Common name	Tanzania
Image coat	Coat of arms of Tanzania.svg
National motto	"Uhuru na Umoja"(Swahili)"Freedom and Unity"
National anthem	''Mungu ibariki Afrika''"God Bless Africa"
Official languages	Swahili (''de facto'') English (Higher courts, higher education)
Demonym	Tanzanian
Capital	Dodoma
Government type	Federal Republic
Leader title1	President
Leader title2	Prime Minister
Leader name1	Jakaya Kikwete
Leader name2	Mizengo Pinda
Largest city	Dar es Salaam
Area km2	945,203
Area sq mi	364,898
Area rank	31st
Area magnitude	1 E11
Percent water	6.2
Population estimate	43,739,000
Population estimate year	2009
Population estimate rank	30th
Population census	34,443,603
Population census year	2003
Population density km2	46.3
Population density sq mi	119.9
Population density rank	124th
Gdp ppp year	2009
Gdp ppp	$57.400 billion
Gdp ppp per capita	$1,416
Gdp nominal	$22.318 billion
Gdp nominal year	2009
Gdp nominal per capita	$550
Hdi year	2008
Hdi	0.530
Hdi rank	151st
Hdi category	medium
Gini	34.6
Gini year	2000–01
Gini category	medium
Sovereignty type	Independence
Sovereignty note	from the United Kingdom
Established event1	Tanganyika
Established event2	Zanzibar
Established event3	Merger
Established date1	9 December 1961
Established date2	10 December 1963
Established date3	26 April 1964
Currency	Tanzanian shilling
Currency code	TZS
Time zone	EAT
Utc offset	+3
Time zone dst	''not observed''
Utc offset dst	+3
Drives on	left
Cctld	.tz
Calling code	+2552
Footnotes	1 Estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.² 007 from Kenya and Uganda. }}

The United Republic of Tanzania ( ) is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.

The United Republic of Tanzania is a state composed of 26 regions (mikoa), including those of the autonomous region of Zanzibar. The head of state is President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, elected in 2005. Since 1996, the official capital of Tanzania has been Dodoma, where Parliament and some government offices are located. Between independence and 1996, the main coastal city of Dar es Salaam served as the country's political capital. Today, Dar es Salaam remains the principal commercial city of Tanzania and the ''de facto'' seat of most government institutions. It is the major seaport for the country and its landlocked neighbours.

The name Tanzania derives from the names of the two states Tanganyika and Zanzibar that united in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which later the same year was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania.

History

Tanzania is probably one of the oldest known inhabited areas on Earth; fossil remains of humans and pre-human hominids have been found dating back over two million years. More recently, Tanzania is believed to have been populated by hunter-gatherer communities, probably Cushitic and Khoisan speaking people. About 2,000 years ago, Bantu-speaking people began to arrive from western Africa in a series of migrations. Later, Nilotic pastoralists arrived, and continued to immigrate into the area through to the 18th century.

Travellers and merchants from the Persian Gulf and western India have visited the East African coast since early in the first millennium AD. Islam was practised on the Swahili Coast as early as the eighth or ninth century AD.

Claiming the coastal strip, Omani Sultan Seyyid Said moved his capital to Zanzibar City in 1840. During this time, Zanzibar became the centre for the Arab slave trade. Between 65% to 90% of the population of Arab-Swahili Zanzibar was enslaved. One of the most famous slave traders on the East African coast was Tippu Tip, who was himself the grandson of an enslaved African. The Nyamwezi slave traders operated under the leadership of Msiri and Mirambo. According to Timothy Insoll, "Figures record the exporting of 718,000 slaves from the Swahili coast during the 19th century, and the retention of 769,000 on the coast."

In the late 19th century, Imperial Germany conquered the regions that are now Tanzania (minus Zanzibar), Rwanda, and Burundi, and incorporated them into German East Africa. During World War I, an invasion attempt by the British was thwarted by German General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, who then mounted a drawn out guerrilla campaign against the British. 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, which was ceded to Belgium and later became Rwanda and Burundi.

British rule came to an end in 1961 after a relatively peaceful (compared with neighbouring Kenya, for instance) transition to independence. In 1954, Julius Nyerere transformed an organization into the politically oriented Tanganyika African National Union (TANU). TANU's main objective was 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. Soon after independence, Nyerere's first presidency took a turn to the Left after the Arusha Declaration, which codified a commitment to socialism in Pan-African fashion. After the Declaration, banks were nationalized as were many large industries.

After the Zanzibar Revolution overthrew the Arab dynasty in neighbouring Zanzibar, which had become independent in 1963, the island merged with mainland Tanganyika to form the nation of Tanzania on 26 April 1964. The union of the two, hitherto separate, regions was controversial among many Zanzibaris (even those sympathetic to the revolution) but was accepted by both the Nyerere government and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar owing to shared political values and goals.

From the late 1970s, Tanzania's economy took a turn for the worse. Tanzania also aligned with China, seeking Chinese aid. The Chinese were quick to comply, but with the condition that all projects be completed by imported Chinese labour. From the mid 1980s, the regime financed itself by borrowing from the International Monetary Fund and underwent some reforms. From the mid 1980s Tanzania's GDP per capita has grown and poverty has been reduced.

Politics

The President of Tanzania, and the members of the National Assembly, are elected concurrently by direct popular vote for five-year terms. The president appoints a prime minister who serves as the government's leader in the National Assembly. The president selects his Cabinet from among the National Assembly members. The Constitution also empowers him to nominate ten non-elected members of Parliament, who are also eligible to become cabinet members. Elections for president and all National Assembly seats were held in December 2005. Tanzania is a one party dominant state with the Chama Cha Mapinduzi in power. Opposition parties are widely considered to have no real chance of gaining power, though the country remains peaceful.

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 percent 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 Chama Cha Mapinduzi holds about 93 percent of the seats in the Assembly. Laws passed by the National Assembly are valid for Zanzibar only in specifically designated union matters.

Zanzibar's House of Representatives has jurisdiction over all non-union matters. There are seventy-six members in the House of Representatives in Zanzibar, including fifty elected by the people, ten appointed by the president of Zanzibar, five ''ex officio'' members, and an attorney general appointed by the president. In May 2002, the government increased the number of special seats allocated to women from ten to fifteen, which will increase the number of House of Representatives members to eighty-one. Ostensibly, Zanzibar's House of Representatives can make laws for Zanzibar without the approval of the union government as long as it does not involve union-designated matters. The terms of office for Zanzibar's president and House of Representatives also are five years. The semi-autonomous relationship between Zanzibar and the union is a unique system of government.

Tanzania has a five-level judiciary combining the jurisdictions of tribal, Islamic, and British common law. Appeal is from the Primary Courts through the District Courts, Resident Magistrate Courts, to the High Courts, and the Court of Appeal. Judges are appointed by the Chief Justice of Tanzania, except for those of the Court of Appeal and the High Court, who are appointed by the President. The Zanzibari court system parallels the legal system of the union, and all cases tried in Zanzibari courts, except for those involving constitutional issues and Islamic law, can be appealed to the Court of Appeal of the Union. A commercial court was established in September 1999 as a division of the High Court.

Economy

The economy is mostly based on agriculture, which accounts for more than half of the GDP, provides 75 percent (approximately) of exports, and employs approximately 75 percent of the workforce. Topography and climate, though, limit cultivated crops to only 4 percent of the land area.

The nation has many natural resources including minerals, natural gas, and tourism. Extraction of natural gas began in the 2000s. Gas is drawn into the commercial capital, Dar Es Salaam and exported to various markets overseas. The mineral sector started to pick-up slowly in the late 90s, major discoveries are announced regularly. However, the mineral sector has yet to start contributing significantly to the overall Tanzanian economy. On the other hand, the contribution of the tourism sector to the Tanzanian economy is steadily rising year after year. Industry is mainly limited to processing agricultural products and light consumer goods. Tanzania has vast amounts of minerals including gold, diamonds, coal, iron, uranium, nickel, chrome, tin, platinum, coltan, niobium, and other minerals. It is the third-largest producer of gold in Africa after South Africa and Ghana. Tanzania is also known for Tanzanite, a type of precious gemstone that is found only in Tanzania.

Tanzania is the home of the world-famous Kilimanjaro the highest mountain in Africa. She has dozens of beautiful beaches such as those found in Zanzibar and breathtaking national parks like the world-famous Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which generate tourism income that plays a vital part in the economy. Growth from 1991 to 1999 featured industrial production and a substantial increase in output of minerals, led by gold. Commercial production of natural gas from the Songo Songo island in the Indian Ocean off the Rufiji Delta commenced in 2004, with natural gas being pumped in a pipeline to Dar es Salaam, the bulk of it converted to electricity by public utility and private operators. A new gas field is being brought on stream in Mnazi Bay.

Recent public sector and banking reforms, as well as revamped and new legislative frameworks, have all helped increase private-sector growth and investment. Short-term economic progress also depends on curbing corruption.

Prolonged drought during the early years of this century has severely reduced electricity generation capacity (some 60 percent of Tanzania's electricity supplies are generated by hydro-electric methods). During 2006, Tanzania suffered a crippling series of "load-shedding" or power-rationing episodes caused by a shortfall of generated power, largely because of insufficient hydro-electric generation. Plans to increase gas- and coal-fueled generation capacity are likely to take some years to implement, and growth is forecast to be increased to seven percent or more per year.

There are two major airlines in Tanzania: the Air Tanzania Corporation and Precision Air; both provide local flights to Arusha, Kigoma, Mtwara, Mwanza, Musoma, Shinyanga, Zanzibar and regional flights to Kigali, Nairobi and Mombasa. There are also several charter firms and smaller airlines, such as Bold Aviation Ltd., Tropical Air and Coastal Aviation Ltd. There are two railway companies: TAZARA provides service between Dar-es-Salaam and Kapiri Mposhi, a district of the Central Province in Zambia. The other one is the Tanzania Railways Corporation, which provides services between Dar-es-Salaam and Kigoma, a town on the shores of Lake Tanganyika and between Dar-es-Salaam and Mwanza, a city on the shores of Lake Victoria. Several modern hydrofoil boats also provide transportation across the Indian Ocean between Dar-es-Salaam and Zanzibar.

Tanzania is part of the East African Community and a potential member of the planned East African Federation.

Regions and districts

Tanzania is divided into 26 regions (''mkoa''), 21 on the mainland and five in Zanzibar (three on Unguja, two on Pemba). Ninety-nine districts (''wilaya''), each with at least one council, have been created to further increase local authority; the councils are also known as ''local government authorities''. There are 114 councils operating in 99 districts; 22 are urban and 92 are rural. The 22 urban units are further classified as city councils (Dar es Salaam and Mwanza), municipal councils (Arusha, Dodoma, Iringa, Kilimanjaro, Mbeya, Morogoro, Shinyanga, Tabora, and Tanga) or town councils (the remaining eleven communities).

Tanzania's regions are: 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

Geography

At 947,300 km², Tanzania is the world's 31st-largest country. Compared to other African countries, it is slightly smaller than Egypt and comparable in size to Nigeria. It lies mostly between latitudes 1° and 12°S, and longitudes 29° and 41°E.

Tanzania is mountainous in the northeast, where Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, is situated. To the north and west are the Great Lakes of Lake Victoria (Africa's largest lake) and Lake Tanganyika (Africa's deepest lake, known for its unique species of fish). 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.

Tanzania contains many large and ecologically significant wildlife parks, including the famous Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park in the north, and Selous Game Reserve and Mikumi National Park in the south. Gombe National Park in the west is known as the site of Dr. Jane Goodall's studies of chimpanzee behaviour.

The government of Tanzania through its department of tourism has embarked on a campaign to promote the Kalambo water falls in the southwestern region of Rukwa as one of Tanzania's main tourist destinations. The Kalambo Falls are the second highest in Africa and are located near the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika. The Menai Bay Conservation Area is Zanzibar's largest marine protected area.

Climate

Tanzania has a tropical climate. In the highlands, temperatures range between () during cold and hot seasons respectively. The rest of the country has temperatures rarely falling lower than . The hottest period extends between November and February ( while the coldest period occurs between May and August (). Annual temperature is . The climate is cool in high mountainous regions.

Tanzania has two major rainfall regions. One is uni-modal (December–April) and the other is bi-modal (October–December and March–May). The former is experienced in southern, south-west, central and western parts of the country, and the latter is found to the north and northern coast.

In the bi-modal regime the March–May rains are referred to as the long rains or Masika, whereas the October–December rains are generally known as short rains or Vuli. As this country lies in equator here the climate is hot and humid. The easterlies winds cause rainfall in the eastern coastal region.

Environment

Tanzania has considerable wildlife habitat, including much of the Serengeti plain, where the white-bearded wildebeest (''Connochaetes taurinus mearnsi'') and other bovids participate in a large-scale annual migration. Up to 250,000 wildebeest perish each year in the long and arduous movement to find forage in the dry season. Tanzania is also home to 130 amphibian and over 275 reptile species, many of them strictly endemic and included in the IUCN Red Lists of different countries.

Tanzania has developed a Biodiversity Action Plan to address species conservation. A recently discovered species of elephant shrew called Grey-faced Sengi was filmed first time in 2005, and it was known to live in just two forests in the Udzungwa Mountains. In 2008, it was listed as "vulnerable" on the 2008 Red List of Threatened Species. Lake Natron is northern Tanzania is the largest breeding site for the threatened Lesser Flamingo, a huge community of which nest in the salt marshes of the lake. Areas of East African mangroves on the coast are also important habitats.

Demographics

As of 2006, the estimated population is 38,329,000, with an estimated growth rate of 2 percent. Population distribution is extremely uneven, with density varying from 1 person per square kilometre (3/mi²) in arid regions to 51 per square kilometre (133/mi²) in the mainland's well-watered highlands, to 134 per square kilometre (347/mi²) on Zanzibar. More than 80 percent of the population is rural. Dar es Salaam is the largest city and is the commercial capital; Dodoma, located in the centre of Tanzania is the new capital and houses the Union's Parliament.

The African population consists of more than 120 ethnic groups, of which the Sukuma, the Nyamwezi, the Chagga, the Nyakyusa, the Haya, the Hehe, the Bena, the Gogo and the Makonde all have more than 1 million members. Other groups include the Pare, Zigua, Shambaa and Ngoni. The majority of Tanzanians, including such large ethnic groups as the Sukuma and the Nyamwezi, have Bantu origins. Groups of Nilotic or related origin include the nomadic Maasai and the Luo, both of which are found in greater numbers in neighbouring Kenya. The Sandawe and Hadza speak languages of the Khoisan family peculiar to the people of the Kalahari in southern Africa.

The population also includes people of Arab, Indian, and Pakistani origin, and small European and Chinese communities. Many also identify as Shirazis. As of 1994, the Asian community numbered 50,000 on the mainland and 4,000 on Zanzibar. An estimated 70,000 Arabs and 10,000 Europeans resided in Tanzania. The Zanzibar Revolution of 12 January 1964 ended the local Arab dynasty. Thousands of Arabs and Indians in Zanzibar were massacred in riots, and thousands more were detained or fled the island.

Religion

{{bar box |title=Religion in Tanzania |titlebar=#ddd |left1=Religion |right1=percent |float=right |bars= }} Tanzania's population has been estimated to consist of roughly : – Christian 65%, Muslim 32%, followers of indigenous religious groups 3%. The CIA World Factbook however states that 40% of the population is Christian with Muslim being 35% and indigenous beliefs 25%.

The national census, however, has not asked for religious affiliation since 1967 as the religious balance is seen as a sensitive topic. As Tanzanians pride themselves on living together with their diversity, the use of a statistic that is conveniently equal is seen as avoiding rivalries between the various religious groups by not identifying the majority. All figures on religious statistics for Tanzania are at best educated guesswork and differ widely on the question whether there are more Christians or Muslims. Most assume that the share of traditionalists has dwindled.

The Christian population is mostly composed of OrthodoxandRoman Catholic. Among Protestants the strong numbers of Lutherans and Moravians point to the German past of the country, the numbers of Anglicans to the British history of Tanganyika. All of them have had some influence in varying degrees from the Walokole movement (East African Revival) which has also been fertile ground for the spread of charismatic and Pentecostal groups.

Zanzibar is about 97 percent Muslim. On the mainland, Muslim communities are concentrated in coastal areas, with some large Muslim majorities also in inland urban areas especially and along the former caravan routes. A large majority of the Muslim population is Sunni. The Islamic population of Dar es Salaam, the largest and most richest city in Tanzania, is composed of mainly Shia Muslims.

There are also active communities of other religious groups, primarily on the mainland, such as Buddhists, Hindus, and Baha'is.

Language

English is no longer a de jure official language in Tanzania, which is one of the few African states in which a local language has gained importance to the disadvantage of the ex-colonial language. Since English is still the language of higher courts, it can however be considered a de facto official language. Tanzanians see themselves as having two "official" languages, English and Swahili. Swahili is seen as the unifying language of the country between different tribes, who each have their own tribal language; English serves the purpose of providing Tanzanians with the ability to participate in the global economy and culture. The first language typically learned by a Tanzanian is that of his or her tribe, with Swahili and English learned thereafter.

According to the official linguistic policy of Tanzania, as announced in 1984, Swahili is the language of the social and political sphere as well as primary and adult education, whereas English is the language of secondary education, universities, technology, and higher courts. Though the British government financially supports the use of English in Tanzania, its usage in the Tanzanian society has diminished over the past decades: In the seventies Tanzanian university students used to speak English with each other, whereas now they almost exclusively use Swahili outside the classroom. Even in secondary school and university classes, where officially only English should be used, it is now quite common to use a mix of Swahili and English.

Other spoken languages are Indian languages, especially Gujarati, and Portuguese (spoken by Indians and Mozambican blacks, respectively) and to a lesser extent French (from neighbouring Rwanda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of the Congo). Historically German was widely spoken during that colonial period, but few remain alive who remember that time.

Education

The literacy rate Tanzania is estimated to be 72%. Education is compulsory for seven years, until children reach the age of 15 years, but most children do not attend school until this age, and some do not attend at all. In 2000, 57% of children age 5–14 years were attending school. As of 2006, 87.2% of children who started primary school were likely to reach grade 5.

Health

The under-five mortality rate in 2006 was 118 out of 1,000. Life expectancy at birth in 2006 was 50 years. The 15–60 year old adult mortality rate in 2006 was 518 out of 1,000 males and 493 out of 1,000 females.

The leading cause of death in children who survive the neonatal period is malaria. For adults, it is HIV/AIDS. Anti-retroviral treatment coverage for people with advanced HIV infection in 2006 was 14 percent. Other leading causes of death in under 5’s is pneumococcal disease (pneumonia) and rotavirus (diarrhoea).

2006 data show that 55 percent of the population had sustainable access to improved drinking water sources and 33 percent had sustainable access to improved sanitation.

Culture

The music of Tanzania stretches from traditional African music to the string-based ''taarab'' to a distinctive hip hop known as bongo flava. Famous taarab singers names are Abbasi Mzee, Culture Musical Club, Shakila of Black Star Musical Group.

Internationally known traditional artists are Bi Kidude, Hukwe Zawose and Tatu Nane.

Tanzania has its own distinct African rumba music, termed muziki wa dansi ("dance music") where names of artists/groups like Tabora Jazz, Western Jazz Band, Morogoro Jazz, Volcano Jazz, Simba Wanyika, Remmy Ongala, Marijani Shaabani, Ndala Kasheba, NUTA JAZZ, ATOMIC JAZZ, DDC Mlimani Park, Afro 70 & Patrick Balisidya, Sunburst, Tatu Nane and Orchestra Makassy must be mentioned in the history of Tanzanian music.

Tanzania has many writers. The list of writers' names includes well-known writers such as Godfrey Mwakikagile, Mohamed Said, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Prof. Julius Nyang'oro, Prof. Clement Ndulute, Prof. Frank Chiteji, Prof. Joseph Mbele, Juma Volter Mwapachu, Prof. Issa Shivji, Jenerali Twaha Ulimwengu, Prof. Penina Mlama, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, Adam Shafi, Dr. Malima M.P Bundala and Shaaban Robert.

Tanzania has remarkable position in art. Two styles became world known: Tingatinga and Makonde. Tingatinga are the popular African paintings painted with enamel paints on canvas. Usually the motifs are animals and flowers in colourful and repetitive design. The style was started by Mr. Edward Saidi Tingatinga born in South Tanzania. Later he moved to Dar Es Salaam. Since his death in 1972 the Tingatinga style expanded both in Tanzania and worldwide. Makonde is both a tribe in Tanzania (and Mozambique) and a modern sculpture style. It is known for the high Ujamaas (Trees of Life) made of the hard and dark ebony tree. Tanzania is also a birthplace of one of the most famous African artists – George Lilanga.

Sports

Filbert Bayi and Suleiman Nyambui both won track and field medals in the 1980 Summer Olympics. Tanzania competes in the Commonwealth Games as well as in the African Championships in Athletics.

Football is widely played all over the country with fans divided between two major clubs, Young African Sports Club (Yanga) and Simba Sports Club (Simba). Football is the most popular sport in Tanzania, despite the little success that has been achieved by the national team. To date, they have never qualified for the FIFA World Cup and have made just one appearance in the African Cup of Nations, back in 1980, where they finished last in their group with just 1 draw and 2 losses.

Basketball is also played but mainly in the army and schools. Hasheem Thabeet is a Tanzanian NBA player who plays for the Houston Rockets. He is the first Tanzanian to play in the NBA. Cricket is a rapidly growing sport in Tanzania after hosting the ICC Cricket League division 4 in 2008, Tanzania finished with one win for the tournament, and Tanzania also has its own national team. Rugby is a minor sport in Tanzania. Tanzania now has a national team, and used to be part of the East Africa team, but got separated. The city of Arusha is home to Tanzanian rugby, and the city was host to 2007 Castel Beer Trophy.

Communities

There are many Tanzanian communities abroad, most helping to reunite all Tanzanians from different countries. These communities have played important roles in many countries where there are no Tanzanian representatives such as Greece, the Netherlands, and others.

The Tanzanian community in Greece can easily be reached from their website. This community is in the front lines helping Tanzanians living in Greece.

Although it is a non-government organization, it has helped many Tanzanians on an event of Force Majeure like deaths, passport processing, and others.

There are also communities in Italy, the US, Canada, Sweden, the U.K, and others, which play important roles in helping Tanzanian expats in those countries.

See also

Education in Tanzania

Foreign relations of Tanzania

List of hospitals in Tanzania

List of Tanzanian companies

Military of Tanzania

Stamps and postal history of Tanzania

Tanzania Scouts Association

Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute

Tanzanian general election, 2005

References

External links

;Government

Chief of State and Cabinet Members

National government website

;General

Tanzania Maps

Tanzania from ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''

The Citizen from ''The Citizen – Tanzania most preferred independent English Newspaper''

Mwananchi from ''Mwananchi – Tanzania's most circulated daily Newspaper (Swahili)''

Mwanaspoti from ''Mwanaspoti – Tanzania most circulated biweekly sports and entertainment Newspaper''

;Culture

www.afrum.com – art from Tanzania

Tinga Tinga paintings

Tinga Tinga Cooperative

;Tourism

Tanzania National Parks

Tanzania.eu

Category:Tanzania Category:African countries Category:Bantu countries and territories Category:Countries of the Indian Ocean Category:East Africa Category:English-speaking countries and territories Category:Least developed countries Category:Member states of the African Union Category:Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations Category:Swahili-speaking countries and territories Category:States and territories established in 1964 Category:Member states of the United Nations

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{{infobox president| name	Jerry John Rawlings
order	President of Ghana(1st President of the 4th Republic)
term start	7 January 1993
term end	7 January 2001
vicepresident	Kow Nkensen Arkaah (1993-1997)John Atta Mills (1997-2001)
successor	John Agyekum Kufuor
birth date	June 22, 1947
birth place	Accra, Gold Coast)
order2	10th Head of state of Ghana
term start2	31 December 1981
term end2	7 January 1993
vicepresident2	None
predecessor2	Dr. Hilla Limann
successor2	Jerry John Rawlings
order3	8th Head of state of Ghana
term start3	4 June 1979
term end3	24 September 1979
predecessor3	General Fred Akuffo
successor3	Dr. Hilla Limann
party	military - AFRC (1979)military PNDC (1981-1993)National Democratic Congress(1993-2001)
spouse	Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings
party	military - AFRC (1979)military - PNDC(1981-1993)Multi-Party Democracy - NDC (1992-present)
profession	Fighter Pilot
religion	Roman Catholic

Jerry John Rawlings (born Jeremiah Rawlings John 22 June 1947 in Accra, Gold Coast) is a former leader of the Republic of Ghana and now the African Union envoy to Somalia. Rawlings ruled Ghana as a military dictator in 1979 and from 1981 to 1992 and then as the first elected president of the Fourth Republic from 1993 to 2001. He initially took power in a coup d'état, but in the 1990s following sustained political and economic pressure from international institutions and governments began a process of economic and then political liberalization. He founded the National Democratic Congress which won the 1992 general election. He took office in 1993, and was re-elected in 1997.

Rawlings appeared on the Ghanaian political scene on May 15, 1979, leading a group of junior officers in the Ghana Air Force in a coup attempt on the regime of Fred Akuffo which resulted in his arrest and imprisonment. He was court-martialled in public and sentenced to death. On June 4 military officials overthrew the Akuffo government and released the Rawlings group from prison just weeks before general elections were scheduled.

Rawlings and company formed the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) and conducted what it termed 'a housecleaning exercise,' where large sums of stolen government money were retrieved into government coffers and inflation was stabilized. An election held that year was won by Dr. Hilla Limann of the People's National Party (PNP). However, on December 31, 1981 Rawlings and the AFRC overthrew Dr. Limann's government, citing economic mismanagement. Rawlings then installed the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) government with himself as chairman.

Rawlings retired from the Armed Forces and set up the National Democratic Congress. This party, with Rawlings as its candidate, won 58.3 % of the votes (the largest percentage won by a presidential candidate in Ghana's political history) in the 1992 elections. The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) claimed that the election was stolen, although international observers judged the elections "largely free and fair." In 1996, Rawlings won the general elections by 57 percent and elections were judged largely free and fair by international observers.

After two terms in office, barred by the constitution from standing in any election, Rawlings endorsed his vice-president John Evans Atta Mills as presidential candidate in 2000. The NDC with Mills as candidate, however, lost the elections to the NPP candidate John Agyekum Kufuor. Once again, elections were judged to be free and fair.

Rawlings is married to Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and has four children: three girls and a boy. He is the joint recipient of the 1993 World Hunger Award which he used as seed capital in establishing the University of Development Studies (UDS) in the north of Ghana.

Background

J.J. Rawlings was born June 22, 1947 to Victoria Agbotui from Keta and to James Ramsey John, a Scottish chemist working in the then Gold Coast. He married Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings in 1977 and together they have four children, Ezenator, Yaa Asantewaa, Amina and Kimathi Rawlings, his only son.

He enlisted as a Flight Cadet in the Ghana Air Force in August 1967, and was subsequently selected for officer cadet training at the Ghana Military Academy and Training School, Teshie, in Accra.

Military career

In March, 1968, he was posted to Takoradi in the Western Region to continue his studies. He graduated in January 1969, and was commissioned a Pilot Officer, winning the coveted "Speed Bird Trophy" as the best cadet in flying and airmanship. He earned the rank of Flight Lieutenant in April 1978.

On May 28, 1979, Rawlings, together with six others who were arrested earlier, appeared before a General Court Martial in Accra, charged with leading a mutiny of junior officers and enlisted men of the Ghanaian Armed Forces on May 15, 1979. There was strong public reaction, especially after his statement had been read in court, explaining the social injustices that had prompted him to act. The ranks of the Armed Forces, in particular, expressed deep sympathy with his stated aims.

While awaiting his next appearance before the court, Rawlings was sprung from custody on June 4, 1979, by a group of soldiers led by Kojo Boakye-Djan.[1] With the support of both the military and civilians, he led the uprising that ousted the Supreme Military Council from office and brought the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) to power. On the night of June 4, lives were lost in both the forces fighting against the military government and those fighting on the side of the uprising. However, the uprising - with respect to those who gave their lives defending the country - was not bloody as critics claim it was because the majority of ranks decided not to fight each other on the orders of the top brass. As one of his first acts in power, Rawlings signed the orders for the execution of former military dictator who was later executed: Ignatius Kutu Acheamphong. Five other generals—-Joy Amedume, Yaw Boakye, Roger Felli, Kotei, and Utuka—-were also put to death. Rawlings has never denied responsibility for this, but the country was in a state of vengeful anarchy, and both civilians and lower ranks were calling for the 'blood' of the SMC and other officers they felt had caused injustice to the state.

The AFRC, under the chairmanship of Rawlings, carried out a much wider "house-cleaning exercise" aimed at purging the armed forces and society at large of corruption and graft as well as restoring a sense of moral responsibility and accountability in public life. Meanwhile, following a programme already set in motion before the June 4 uprising, the ruling military government organized free general elections. On September 24, 1979, the AFRC handed over power to a civilian government led by the People's National Party (PNP), under President Hilla Limann.

The killings of Supreme Court Justices Kwadjo Agyei Agyepong, Frederick Sarkodie, and Cecilia Koranteng Addo, or those of military officers Major Sam Acquah and Major Dasana Nantogmah was another painful incident in Ghana's history.

Limann's administration was cut short on December 31, 1981, when Rawlings deposed him in another coup. A Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), composed of both civilian and military members, was established with Rawlings as Chairman. The coming of the PNDC was widely praised by Ghanaians who were disappointed with Limann's Government because of their return of the corrupt status quo from before June 4, 1979. the PNDC government was a pragmatic government that focused on a hands-on approach and sustainable development. The PNDC, led by Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings began the process of decentralisation in Ghana which today has created the foundation on which Ghana's democracy stands. J.J Rawlings believed in demystifying government so that the ordinary Ghanaian could feel that they could actively take part in decision making.

Primary health care was another policy the PNDC advocated strongly, and it put in place policies that focused on disease prevention.

Democratic President

In J.J Rawlings' first official speech subsequent to the removal of the Limann government, he announced the creation of the National Commission on Democracy (NCD), which would begin the decentralisation of government and the dissemination of people-power. Opposition to the PNDC, with pressure from the United States through the CIA began demanding a return to multi-party democracy, although a referendum showed mixed feelings by the Ghanaian citizenry on this. The National Commission on Democracy was put into high gear to begin the process to return the country to multi-party elections. National Commission for Democracy (NCD) was empowered to hold regional debates and formulate some suggestions for a transition to multi-party democracy. Although opposition groups complained that the NCD was too closely associated with the PNDC, the commission continued its work through 1991. In March of that year the NCD released a report recommending the election of an executive president, the establishment of a national assembly, and the creation of a prime minister post. The PNDC accepted the report, and the following year it was approved in a national referendum. Political parties were legalised—-with the provision that none could use names that had been used before—and a timetable was set for presidential and parliamentary elections.

Rawlings retired from the Ghanaian Armed Forces on September 14, 1992.

When presidential elections were held in 1992, Rawlings stood as the candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the successor party to the PNDC. Although his opponents were given access to television and newspaper coverage, and limits to the freedom of the press had been lifted, no single candidate could match the popularity of the sitting head of state. Election returns on November 3, 1992 revealed that Rawlings had won 58.3 percent of the vote, for a landslide victory. Foreign observers declared the voting to be free and fair.

Almost immediately, the leaders of the country's opposition parties claimed that the presidential election was not fair, and that widespread abuses had occurred. The leaders encouraged their followers to boycott subsequent parliamentary elections, with the result that NDC candidates won 189 of 200 seats in the new parliament. Rawlings was therefore accorded a four-year term backed by an elected assembly of supporters for his platform. Answering questions about polling place irregularities, he promised to initiate a new voter registration program to be completed in time for elections in four years.

In 1993, President Rawlings headed the Ghana delegation which participated in the first Tokyo International Conference on African Development.

Rawlings and the NDC were elected in 1992 and 1996. Per constitutional mandate, Rawlings's term of office ended in 2001; he retired in 2001 and was succeeded by John Kufuor, his main opponent in the 1996 elections. Kufuor succeeded in defeating Rawlings's vice-president John Atta-Mills in the 2000 vote. In 2004, Mills conceded to Kufuor in spite of the alleged vote-rigging by Rawlings and other NDC officials. Kufuor ran for another four years with the mandate of the people of Ghana.

Post-presidency activities

October 2010 , Jerry Rawling named AU Envoy to Somalia , African Union chief Jean Ping has appointed Rawling this position an he beleived that Rawlings, 63, would be tasked with "mobilising the continent and the rest of the international community to fully assume its responsibilities and contribute more actively to the quest for peace, security and reconciliation in Somalia".

Rawlings later played a key role as a check on the NPP government during his time as the then president. He has given lectures in universities around the world, including a lecture in Oxford University titled 'Security and Democracy in Africa.' He has continued his heavy criticism even with his own party back in power with his former vice President who he worked hard to elect at the helm.

In trying to stop Rawlings' NDC from coming back to power, the then ruling NPP government had fought the election by trying to say that Rawlings would control Mills. However Mills has proved to be rather independent which it seems has frustrated Rawlings.

See also

List of Ghana Heads of state by age

References

External links

Ghana-pedia webpage - Flight Lieutenant Jeremiah John Rawlings

Official Website

JJ Rawlings Website

BBC report on Rawlings legacy

countrydata.com report from 1994

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Category:1947 births Category:Alumni of Achimota School Category:Ghana Air Force personnel Category:Ghanaian Roman Catholics Category:Ghanaian soldiers Category:Ghanaian people of Scottish descent Category:People of Scottish descent Category:Leaders who took power by coup Category:Living people Category:People from Accra Category:Presidents of Ghana Category:Revolutionaries Category:National Democratic Congress (Ghana) politicians

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