Tanzania Rwanda Burundi

Author: Zhou Min, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-08-01
Features:
Tanzania:
Flag: Rectangular in shape, with a length-to-width ratio of 3:2. The flag is composed of four colors: green, blue, black, and yellow. Two equal right-angled triangles of green and blue are positioned in the upper left and lower right corners, with a wide black stripe bordered by yellow stretching diagonally from the lower left to the upper right. Green represents the land and also symbolizes the Islamic faith; blue symbolizes rivers, lakes, and the sea; black represents the Black Africans of Africa; and yellow symbolizes abundant mineral resources and wealth.
Coat of Arms: The mountain at the bottom of the design symbolizes Mount Kilimanjaro. The cotton bolls and coffee plants on the slopes symbolize the country's main economic crops. On both sides of the shield are an ivory tusk and a man and a woman. The shield design is divided into four parts from top to bottom: a torch symbolizing freedom and light; the flag of Tanzania; crossed hammers, sickles, and spears; and blue and white waves symbolizing the country's lakes, rivers, and the Indian Ocean it borders to the east. The ribbon at the bottom is inscribed in Swahili with "Freedom and Unity."
Natural Geography: The area is over 94,500 square kilometers, consisting of the mainland, Zanzibar Island, and more than 20 small islands. Located in eastern Africa south of the equator, the mainland borders the Indian Ocean to the east, Zambia to the south, Malawi and Mozambique to the south, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Kenya and Uganda to the north. The mainland coastline is 840 kilometers long. It is high in the northwest and low in the southeast, with a step-like topography. The eastern coastal region is a lowland, while the western inland plateau accounts for more than half of the inland area. The Great Rift Valley runs from Lake Malawi in an east-west direction across the country. Mount Kilimanjaro's Kibo peak in the northeast, at an altitude of 5,895 meters, is Africa's highest peak. Major rivers include the Rufiji (1,400 kilometers long), Pangani, Ruvu, and Wami. There are numerous lakes, such as Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Malawi. The eastern coastal areas and some lowlands inland have a tropical grassland climate, while the western inland plateau has a tropical mountain climate, which is cool and dry.
Brief History: One of the birthplaces of ancient humans. In the 7th–8th centuries AD, Arabs and Persians migrated here. In the mid-19th century, colonial powers from Germany, Britain, and other countries entered this region. In 1886, Tanganyika was designated as a German sphere of influence. In 1890, Zanzibar became a British "protectorate." In November 1917, British forces occupied the entire territory. In 1920, it was designated as a British "mandate." On December 12, 1961, Tanganyika declared independence. On December 10, 1963, Zanzibar declared independence. On April 26, 1964, Tanganyika and Zanzibar formed a union republic, which was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania on October 29 of the same year and remained within the Commonwealth. In October 1995, the first multi-party presidential election was held.
Politics: The current constitution of the United Republic and the constitution of Zanzibar were enacted in 1977 and 1979, respectively. In 1984, the National Assembly of Tanzania and the Representative Assembly of Zanzibar separately passed constitutional amendments for the United Republic and the constitution of Zanzibar. The constitution of the United Republic stipulates that the United Republic is divided into a joint government and a Zanzibar Revolutionary Government. In 1994, the 11th constitutional amendment passed by the National Assembly of Tanzania stipulated that the government of the United Republic shall have a president and a vice president (the vice president serves as the running mate of the presidential candidate in elections; the president and vice president must be from the same party, with one from the mainland and the other from Zanzibar; the vice president cannot be concurrently the president of Zanzibar or the prime minister of the United Republic), with a term of five years and a maximum of two consecutive terms. The president of the United Republic is the head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The president appoints the prime minister, who oversees the daily affairs of the joint government. The constitution of Zanzibar stipulates that the Zanzibar Revolutionary Committee consists of 20 members, and the chief minister oversees the daily affairs of the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government, which is accountable to the Representative Assembly of Zanzibar. The Zanzibar Revolutionary Government has the authority to handle Zanzibar's non-joint affairs except for foreign affairs, defense, and security. The parliament is unicameral and called the National Assembly, which is the highest legislative body of the United Republic. The constitution stipulates that members must be members of the Revolutionary Party. Parliamentary elections are held concurrently with presidential elections and take place every five years.