Tanzania:
Geography

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Other pages in this profile of Tanzania:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition Shortly after achieving independence from Britain in the early 1960s, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule came to an end in 1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s. Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and popular opposition have led to two contentious elections since 1995, which the ruling party won despite international observers' claims of voting irregularities.

Location	Definition Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique
Geographic coordinates	Definition 6 00 S, 35 00 E
Map references	Definition Africa
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 945,087 sq km land: 886,037 sq km water: 59,050 sq km note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar
Area - comparative	Definition slightly larger than twice the size of California
Land boundaries	Definition total: 3,861 km border countries: Burundi 451 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 459 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217 km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km
Coastline	Definition 1,424 km
Maritime claims	Definition territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate	Definition varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands
Terrain	Definition plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m
Natural resources	Definition hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 4.23% permanent crops: 1.16% other: 94.61% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition 1,840 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	Definition 91 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Definition total: 5.18 cu km/yr (10%/0%/89%) per capita: 135 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	Definition flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought
Environment - current issues	Definition soil degradation; deforestation; desertification; destruction of coral reefs threatens marine habitats; recent droughts affected marginal agriculture; wildlife threatened by illegal hunting and trade, especially for ivory
Environment - international agreements	Definition party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note	Definition Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa; bordered by three of the largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa in the southwest

Tanzania: Geography

Tanzania:
Geography