Tanganyika became independent 9 December 1961 (from
UN trusteeship under British administration); Zanzibar became independent
19 December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar 26 April 1964
to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed United
Republic of Tanzania 29 October 1964

Constitution: 15 March 1984 (Zanzibar has its own Constitution but remains
subject to provisions of the union Constitution)

Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative
acts limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

National holiday: Union Day, 26 April (1964)

Executive branch: president, first vice president and prime minister of
the union, second vice president and president of Zanzibar, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Bunge)

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court

Leaders:
Chief of State--President Ali Hassan MWINYI (since 5 November 1985);

Head of Government--First Vice President and Prime Minister Joseph Sinde
WARIOBA (since 6 November 1985)

Political parties and leaders: only party--Chama Cha Mapinduzi
(CCM or Revolutionary Party), Julius Nyerere, party chairman

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections:
President--last held 27 October 1985 (next to be held
October 1990);
results--Ali Hassan Mwinyi was elected without opposition;

National Assembly--last held 27 October 1985 (next to be held
October 1990);
results--CCM is the only party;
seats--(244 total, 168 elected) CCM 168

Communists: no Communist party; a few Communist sympathizers

Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU,
NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate Charles Musama
NYIRABU; Chancery at 2139 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 939-6125;
US--Ambassador Edmond DE JARNETTE; Embassy at 36 Laibon Road (off
Bagamoyo Road), Dar es Salaam (mailing address is P. O. Box 9123,
Dar es Salaam); telephone p255o (51) 37501 through 37504

Flag: divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band from the lower
hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower
triangle is blue

- Economy
Overview: Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The
economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for about 40% of
GDP, pr