Tanzania

Tanzania captures the very essence of the African continent, and distils it into one country, an African Eden of natural riches and cultural wealth. It lies south of the equator in East Africa. It borders on the Indian Ocean to the east, and has land borders with eight countries, anticlockwise from the north, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (across Lake Tanganyika), Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.

Like many countries in the region its economy relies heavily on agriculture, which accounts for nearly half of GDP and employs 80% of the workforce. Tourism is growing in importance and ranks as the second highest foreign exchange earner after agriculture. Tanzania's attractions include Africa's highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, and wildlife-rich national parks such as the Serengeti.

Despite the large number of different ethnic groups (over 100 tribes) who comprise the population, mainland Tanzania is peaceful and stable with few tribal or regional divisions. It has been affected by the prolonged crisis in the Great Lakes region. For decades the country has hosted one of the largest refugee populations in Africa. UNHCR announced on 30 January 2007 that, for the first time in more than a decade, the population of refugee camps in Tanzania had dropped below 300,000. More than 250,000 refugees have returned to their homes from Tanzania since 2002.

Although Tanzania has undergone significant economic and structural reform, it still has a long way to go in reducing poverty. It is heavily aid dependent (approximately 40% of the national budget is funded through aid) and more than a third of its people (12 million) live below the national poverty line. There have been successes; primary school enrolment has risen from 53% in 1999 to 97% in 2007 (Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, 2007). But HIV/AIDS remains a major cause of premature death. Life expectancy is 48 years and falling.