Tanzania celebrates Independence, December 9, 2023
By Joy Osiagwu, Editorial Associate
Wednesday 16 November, 2023
Tanzania is an East African nation bordering the Indian Ocean. Kenya and Uganda are neighbors to the north, while Burundi, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are to the west. Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia are neighbors to the south.
With a population of 61.7 million, Tanzania is famous for its vast wilderness arena with National Parks such as Kilimanjaro (Africa’s Highest Mountain), and the beautiful tropical islands of Zanzibar.
It is one of the African countries devoid of internal crises since independence and is regarded as one of the Continent’s safest and most politically stable. However, this stability has not translated into economic prosperity for the people as they live below the World Bank poverty line. The country was under German rule in the late 19th century but became a part of the British colonies after World War 1 and gained complete independence on December 9, 1961. Julius Nyerere became the Prime Minister and President in 1962. Tanzania and Zanzibar merged to form the United Republic of Tanzania in 1964.
The capital city is Dodoma, and the languages spoken are Swahili, English, and Arabic (only in Zanzibar). Some national resources are Phosphates, diamonds, gemstones, hydropower, tin, iron ore, gold, and natural gas.
Governance Structure
Tanzania operates a presidential republic with an executive branch comprising a chief of state and head of government run by the president and the leader of government at the National Assembly with the support of the vice president and the prime minister. Samia Suluhu Hassan, former vice president, became the first female president in March 2021 following the death of President John Magufuli.
Trending News
The government of Tanzania has called on the international community to encourage the economic growth of developing nations like Tanzania to improve and promote business growth and attract foreign investments.
Prime Minister of Tanzania, Kassim Majaliwa, made the recommendation while delivering the government’s perspective at the inaugural session of the Second Voice of Global South Summit (VOGSS) held on November 17 under the leadership of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.
He asked the meeting to consider strategies to respond to the challenges of integrating developing countries into the agenda of developed nations. The VOGSS is a forum for developing economies to analyze and raise their voices about development challenges to be amplified annually at G20 Leaders’ summits.
Tanzania Ottawa Connection
The Tanzanians Association of Ottawa has a decent followership on Facebook and Instagram. At the national level is the Tanzanian Canadian Association, with a mission to preserve and promote the culture and heritage of Tanzanians in Canada and, at the same time, support newcomers and foster relationships with the more prominent African Caribbean and Black community associations across Canada. More information about the association can be found at https://tancan.ca/