Tanzania
Tanzania is one of the world's poorest countries. The economy depends heavily on agriculture but only four percent of the land is suitable for farming. The need to increase exports has led to intensification of agricultural production in semi-arid areas. This has led to further soil erosion, while indiscriminate cutting of forests has continued.
The coastal belt, where a large part of the population lives, is a flat lowland along the Indian Ocean with a tropical climate and heavy rainfall. To the west lies the central plateau, dry and notorious for Tsetse flies. The north is a mountainous region with slopes suited for agriculture. Around Lake Victoria, a heavily populated area, there are irrigated farmlands. Large plantations of sisal and sugar cane stretch along the coastal lowlands.
gorta has funded many projects in Tanzania over the years, all with the emphasis of using local resources and preserving the local ecology.
Projects in Tanzania
The Tarime District, in the the northern part of Tanzania, lies on the eastern shores of Lake Victoria. About 75% of its residents are farmers living below the poverty line of a dollar a day. The...
Facts about Tanzania
| Location | East Africa |
| GDP per Capita | US$358 |
| Area (sq km) | 945,087 |
| Currency | Tanzanian Shilling |
| Population | 40.4 million (UN, 2007) |
| Largest Cities | Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Zanzibar |
| Capital | Dodoma |
| Life Expectancy | 51years (men), 54 years (women) (UN) |
| Languages | Swahili (offical), English (offical) |
Climate Conditions
Dodoma,Tanzania
