History
Since earliest
times, Tanzania has been inhabited by African tribes who migrated back and
forth in search of a livelihood. Bantu groups became established around
500 A.D. Soon after, the Arabs established trading ties to Zanzibar and
the adjacent mainland where they monopolised the trade in ivory and
slaves. European colonization on the mainland began in 1885, when the
German Empire acquired the Tanganyika mainland. Shortly afterwards, the
British established a protectorate over Zanzibar. By the outbreak of the
First World War in 1914, the Germans had completed the railroad from Dar
es Salaam to Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika. In 1922, the League of Nations
granted a mandate to Great Britain over Tanganyika Territory with the
exclusion of Rwanda and Burundi, a status that continued until Tanganyika
gained independence in 1961. Zanzibar attained independence in 1963.
Zanzibar and Tanganyika united in April 1964 to form the United Republic
of Tanzania.
Present-day
Tanzania is a union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The latter islands ruler
retains the title of President. Tanzania adopted a multiparty system of
government in 1992 and held its first multiparty elections in 1995 when
the CCM party was elected and re-elected in 2000. Government is exercised
though an elected National Assembly with each delegate representing a home
constituency. The country is divided into 26 region for administrative
purposes. Dar es Salaam is the de facto capital, although in 1974 the
assembly voted to move the capital to Dodoma.
ECONOMICAL POLICY
More than 80% OF
Tanzanians are rural farmers and herders. In the early years of
independence, the Government promoted a policy of collective life-style in
planned villages called "Ujamaa". This policy was intended to gather the
farming population into centers where they would have improved access to
services such as schools, health care, and political organization.
Interest in "Ujamaa" gradually declined in the early 1980s due to
difficulties in implementation of the 'Ujamaa' policy, when it became
apparent that the traditional life-style was better fitted to the demands
of farming and herding under local conditions. Along with many other newly
independent countries, Tanzania's first decades of independence were
oriented toward communality and state ownership of industries.
This policy was
carried out ambitiously and resulted in the disappearance of foreign
investment and the flight of local capital. In 1985, the Government
charged its policy when it adopted the Economic Recovery Programme, which
was intended to stimulate business activity by encouraging investment.
This programme led
to the change of macro-economic policy of the country, which stressed
private sector initiatives and the need to attract modern technology and
necessary investment capital.