Backgrounder: United Republic of Tanzania & Sino-Tanzania relations

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Source: CCTV.com | 02-15-2009 13:59

Here is some background information about the United Republic of Tanzania, and bilateral relations between China and Tanzania.

The United Republic of Tanzania is located in eastern Africa. It is bordered by Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia.

The country's capital is Dar es Salaam. The city was included as a leg of the global torch relay for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Tanzania has a population of about 40.2 million.

Swahili and English are the official languages, while Arabic and other local languages are also spoken.

Agriculture accounts for almost half of Tanzania's GDP and employs 80 percent of the workforce. 85 percent of the country's exports are agricultural products.

Tanzania established diplomatic relations with China on April 26th, 1964.

Since then, China has developed several aid projects in Tanzania -- most notably the TAZARA Railway and the Tanzanian National Stadium.

Mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries began in 1981.

China is Tanzania's biggest import and export partner. China's Ministry of Commerce says bilateral trade volume reached almost 800 million U.S. dollars in 2007.

Editor:Du Xiaodan