PT in TZ

Public transportation is very different here in Tanzania compared to the United States.  In my rural mid-west hometown, we only have two forms of public transportation.   We have a transit bus system which only works in-town and very few people use it.  And we have school buses which are used exclusively by, you guessed it, school children.  Needless to say, neither of these services are very inclusive. 

As you look across America, there are some places with better transportation means, but the overall picture is quite grim.  There are subways underneath New York City, taxis in Washington D.C., trolleys in San Francisco and Greyhound buses that run in between but in smaller cities, it is hard to get around unless you have your own means of transportation.  Americans like to be independent, and in terms of transportation they certainly are. 

In Tanzania, things are just the opposite.  Few citizens own their own cars and most take public transportation. The most common type of transportation is known as the daladala.  These mini busses shuttle passengers to every possible location.  Often painted with nonsensical slogans they are always packed with people.  Tanzanian’s don’t have a culture of ‘personal bubbles’ as Americans do and have no qualms about packing fifteen or more people in a vehicle only slightly larger than a minivan.  And when there isn’t enough room,  people hang on from outside as the daladala zooms down the road. Often pile of bananas, chickens in cages or colorful empty buckets are strapped to the top and back of the vehicle making for a precarious load. 

The next step up in transportation are buses.  These buses are like many buses you might find in any major American metropolis but a few decades older.  In fact, these buses, and many other vehicles for that matter, are imported from Japan, with Japanese writing still intact.  These buses are used within major cities, like Dar es Salaam, and between large cities (for example, between Moshi and Arusha).   Like daladalas these become packed with civilians, especially at key rush-hour times. 

Going up the transportation ladder we reach coach buses.  In Tanzania, there are a wide range of coach buses from luxury to economy.  At the top end, you can find buses with air conditioning and music videos.  At the other end you find hot, noisy dusty coach buses which just get the job done.  Most of these buses travel at high speeds, barely braking for speed bumps.  Many are not aligned properly which causes somewhat alarming sights of large buses cruising down the road diagonally.  These buses sit five across with occasional passengers standing in the aisle between stops.  Additional passengers include squawking chickens who can be particularly noisy when frightened.  When traveling down dirt roads, things can get a bit dirty.  Due to tight quarters windows need to be opened to let in a breeze.  Of course when the bus slows, the cloud of fine red dust catches up the vehicle coating everything in a grimy layer of red.  Additionally, pot-holed roads and incautious drivers create an alarmingly bumpy ride which often involves being entirely dislodged from your seat.  As may be imagined, coach buses are used for long distance travel.

Additionally, Tanzania has a few rail-lines that operate primarily in southern Tanzania and provide transportation to areas that would otherwise only be reachable by air.

If you are interested in private public transportation there are a few options.  Taxis are common and useful for late nights when daladalas are done for the day.  They are much like American taxis but are white instead of yellow and price is negotiated before departure.    Option number two is bajaji which is a small, open-sided, three-wheeled motor car which can accommodate two passengers and a driver.  These, though bumpy, are cheaper and more scenic.  And lastly, you can hire a motorcycle to transport you a short distance. 

All of these options are efficient and inexpensive.  Though you may have to wait a long time for a daladala, in the end it is more cost-effective.  Because of the well designed system in place, public transportation here makes it possible to reach any destination at a reasonable rate. 

Fact Check That (Part 2 of 2)

Welcome back to part two of Getting to Know Tanzania Through Facts and Figures.  This week we continue with facts and figures about the economy of Tanzania.

Despite it’s natural beauty, Tanzania is in the bottom 10% of the world’s economies.  Tanzania’s GDP, in terms of purchasing power (what goods in Tanzania would cost in the USA), is a trivial $57.5 billion in comparison to the United States’ $14.26 trillion. (At the official exchange rate (Tanzania’s GDP converted to US dollars), Tanzania’s GDP is only $22.16 billion.)  Per capita, this is $1,400 (201st*).  Per capita GDP in the States is $46,000 (11th).  The percentage of the population below the poverty line in Tanzania is 36%.  There is nothing surprising about this figure.  The percentage of the population below the poverty line in the United States is 12%.  I find this rather astounding.  How is it the country with the world’s largest and most powerful economy find itself with 36,865,454 people living in poverty? Tanzania only has 14,777,471 people living below the poverty line.  The US has almost two and a half times the amount of people living in poverty that Tanzania does but over 600 times the GDP.  Now it is worth considering what is meant by poverty line.  This metaphorical line is based on many figures and varies considerably country-to-country.  This means what qualifies as poverty in one country may not qualify in another.  Thus is should be noted that poverty in the US is very different from poverty in Tanzania where poverty means living on a dollar a day.

Tanzania’s economy is primarily agriculture, with 40% of the GDP comprised of agricultural activities.  This is rather amazing given that only 4.23% of the land is arable. (18.01% of the United States is suitable for farming).  Additionally, 80% of the labour force works in agriculture and 85% of exports are agricultural goods.  Things grown for mass-market in Tanzania include: coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, cashew nuts, tobacco, cloves, corn, wheat, cassava, and bananas.  Tanzania exports $2.744 billion in  gold, coffee and cashew nuts, manufactured goods and cotton to mainly India, Japan, and China.

In terms of public debt, Tanzania owes 24.8% of it’s GDP.  Externally, it owes $7.07 billion dollars.  These figures are pennies compared to the debts of America.  In public debt, the United States owes 52.9% of it’s GDP.  This, of course, doesn’t include state and inter-governmental debt.  If it did, add another 30% of the GDP.  In external debt, the United States owes $13.45 trillion.  That make us #1 in terms of debt.  Congratulations us.

Tanzania consumes 32,000bbl/day of oil (112th), all of which is imported. The United States, as the number one consumer of oil, uses 19.5 million bbl/day, of which only 8.514 million bbl/day is produced internally.  In 2008, Tanzania consumed 560.7 million cu m of natural gas (93rd) whereas the US consumed 657.2 billion cu m(1st).  Given these figures, it should come as no surprise that the United States is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide on the planet.  Congratulations again.

Tanzania has a striking number of cell phone lines: 14.723 million.  This figure becomes clearer when you know that many Tanzanians have two or even three different phone lines with different companies.  A more reasonable number is the 179,849 main lines Tanzania posses.  For comparison, the US has 270 million cell phone lines and 150 million land lines. 

Americans love their televisions.  The fact that as of 2006, there were 2,218 different TV broadcasting stations proves this.  Tanzania, on the other hand, has just 3.  The US is also home to 231 million internet users while Tanzania has just 520,000 though this figure is rising.

Ask any Tanzanian and one thing they’ll say about the country is the poor infrastructure.  And indeed, it hasn’t quite the development as the United States.  Of the 78,891 km of roads in Tanzania, 72,083 of them are unpaved. (The United States has more miles of roads than any other country coming in with 6,465,799 km.)  Tanzania also has 125 airports,of which only 9  are paved.  (Again the US has more airports than any other nation with 15,095.)

Another thing Tanzanians will say about their country is it’s history of non-violence.  Tanzanians proud themselves on their passive nature.  Tanzania spends only .2% of its GDP on military (170th of 173).  The US throws 4.06% of its GDP ($578,956,000,000) to its military. Though the US rank appears lower, 28th world-wide, it is the highest among western nations and the countries ahead of it include: Oman, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, and Israel among others. (Iceland comes in last at 0.00%. I guess there isn’t a lot of desire for invading frozen islands in the middle of the North Atlantic.)  Additionally, Tanzania has taken in more refugees than any other African nation (480,613) mostly from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Comparatively the United States accepted 100,159 refugees from around the world in 2004-2005.

Though the USA may have better infrastructure and a longer life expectancy, this does not mean that it is a better place to live.  The United States is shackled with debt and produces an outrageous amount of green house gases.

Hopefully these statistics help give you a better picture of Tanzania and where it stands in the world.

 

* Disassociated numbers in parenthesis indicate rank among the world

Note: All facts and figures compliments of the CIA World Factbook and the math is brought to you by my handy Casio calculator.

Fact Check This (Part 1 of 2)

Recently, I realized that though I have given much commentary on Tanzania’s culture and landscape, I have supplied very few real facts.  This series will come in two parts, the first concerning social facts and the second, economics.  So here is a little commentary, and a lot of facts.

On the 9th of December, 1961, Tanganyika gained independence from British rule.  A few years later, the island of Zanzibar gained similar independence and joined with the mainland to form the United Republic of Tanzania on 26th April, 1964.  Hence the name, Tanzania.

The country of Tanzania is the world’s 31st largest with a total size of 947,300 sq km, roughly two Californias.  In comparison the USA is the 3rd largest nation with 9,826,675 sq km (3/10 the size of the African continent).  Tanzania is bordered by 8 countries and 1424 km of the Indian Ocean.  The country is home to many of the ‘continent’s greatest’ including highest mountain (Mt. Kilimanjaro at 5895 m), and the three of the largest lakes (Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa).  Additionally, Lake Victoria is the world’s second largest freshwater lake, and Lake Tanganyika is the world’s second deepest.  Tanzania is also home to part of the Great Rift Valley, Ngorongoro caldera and a plethora of unique flora and fauna.

Lake Victoria

The population of this African nation comes in at 41,048,532 (30th*), much below the USA which weighs in at 307,212,123.  This is only where the difference in population begin.  The median age in Tanzania is 18; in the United States it is 36.7.  The population over 65 consists of a mere 2.9% in Tanzania versus 12.8% in the US.  This statistic is more dramatic when seen from a different angle.  The average life expectancy for a Tanzanian is 52.01 years (206th of 224), 26.1 years less than the average American life expectancy.  It’s a little better for women who get an expected 53.51 years but it’s still much less than the American woman who gets 80.69 years.  Though we complain much about the costs and hassles of health care in the States, we really are getting a good deal.  That said, there are still 48 countries with better life expectancies than the United States.  (If you want to live long, move to Macau, Andorra or Japan.)  Infant mortality in Tanzania is 69.28/1000 live births (25th) – over ten times the rate in the US!  Like many developing nations, Tanzania’s urban population is on the rise.  25% of the population already lives in cities (compared with 82% in America) and that number is increasing at a rate of 4.2%.  The population as a whole is increasing at a rate of 2.04% (55th).

Tanzania, like all of Africa, is facing a HIV/AIDS crisis.  There are 1.4 million (6th) people living with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania alone.  There are 1.2 million infected in the States, but compared with population size, this is a much smaller fraction (6.2% for Tanzania versus 0.6% in the States).  Tanzania is also seventh in terms of HIV/AIDS deaths with 96,000 in 2007.

Tanzanian education, as you may imagine, is lagging.  Literacy is at 69.4% (girls comprising 62.2% and boys 77.5%).  Part of this may be explained by examining education expenditures.  Tanzania spends 2.2% of it’s GDP on education (164th).  In comparison the US spends a little more at 5.3% (57th).  What do these figures translate into?  With a little math you find that Tanzania spends $27.61 on each student.  This figure is an estimate because because it is based on the population below 14 and not all children below 14 go to school and many children above 14 go to school.  Nevertheless it is in the ballpark.  The math for the United States works out at $12,200.86 per student but this figure is bound to be high as it does not factor in any student over the age of 14.  Surprisingly, the majority of the countries with the highest educational spending are those in the South Pacific, with the tiny island of Kiribati coming in first at 17.80%.  On the other hand, the countries with the lowest GDP are the same Pacific island nations.

Tanzania is comprised of mainly three religions. 30% of the population is some denomination of Christian, 35% Muslim and the remaining 35% of believers hold indigenous religious beliefs. The percentage of the Muslim population increases as you head east; the island of Zanzibar is over 99% Muslim.  In comparison, the United States is 78.5% Christian and only 0.6% Muslim (the remaining percentage comprised of other beliefs (4.9%) and unaffiliated/non-believers(16.1%)).  

Tanzania, upon gaining independence, became a republic and choose to develop a legal system based on English common law.  Like the States, suffrage is 18 years and universal.  The current president, Jakaya Kikwete, has been in office since 21 December 2005.  Presidential terms last five years and the next election is coming up in October 2010.  In the last election, Kikwete won with a resounding 80.3%.  Compare this with our last presidential election in which Barak Obama won with 52.4% (a percentage most Americans did not find close).

Tanzania’s flag, as shown, consists of four colours.  The green represents the country’s flora, the yellow for it’s mineral deposits, black for the people and blue for it’s lakes and rivers.

Now that I have given you a multitude of facts, take some time to mull them over and come back next week for part 2.

 

* Disassociated numbers in parenthesis indicate rank among the world

Note: All facts and figures compliments of the CIA World Factbook and the math is brought to you by my handy Casio calculator.