Page last updated on February 21,

Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique

Geographic coordinates:
6 00 S, 35 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 947,300 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 31
land: 885,800 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 61,500 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than twice the size of California

Land boundaries:
total: 3,861 km
border countries: Burundi 451 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 459 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217 km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
1,424 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands

Terrain:
plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]

Natural resources:
hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel

Land use:
arable land: 4.23%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 1.16%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 94.61% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
1,840 sq km (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
91 cu km (2001)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 5.18 cu km/yr (10%/0%/89%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 135 cu m/yr (2000)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]

Natural hazards:
flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought
volcanism: Tanzania experiences limited volcanic activity; Ol Doinyo Lengai (elev. 2,962 m) has emitted lava in recent years; other historically active volcanoes include Kieyo and Meru

Environment - current issues:
soil degradation; deforestation; desertification; destruction of coral reefs threatens marine habitats; recent droughts affected marginal agriculture; wildlife threatened by illegal hunting and trade, especially for ivory

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa and one of only two mountains on the continent that has glaciers (the other is Mount Kenya); bordered by three of the largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) in the southwest