Exact population: 37,445,392 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)

Literacy: Total population: 78.2%; male: 85.9%; female: 70.7%

Ethnicities: Mainland - native African 99% (of which 95% are Bantu consisting of more than 130 tribes), other 1% (consisting of Asian, European, and Arab); Zanzibar - Arab, native African, mixed Arab and native African

Area: Total: 945,087 sq km; land: 886,037 sq km; water: 59,050 sq km; note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar

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

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

Extremes: Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m

Imports: South Africa 12.7%, China 7.8%, India 6.4%, Kenya 5.4%, UAE 5.3%, US 4.8%, UK 4.6%, Zambia 4% (2004)

Exports: India 8.9%, Spain 8.2%, Netherlands 6.3%, Japan 5.7%, UK 4.9%, China 4.7%, Kenya 4.7% (2004)

Industries: Agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine), diamond, gold and iron mining, soda ash, oil refining, shoes, cement, apparel, wood products, fertilizer, salt

Source: CIA World Factbook