Located in eastern Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania is composed of two parts: the mainland Tanganyika and the island of Zanzibar with a combined area of 950,000 square km and a population of 37 million. Local residents belong to 126 ethnic groups. Most of local residents are Muslims and Christians. Swahili and English are the official languages. The national capital is Dares Salaam. The current president is Jakaya Kikwete.

Since China established diplomatic ties with Tanzania on Nov. 26, 1964, bilateral relations have been growing steadily. In 2004, then Tanzanian President Mkapa visited China. In 2006, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Tanzania. Tanzania is now a destination country for Chinese tourists. In 2005, bilateral trade came to 474 million U.S. dollars.