Female Genital Mutilation Practice in Tanzania

Location: Tanzania is located in East Africa in the African continent. In the East it is bordered by the Indian Ocean; in the North by Kenya and Uganda; in the North West by Rwanda and Burundi; in the West by the Lake Tanganyika and in the South by Malawi and Mozambique. Area: The total area of the country is km 945087, which is including both Tanzania mainland and the Zanzibar Islands. Independence: Tanzania attained its independence on 9 December 1961, with her first president being the late Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere. Population: The total population of the country, according to population census of 2002, is 34,569,232, whereby females are more than males. Females are 17,658,911 while males are 16,910,121 (Commission of population census, 2002). The population of Tanzania can generally be categorised into rural population (77%) and the urban population (23%). Population growth rate is high standing at 1.95% according to 2004 estimates. The average life expectancy is 44.39 years. Males have a life expectancy of 43.2 years while females have a life expectancy of 45.61 years. Therefore, females generally live longer than males.