BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao starts to pay an official visit to the United Republic of Tanzania on Thursday, part of his seven-nation African tour.

    The following are some basic facts about the east African country.

    Located in east Africa, south of the Equator, Tanzania consists of two major parts -- the mainland Tanganyika and the island Zanzibar, which is separated by a narrow channel from the mainland.

    Covering a total area of 945,087 sq. km, it is bounded on the north by Uganda and Kenya, on the east by the Indian Ocean, on the south by Mozambique and Malawi, on the southwest by Zambia and on the west by Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    Tanzania has a population of around 36 million. People in Tanzania speak Swahili, which, together with English, are the two official languages in the country.

    The United Republic of Tanzania was founded on April 26, 1964, when Tanganyika and Zanzibar, hitherto separate independent countries, merged.

    Tanzania's economy relies heavily on agriculture, which accounts for almost half of the GDP.

    Tanzania, with abundant natural resources, also boasts a rich array of tourist resorts.

    China established diplomatic ties with Tanganyika in 1961 and Zanzibar in 1963. China's friendly relations with them have continued after their merge and April 26, 1964, when the United Republic of Tanzania came into being, became the official date for the forging of the China-Tanzania ties.

    The friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries in various areas have grown steadily since then and there have also been frequent exchanges of high-level visits. Enditem