Chinese President Hu Jintao is to begin a state visit to Tanzania late Saturday.

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

Covering a total area of more than 945,000 square km, Tanzania 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 about 37 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, previously separate 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 merger and April 26, 1964, the day the United Republic of Tanzania came into being, became the official date for the forging of China-Tanzania ties.

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

(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2009)