The Tanzanian economy is overwhelmingly agrarian. The agricultural sector, which comprises the crop animal husbandry and fisheries sub-sectors, has remained the dominant productive sphere. The six main cash crops are cashew nuts, coffee, cotton, sisal, tea and tobacco.

The manufacturing sector focuses on the processing of raw materials, therefore it is closely connected to the agricultural and mining sphere. The main application fields of the industrial sector are: Agriculture and Agricultural Products; Metal Products, Machinery and Transport Equipment; Electronics and Electrical Appliances; Chemical, Paper and Plastics; Light Industries; Mining, Ceramic and Gemstones.

The Indian Ocean is proving to be a rich hunting ground for natural gas exploration. Commercial production of gas from the Songo Songo Island field commenced in 2004. A newer natural gas field was discovered in Mnazi Bay and first commercialized in 2006. The exploitation of the two discoveries propelled further gas exploration both onshore and offshore.

Tanzania enjoys over 800.000Km2 of different geological terrains with potential minerals resources on-going exploration. The vast majority of the country’s mineral export revenue comes from gold.
Tanzania also exports sizable quantities of gemstones, including diamonds and tanzanite. Other natural resources exploited in the country include: nickel, coal, iron, pozzolana, salt, gypsum, kaolinite, silver ore, copper, phosphate, tin, graphite, bauxite.

Tanzania’s tourism sector continues to be a source of great economic promise. Mount Kilimanjaro serves as a major tourist attraction, as does the country’s network of national parks, reserves, and conservation areas.
Tanzania’s beaches and coral reefs are also attractive to tourists, and the government has increasingly marketed its coastline and encouraged diving and snorkeling there.