Dodoma, officially Dodoma Urban District, is the national capital of Tanzania and the
capital of Dodoma Region, with a population of 410,956.
Geography Located at 6°10′23″S 35°44′31″E,
in the center of the country, the town is 486 kilometres west of the former capital
at Dar es Salaam and 441 kilometres south of Arusha, the headquarters of the East African
Community. It covers an area of 2,669 square kilometres of which 625 square kilometres
is urbanized. Demographics
Out of the total population, 199,487 people are male while 211,469 people are female.
The average household size is 4.4 people. The Roman Catholic Church reports that 19.2%
of the population are Roman Catholics. Dodoma is populated by different ethnic groups because
it is a government administrative centre, although the indigenous ethnic groups are
the Gogo, Rangi, and Sandawe. There are also small Indian minorities.
History Dodoma was founded in 1907 by German colonists
during construction of the Tanzanian central railway. In 1973, the Tanzanian government
announced that the capital would be moved from Dar es Salaam to a more central location
to better serve the needs of the people. Dodoma was selected for this purpose, as it was an
already established town at a major crossroads with an agreeable climate, impressive landscape,
and room for development. United States architect James Rossant developed a master plan for
the new capital in 1986, sponsored by the United Nations. Tanzania's National Assembly
moved there in February 1996, but many government offices remain in Dar es Salaam, which remains
the commercial capital. Infrastructure
A major highway connects Dodoma with Dar es Salaam via the Morogoro region in the east.
To the west, there are roads to Mwanza and Kigoma going through Tabora. The Great North
Road links the city with Arusha to the north, via Kondoa. The city is also served by the
Central railway line which connects it over a distance of 465 kilometres with Dar es Salaam
in the east. The city's airport, Dodoma Airport is managed by the Tanzania Civil Aviation
Authority; the size of planes is limited to small private aircraft. There are plans to
build a new airport outside the city with increased runway length and weight-bearing
capacity. Dodoma municipal authority is also responsible for the upkeep of the nearby Hombolo
Dam. Climate
Dodoma features a semi-arid climate with relatively warm temperatures throughout the year. While
average highs are somewhat consistent throughout the year, average lows dip to 13 °C in July.
Dodoma averages 570 mm of precipitation per year, the bulk of which occurs during its
wet season between November and April. The remainder of the year comprises the city’s
dry season. Education
There are two universities in Dodoma: St Johns University of Tanzania [1], owned by the Anglican
Church of Tanzania, and University of Dodoma, currently with 22,000 students. The latter
is projected to have a total of 40,000 students in three to four years' time. Both universities
officially opened in 2007. The Anglican Church also owns the only international
school in Dodoma: Canon Andrea Mwaka School [2]. CAMS provides education to children from
Nursery to Form 4. The education is based on the English teaching curriculum and the
school offers students the opportunity to take the IGCSE examinations and curriculum
in Forms three and Four, where the exam papers are set from London as well as marked there.
An estimated 280 students are taught and a majority of teachers are well trained international
volunteers. Transport
Airport The city can be reached by flights operated
by Auric Air Culture and sport
The city is represented in the Tanzanian Premier League by football clubs Polisi Dodoma and
JKT Ruvu Stars. Twin cities
Jaipur, India Bangui, Central African Republic
Watsa, Democratic Republic of Congo Notes
External links Dodoma Guide - Gateway to the Capital City
of Tanzania Canon Andrea Mwaka School - DCT International
School University of Dodoma
St Johns University of Tanzania Institute of Rural Development Planning - Chuo
cha mipango government Institute - Hombolo Institute
Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodoma Anglican Diocese of Central Tanganyika
Dodoma Tanzania Health Development DONET - Dodoma Environmental Network of Tanzania
Pictures of Dodoma and its surroundings on Flickr
Dodoma: design by architect James Rossant