| Official name | Dodoma |
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| Native name | |
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| Settlement type | |
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| Imagesize | 300px |
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| Dot x | |dot_y = |
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| Pushpin map | Tanzania |
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| Pushpin label position | |
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| Pushpin mapsize | 300 |
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| Coordinates region | TZ |
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| Subdivision type | Country |
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| Subdivision name | |
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| Subdivision type1 | Region |
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| Subdivision name1 | Dodoma |
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| Leader title | Mayor |
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| Leader name | Francis Mazanda |
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| Established title2 | |
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| Established title3 | |
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| Area magnitude | 1 E9 |
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| Unit pref | |
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| Area land km2 | 2576 |
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| Area water km2 | |
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| Area total sq mi | |
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| Population as of | 2002 |
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| Population total | 324347 |
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| Population density km2 | 125.9 |
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| Postal code type | |
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Dodoma (literally "It has sunk" in Gogo), officially Dodoma Urban District, population 324,347 (2002 census), is the national capital of Tanzania, and the capital of the Dodoma region. In 1973, plans were made to move the capital to Dodoma. Tanzania's National Assembly moved there in February 1996, but many government offices remain in the previous national capital, Dar es Salaam, which remains the commercial capital.
Geography
Located at , in the center of the country, the town is west of the former capital at
Dar es Salaam and south of
Arusha, the headquarters of the
East African Community. It covers an area of of which is urbanised.
Demographics
Out of the total population, 157,469 people (48.5 percent) are male while 166,878 people (51.5 percent) are female. The estimated total number of households is 74,914 with an average household size of 4.3 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
Arab and
Indian minorities.
History
During the German wars, the town of Dodoma was founded at the same time as the construction of the
Tanzanian central railway.
American architect James Rossant developed a master plan for the new capital in 1986, sponsored by the
United Nations.
Infrastructure
A major highway connects Dodoma with the former capital of
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 (288 miles) with
Dar es Salaam in the east. The city's 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 can dip to as low as during the course of the year. Dodoma averages 570 mm of precipitation per year, the bulk of which occurs during its short
wet season between December and March. The remainder of the year comprises the city’s dry season.
Education
There are two universities in Dodoma:
St Johns University of Tanzania, owned by the Anglican Church of Tanzania, and
University of Dodoma, currently with 6,000 students. It is projected to have a total of 40,000 students in three to four years time. Both Universities were officially opened in 2007.
Culture and sport
The city is represented in the
Tanzanian Premier League by football clubs
Polisi Dodoma and
JKT Ruvu Stars.
Notes
and CDA Dodoma.
External links
Dodoma Guide - Gateway to the Capital City of Tanzania
Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodoma
Anglican Diocese of Central Tanganyika
Dodoma Tanzania Health Development
St Johns University of Tanzania
Institute of Rural Development Planning - Chuo cha mipango
University of Dodoma
DONET - Dodoma Environmental Network of Tanzania
Pictures of Dodoma and its surroundings on Flickr
Category:Populated places in Tanzania
Category:Capitals in Africa
Category:Regional capitals in Tanzania
Category:Dodoma Region
