Dodoma

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Dodoma
Aerial view of Central Dodoma
Dodoma is located in Tanzania
Dodoma
Coordinates: 6°10′23″S 35°44′31″E / 6.17306°S 35.74194°E / -6.17306; 35.74194
Country  Tanzania
Region Dodoma
Government
 • Mayor Francis Mazanda
Area
 • Land 2,576 km2 (995 sq mi)
Elevation 1,120 m (3,670 ft)
Population (2012)
 • Total 2,083,588
 • Density 125.9/km2 (326/sq mi)

Dodoma (literally "It has sunk" in Gogo), officially Dodoma Urban District, population 324,347 (2002 census), is the national capital of Tanzania,[1] 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.

Contents

Geography [edit]

Astronaut View of Dodoma

Located at 6°10′23″S 35°44′31″E / 6.17306°S 35.74194°E / -6.17306; 35.74194Coordinates: 6°10′23″S 35°44′31″E / 6.17306°S 35.74194°E / -6.17306; 35.74194, in the centre of the country, the town is 486 kilometres (302 mi) west of the former capital at Dar es Salaam and 441 kilometres (274 mi) south of Arusha, the headquarters of the East African Community. It covers an area of 2,669 square kilometres (1,031 sq mi) of which 625 square kilometres (241 sq mi) is urbanized.

Demographics [edit]

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.[2] 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.[citation needed]

History [edit]

Dodoma was founded in 1907 by German colonists during construction of the Tanzanian central railway. When the government announced in 1973 that the capital would be moved to a more central location, to better serve the needs of the people, Dodoma was selected. It was an already established town at a major crossroad, with an agreeable climate, impressive landscape, and room for development.[3] Various plans were drawn up. United States architect James Rossant developed a master plan for the new capital in 1986, sponsored by the United Nations.

Infrastructure [edit]

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 (289 mi) 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 [edit]

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 (55.4 °F) 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.

Climate data for Dodoma
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 35
(95)		 36
(97)		 34
(93)		 33
(91)		 33
(91)		 32
(90)		 31
(88)		 34
(93)		 33
(91)		 36
(97)		 36
(97)		 36
(97)		 36
(97)
Average high °C (°F) 29
(84)		 29
(84)		 28
(82)		 28
(82)		 28
(82)		 27
(81)		 26
(79)		 27
(81)		 29
(84)		 31
(88)		 31
(88)		 31
(88)		 29
(84)
Average low °C (°F) 18
(64)		 18
(64)		 18
(64)		 18
(64)		 16
(61)		 14
(57)		 13
(55)		 14
(57)		 15
(59)		 17
(63)		 18
(64)		 18
(64)		 16
(61)
Record low °C (°F) 16
(61)		 13
(55)		 15
(59)		 15
(59)		 11
(52)		 9
(48)		 8
(46)		 9
(48)		 11
(52)		 13
(55)		 14
(57)		 14
(57)		 8
(46)
Precipitation mm (inches) 152
(5.98)		 109
(4.29)		 137
(5.39)		 48
(1.89)		 5
(0.2)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 5
(0.2)		 23
(0.91)		 91
(3.58)		 570
(22.44)
Source: BBC Weather[4]

Education [edit]

There are two universities in Dodoma: St Johns University of Tanzania, 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, which provides quality education to children. Moreover, the school also offers students to take the IGCSE examinations and curriculum in Form three and four and the exam papers are set from London as well as marked there. An estimated 220 students are taught and a majority of teachers are well trained and from abroad.

Culture and sport [edit]

The city is represented in the Tanzanian Premier League by football clubs Polisi Dodoma and JKT Ruvu Stars.

Twin cities [edit]

Notes [edit]

  1. ^ "Country Profile from the official website of Tanzanian website". Retrieved 2009-09-08. 
  2. ^ Catholic Hierarchy - Diocese of Dodoma
  3. ^ Aloysius C. Mosha. "The planning of the new capital of Tanzania: Dodoma, an unfulfilled dream". University of Botswana. Retrieved 2013-03-13. 
  4. ^ "Average Conditions Dodoma, Tanzania". BBC Weather. Retrieved September 19, 2012. 

External links [edit]
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