Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Experiencing a colourful mnada (market)
Admiring the religious and political architecture of Dodoma ( Click here )
Relishing travel completely off the beaten path in Singida ( Click here )
Dodoma
POP 150,000
Arid Dodoma sits in not-so-splendid isolation in the geographic centre of the country, at a
height of about 1100m. Although the town was located along the old caravan route con-
necting Lake Tanganyika and Central Africa with the sea, and the Central Line railway ar-
rived just after the turn of the 20th century, Dodoma was of little consequence until 1973
when it was named Tanzania's official capital and headquarters of the ruling Chama Cha
Mapinduzi (CCM) party.
According to the original plan, the entire government was to move to Dodoma by the
mid-1980s and the town was to be expanded to ultimately encompass more than 300,000
residents, all living in smaller independent communities set up along the lines of Nyer-
ere's ujamaa (familyhood) program. The plans proved unrealistic for a variety of reasons
and although the legislature meets here (hence the periodic profusion of 4WDs), Dar es Sa-
laam remains the unrivalled economic and political centre.
Though there has been slow growth over the years, its grandiose street layout and the
imposing architecture of many church and government buildings sharply contrasting with
the slow-paced reality of daily life makes Dodoma feel as though it's dressed in clothes that
are several sizes too big.
Because Dodoma has so many government buildings, be careful taking photos.
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