Although the city best known to tourists is Dar es Salaam, Dodoma is a location that deserves some attention, not only because it is in effect the capital of Tanzania, but also because it has several noteworthy tourist destinations.<\/p>\n
The political capital of Tanzania since 1973, Dodoma is still a city not well known to tourists, but following the establishment of the National Academy, this seems set to change. In fact, although its geographical location does not seem to help it much (especially in terms of connections with other cities in Tanzania), the attention of the administrations is more focused than some time ago on making its beauties known, especially in terms of religious architecture (due to the presence of mosques and places of worship, which are really numerous). <\/p>\n
For those with a desire to visit Tanzania, certainly Dodoma is very noteworthy.<\/p>\n
Dodoma is located in the center of the country, on a plateau about 1100 meters above sea level: perhaps this is precisely the reason why, despite its architectural riches and worthy destinations, it has struggled, especially in the past, to be appreciated by tourists. As we shall see, the connections to other cities are not the most efficient, and this has contributed to the fact that tourists preferred to stay mainly in the coastal belts. <\/p>\n
Specifically, Tanzania is a very interesting place from a tourist point of view because it has many parks that deserve attention especially in terms of the ecological aspect: it has a size of about 947300 km\u00b2 and is considered as the 31st largest country in the world (to understand, its size is about three times the size of Italy).<\/p>\n
With its lakes (noteworthy is the so-called Lake Victoria, the largest in Africa from which the Nile River originates), its mountains in the northeastern part and its highlands, Tanzania is the perfect place for those who want to spend a vacation where nothing is really missing, neither hydrogeologically nor climatically: of known archaeological interest are the Kalambo Falls (signs of primitive use of trees by human beings have been found here). The famous island of Zanzibar lies opposite the east coast. <\/p>\n
Since Tanzania is, as we have said, a large country, one would expect it to also be very densely populated, and indeed it is: in 2012 alone, the estimated population according to recognized sources was 44,928,923, with an annual growth rate that is certainly very promising. What is surprising, however, is the heterogeneity with which the population is distributed over a territory that, in addition to being very large, also allows for a fair distribution thanks to an optimal habitat from the point of view of hands. <\/p>\n
As we have said, Dodoma is not the commercial capital: this primacy belongs to Dar er Salaam, while Dodoma is reserved the title of political and administrative capital.<\/p>\n
It must be said, however, that the population is (not too surprisingly) heterogeneous: in fact, in addition to being mostly rural (about 8 out of 10 people), it is made up of numerous ethnic groups, as well as several minority communities including Arabs, Indians, Pakistanis, as well as Chinese and Europeans. It is estimated that the number of ethnic groups distributed here is about 120, including several Sukuma, Haya, Makonde populations, and many other groups. <\/p>\n
It should be mentioned that albinism is quite common in Tanzania: one in 400 Tanzanians is estimated to be affected by this genetic abnormality, the explanation for which lies in the widespread inbreeding especially in rural areas of the country.<\/p>\n
Tanzania certainly has a very ancient history, which is worth pointing out and remembering. In fact, some of the oldest human fossil remains have been found here, dating back more than 10000 years, when it is thought to have been inhabited by a native hunter-gatherer population of Khoisan linguistic stock. Later, about 5,000 years ago, agriculture and animal husbandry were introduced to Khoisan populations. <\/p>\n
In the 2nd century AD Persian and Arab settlement began, which helped build a large part of Tanzanian culture, while the 19th century was the time of the first colonizations by major powers such as Germany. In 1961 Tanganyika (which had been assigned to the United Kingdom at the end of World War I) gained independence, which was also achieved the following year by the island of Zanzibar: it was in 1963 that the United Republic of Tanzania was born from the union of the two independent countries. <\/p>\n
Located in the center of the country, Dodoma is a city with good connections to other cities in Tanzania, especially the buses, which are very functional and efficient. However, the same cannot be said of the railway line, which is not very reliable. There is also an airport in Dodoma, which, however, serves especially small routes and where small planes land. On the other hand, as far as city transportation is concerned, in addition to the aforementioned buses, it is possible to get around by bicycle, cab, or on daladalas, traditional minibuses that are quite inexpensive. <\/p>\n
Tanzania’s climate is somewhat tropical, but it varies depending on whether one is in the highlands or near the coasts: specifically, it ranges from a low of between 10\u00b0C and a high of 20\u00b0C in the highlands (in cold and hot seasons, respectively) to a temperature that hovers around 20\u00b0C and rarely drops, in other parts of the country. Obviously, the mountainous areas are significantly cooler. <\/p>\n
Moreover, since nature is also very diverse in this beautiful country, it is worth mentioning that many differences are given by this very aspect: in the southern part of the country there is a lot of rainfall in the period from December to April; in the northernmost part, on the other hand, the rainfall is mainly concentrated between October and December and March and May (in the latter case we talk about long rains).<\/p>\n
Because the country is heavily influenced by rainfall, it is very important to follow the rainfall-related seasons to know the best time to visit Tanzania. This is especially true for those who are planning a safari in Tanzania<\/strong>. <\/p>\n More specifically, in the north of the country the preferable time is from December to March and June to October, while in the south the best time is from June to December. In coastal areas, there are two best times to plan a trip: from December to March (to also enjoy a nice swim, since the water is very warm) or from July to October, a time when there is cooler and breezier weather (more suitable for walking or sightseeing). <\/p>\n