Tanzania

Dodoma is Tanzania’s official capital. The government chose to relocate the capital from coastal Dar es Salaam to centrally located Dodoma in 1973 to promote national unity and better serve the inland population; the National Assembly moved there in 1996, and ministries have gradually followed. Dar es Salaam remains the largest city and commercial hub, which is why many still mistake it for the capital. Context tip: Dodoma began as a German colonial railway town (on the Central Line) near the country’s geographic center—think “Do-doma = do move to the middle.” Remember: Dar es Salaam (“House of Peace”) is the busy port city; Dodoma is the political heart where Parliament sits. This contrast—commercial coast vs. central governance—helps lock in Dodoma as the capital.