Geography
Location:
Southern Africa, northeast of Botswana
Geographic coordinates:
20 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total area:
390,580 sq km
land area:
386,670 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than Montana
Land boundaries:
total:
3,066 km
border countries:
Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
International disputes:
quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia is in disagreement
Climate:
tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)
Terrain:
mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east
lowest point:
junction of the Lundi and Savi rivers 162 m
highest point:
Inyangani 2,592 m
Natural resources:
coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals
Land use:
arable land:
7%
permanent crops:
NEGL (coffee)
meadows and pastures:
13%
forest and woodland:
49%
other:
31%
Irrigated land:
2,250 sq km (1993 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd - once the largest concentration of the species in the world - has been significantly reduced by poaching
natural hazards:
recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Desertification
Geographic note:
landlocked
People
Population:
11,271,314 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
44% (male 2,513,606; female 2,481,478)
15-64 years:
53% (male 2,935,188; female 3,030,270)
65 years and over:
3% (male 152,244; female 158,528) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.41% (1996 est.)
Birth rate:
32.34 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate:
18.2 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
note:
there is a small but steady flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa in search of better paid employment
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.96 male(s)/female
all ages:
0.99 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
72.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
41.85 years
male:
41.91 years
female:
41.78 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.09 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Zimbabwean(s)
adjective:
Zimbabwean
Ethnic divisions:
African 98% (Shona 71%, Ndebele 16%, other 11%), white 1%, mixed and Asian 1%
Religions:
syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%
Languages:
English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write in English (1995 est.)
total population:
85%
male:
90%
female:
80%
Government
Name of country:
conventional long form:
Republic of Zimbabwe
conventional short form:
Zimbabwe
former:
Southern Rhodesia
Data code:
ZI
Type of government:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Harare
Administrative divisions:
8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo (Victoria), Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands
Independence:
18 April 1980 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 18 April (1980)
Constitution:
21 December 1979
Legal system:
mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987) was nominated by the House of Assembly (if more than one nomination, electoral college of members of the House of Assembly elect the president); election last held 26-27 March 1996 (next to be held NA March 2002); results - Robert MUGABE 92.7%, Abel MUZOREWA 4.8%; Ndabaningi SITHOLE 2.4%; Co-Vice President Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31 December 1987); Co-Vice President Joshua M. NKOMO (since 6 August 1990) was appointed by the president
cabinet:
Cabinet was appointed by the president; responsible to Parliament
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Parliament:
elections last held 8-9 April 1995 (next to be held NA March 2000); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (150 total, 120 elected) ZANU-PF 118, ZANU-Ndonga 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), Robert MUGABE; Zimbabwe African National Union-NDONGA (ZANU-NDONGA), Ndabaningi SITHOLE; Zimbabwe Unity Movement (ZUM), Edgar TEKERE; Democratic Party (DP), Emmanuel MAGOCHE; Forum Party of Zimbabwe, Enock DUMBUTSHENA; United Parties, Abel MUZOREWA
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Amos Bernard Muvengwa MIDZI
chancery:
1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
[1] (202) 332-7100
FAX:
[1] (202) 483-9326
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Johnnie CARSON
embassy:
172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare
mailing address:
P. O. Box 3340, Harare
telephone:
[263] (4) 794521
FAX:
[263] (4) 796488
Flag:
seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green with a white equilateral triangle edged in black based on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird is superimposed on a red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle
Economy
Economic overview:
Agriculture employs 70% of the labor force of this landlocked nation and supplies almost 40% of exports. Mining accounts for only 5% of both GDP and employment, but minerals and metals account for about 40% of exports. Severe drought caused GDP to drop 8% in 1992, with growth rebounding to 2% in 1993 and 4.5% in 1994, only to drop by 2.4% in 1995. The government is continuing to push its IMF/World Bank structural adjustment program aimed at encouraging exports and foreign investment. Officials face the difficult task of restraining expenditures in their effort to keep inflation within bounds.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $18.1 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate:
-2.4% (1995)
GDP per capita:
$1,620 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture:
18.3%
industry:
35.3%
services:
46.4% (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
25.8% (1995)
Labor force:
4.228 million (1993 est.)
by occupation:
agriculture 70%, transport and services 22%, industry 8%
Unemployment rate:
at least 45% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$1.7 billion
expenditures:
$2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $253 million (FY92/93)
Industries:
mining, steel, clothing and footwear, chemicals, foodstuffs, fertilizer, beverage, transportation equipment, wood products
Industrial production growth rate:
10% (1994)
Electricity:
capacity:
2,040,000 kW
production:
9 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
913 kWh (1993)
Agriculture:
corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs
Exports:
$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities:
agricultural 35% (tobacco 30%, other 5%), manufactures 25%, gold 12%, ferrochrome 10%, textiles 8% (1992)
partners:
UK 14%, Germany 11%, South Africa 10%, Japan 7%, US 5% (1991)
Imports:
$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment 41%, other manufactures 23%, chemicals 16%, fuels 12% (1991)
partners:
South Africa 25%, UK 15%, Germany 9%, US 6%, Japan 5% (1991)
External debt:
$4.4 billion (1994)
Economic aid:
recipient:
ODA, $362 million (1993)
Currency:
1 Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1 -9.3633 (January 1996), 8.6580 (1995), 8.1500 (1994), 6.4725 (1993), 5.0942 (1992), 3.4282 (1991)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Transportation
Railways:
total:
2,759 km (1995)
narrow gauge:
2,759 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified; 42 km double track) (1995 est.)
Highways:
total:
91,078 km
paved:
14,572 km
unpaved:
76,506 km (1992 est.)
Waterways:
Lake Kariba is a potential line of communication
Pipelines:
petroleum products 212 km
Ports:
Binga, Kariba
Airports:
total:
403
with paved runways over 3 047 m:
3
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m:
2
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m:
6
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m:
8
with paved runways under 914 m:
185
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m:
1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m:
198 (1995 est.)
Communications
Telephones:
301,000 (1990 est.)
Telephone system:
system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance
domestic:
consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, and radiotelephone communication stations
international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 18, shortwave 0
Radios:
890,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations:
8 (1986 est.)
Televisions:
280,000 (1992 est.)