Zimbabwe

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Southern Africa, northeast of Botswana

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, 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: 7.25%
Permanent crops: 0.25% (coffee is a permanent crop)
Meadows and pastures: 12.5%
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

Note: Landlocked

PEOPLE

Population

11,271,314 (July 1996 est.)
11,139,961 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

44% (male 2,513,606; female 2,481,478) (July 1996 est.)
47% (male 2,617,485; female 2,588,193) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

53% (male 2,935,188; female 3,030,270) (July 1996 est.)
51% (male 2,723,511; female 2,915,697) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

3% (male 152,244; female 158,528) (July 1996 est.)
2% (male 143,440; female 151,635) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.41% (1996 est.)
1.78% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

32.34 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
36.35 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

18.2 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
18.54 deaths/1,000 population (1995 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:

Infant Mortality Rate

72.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
72.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total population: 41.85 years (1996 est.), 41.35 years (1995 est.)
Male: 41.91 years (1996 est.), 39.73 years (195 est.)
Female: 41.78 years (1996 est.), 43.01 years (1995 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

4.09 children born/woman (1996 est.)
4.93 children born/woman (1995 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

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)

Total population: 85%
Male: 90%
Female: 80%

Labor Force

4.228 million (1993 est.)

By occupation:

Agriculture 70%
Transport and services 22%
Industry 8% (1994)

GOVERNMENT

Names

Conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe
Conventional short form: Zimbabwe
Former: Southern Rhodesia

Digraph

Type

Parliamentary democracy

Capital

Harare

Administrative Divisions

8 provinces; Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo (Victoria), Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands

Independence

18 April 1980 (from U.K.)

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; 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

Member of

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

Anthem

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

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.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $18.1 billion (1995 est.), $17.4 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

-2.4% (1995)
3.5% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$1,620 (1995 est.)
$1,580 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

25.8% (1995)
22% (December 1994 est.)

Unemployment Rate

At least 45% (1994 est.)

Budget

Revenues: $1.7 billion
Expenditures: $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $253 million (FY92/93)

Exports

$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
$1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

Commodities:

Agricultural 35% (tobacco 30%, Other 5%)
Manufactures 25%
Gold 12%
Ferrochrome 10%
Textiles 8% (1992)

Partners:

U.K. 14%
Germany 11%
South Africa 10%
Japan 7%
U.S. 5% (1991)

Imports

$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)

Commodities:

Machinery and transportation equipment 41%
Other manufactures 23%
Chemicals 16%
Fuels 12% (1991)

Partners:

South Africa 25%
U.K. 15%
Germany 9%
U.S. 6%
Japan 5% (1991)

External Debt

$4.4 billion (1994)
$3.5 billion (December 1992 est.)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 10% (1994), 2.3% (1992); accounts for 35% of GDP

Electricity

Capacity: 2,040,000 kW
Production: 9 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 913 kWh (1993)

Industries

Mining
Steel
Clothing and footwear
Chemicals
Foodstuffs
Fertilizer
Beverage
Transportation equipment
Wood products

Agriculture

Accounts for 20% of GDP; 40% of land area divided into 4,500 large commercial farms and 42% in communal lands; crops - corn (food staple), cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; livestock - cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; self-sufficient in food

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), 2.4480 (1990)

Fiscal Year

1 July - 30 June

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Total: 2,759 km (1995)
Narrow gauge: 2,759 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified; 42 km double track)

Highways

Total: 91,078 km
Paved: 14,572 km
Unpaved: 76,506 km (1992 est.)

Inland 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 2,438 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 198 (1995 est.)

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

301,000 telephones (1990 est.); system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance

Local: NA
Intercity: consists of microwave links, open-wire lines, and radio communications stations
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Radio

Broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 18, shortwave 0
Radios: 890,000 (1992 est.)

Television

Broadcast stations: 8
Televisions: 280,000 (1992 est.)

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic Police (includes Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police)

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 2,629,880; males fit for military service 1,632,391 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $236 million, 3.4% of GDP (FY95/96), $175 million, 3.1% of GDP (FY94/95)

History
World Atlas

last modified: 21 november 1997

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