| Background: |
The UK annexed
Southern Rhodesia from the South Africa Company in 1923. A
1961 constitution was formulated to keep whites in power. In
1965 the government unilaterally declared its independence,
but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded voting
rights for the black African majority in the country (then
called Rhodesia). UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising
finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as
Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime
minister, has been the country's only ruler (as president
since 1987) and has dominated the country's political system
since independence. |
| Location: |
Southern Africa,
between South Africa and Zambia |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
20 00 S, 30 00 E |
| Area: |
total:
390,580 sq km
land: 386,670 sq km
water: 3,910 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
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) |
| Climate: |
tropical;
moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March) |
| Terrain: |
mostly high
plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains
in east |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
junction of the Runde and Save 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: 0%
permanent pastures: 13%
forests and woodland: 23%
other: 57% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
1,930 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
recurring
droughts; floods and severe storms are rare |
| 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 |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
landlocked |
| Population: |
11,365,366
note: estimates for this country explicitly
take into account the effects of excess mortality due to
AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher
infant mortality and death rates, lower population and
growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population
by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001
est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
38.68% (male 2,223,332; female 2,172,479)
15-64 years: 57.69% (male 3,319,982; female
3,236,286)
65 years and over: 3.63% (male 208,785; female
204,502) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.15% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
24.68
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
23.22
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 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: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
62.61
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 37.13 years
male: 38.51 years
female: 35.7 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.28 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
25.06% (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
1.5 million (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
160,000 (1999
est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Zimbabwean(s)
adjective: Zimbabwean |
| Ethnic
groups: |
African 98% (Shona
71%, Ndebele 16%, other 11%), mixed and Asian 1%, white less
than 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: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write English
total population: 85%
male: 90%
female: 80% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Republic of Zimbabwe
conventional short form: Zimbabwe
former: Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia |
| Government
type: |
parliamentary
democracy |
| Administrative
divisions: |
8 provinces and 2
cities* with provincial status; Bulawayo*, Harare*,
Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East,
Mashonaland West, Masvingo, 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: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE
(since 31 December 1987); Co-Vice Presidents Simon Vengai
MUZENDA (since 31 December 1987) and Joseph MSIKA (since 23
December 1999); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
head of government: Executive President Robert
Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); Co-Vice Presidents
Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31 December 1987) and Joseph
MSIKA (since 23 December 1999); note - the president is both
the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president;
responsible to the House of Assembly
elections: presidential candidates nominated
with a nomination paper signed by at least 10 registered
voters (at least one from each province) and elected by
popular vote; election last held 16-17 March 1996 (next to
be held NA March 2002); co-vice presidents appointed by the
president
election results: Robert Gabriel MUGABE
reelected president; percent of electoral college vote -
Robert Gabriel MUGABE 92.7%, Abel MUZOREWA 4.8%; Ndabaningi
SITHOLE 2.4% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
parliament, called House of Assembly (150 seats - 120
elected by popular vote for six-year terms, 12 nominated by
the president, 10 occupied by traditional chiefs chosen by
their peers, and 8 occupied by provincial governors)
elections: last held 24-25 June 2000 (next to
be held NA 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party -
ZANU-PF 47.2%, MDC 45.6%, ZANU-Ndonga 0.7%, United Parties
0.7%; seats by party - ZANU-PF 63, MDC 56, ZANU-Ndonga 1 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court;
High Court |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Movement for
Democratic Change or MDC [Morgan TSVANGIRAI]; Popular
Democratic Front or PDF [Austin CHAKAODZA]; United Parties
[Abel MUZOREWA]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Ndonga or
ZANU-Ndonga [Ndabaningi SITHOLE]; Zimbabwe African National
Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Robert MUGABE]; Zimbabwe
Unity Movement or ZUM [Edgar TEKERE] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
National
Constitutional Assembly or NCA |
| 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, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Simbi Veke MUBAKO
chancery: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 332-7100
FAX: [1] (202) 483-9326 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affairs
Earl M. IRVING
embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare
mailing address: P. O. Box 3340, Harare
telephone: [263] (4) 250-593
FAX: [263] (4) 796487 |
| Flag
description: |
seven equal
horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow,
and green with a white isosceles triangle edged in black
with its base on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird is
superimposed on a red five-pointed star in the center of the
triangle |
| Economy
- overview: |
The government of
Zimbabwe faces a wide variety of difficult economic problems
as it struggles to consolidate earlier moves to develop a
market-oriented economy. Its involvement in the war in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, has already
drained hundreds of millions of dollars from the economy.
Badly needed support from the IMF suffers delays in part
because of the country's failure to meet budgetary goals.
Inflation rose from an annual rate of 32% in 1998 to 59% in
1999 and 60% in 2000. The economy is being steadily weakened
by excessive government deficits and AIDS; Zimbabwe has the
highest rate of infection in the world. Per capita GDP,
which is twice the average of the poorer sub-Saharan
nations, will increase little if any in the near-term, and
Zimbabwe will suffer continued frustrations in developing
its agricultural and mineral resources. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $28.2 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
-6.1% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $2,500 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
28%
industry: 32%
services: 40% (1997 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
60% (1999 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
1.8%
highest 10%: 46.9% (1990) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
60% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
5.5 million (2000
est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 66%,
services 24%, industry 10% (1996 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
50% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$2.5 billion
expenditures: $2.9 billion, including capital
expenditures of $279 million (FY96/97 est.) |
| Industries: |
mining (coal,
gold, copper, nickel, tin, clay, numerous metallic and
nonmetallic ores), steel, wood products, cement, chemicals,
fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
5.78 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
69.98%
hydro: 30.02%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
6.939 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
1.564 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
corn, cotton,
tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; cattle, sheep,
goats, pigs |
| Exports: |
$1.8 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
tobacco 29%, gold
7%, ferroalloys 7%, cotton 5% (1999 est.) |
| Exports
- partners: |
South Africa 10%,
UK 9%, Malawi 8%, Botswana 8%, Japan 7%, (1999 est.) |
| Imports: |
$1.3 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
transport equipment 35%, other manufactures 18%, chemicals
17%, fuels 14% (1999 est.) |
| Imports
- partners: |
South Africa 46%,
UK 6%, China 4%, Germany 4%, US 3% (1999 est.) |
| Debt
- external: |
$4.1 billion
(2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$200 million
(2000 est.) |
| Currency: |
Zimbabwean dollar
(ZWD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Zimbabwean
dollars per US dollar - 54.9451 (January 2001), 43.2900
(2000), 38.3142 (1999), 21.4133 (1998), 11.8906 (1997),
9.9206 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 July - 30 June |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
212,000 (in
addition there are about 20,000 fixed telephones in wireless
local loop connections) (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
70,000 (1999) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: system was once one of the best in
Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than
100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an
equally large number of installed but unused main lines
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay
links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication
stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a
substantial mobile cellular network; Internet connection is
available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for
some of the smaller ones
international: satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat; two international digital gateway exchanges (in
Harare and Gweru) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 7, FM 20 (plus
17 repeater stations), shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios: |
1.14 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
16 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
370,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.zw |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
6 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
30,000 (1999) |
| 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:
18,338 km
paved: 8,692 km
unpaved: 9,646 km (1996 est.) |
| Waterways: |
the Mazoe and
Zambezi rivers are used for transporting chrome ore from
Harare to Mozambique |
| Pipelines: |
petroleum
products 212 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Binga, Kariba |
| Airports: |
455 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
18
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 9 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
437
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 209
under 914 m: 224 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Zimbabwe National
Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic Police
(includes Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police) |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 2,996,631 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 1,860,167 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$127 million
(FY99/00) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
3.1% (FY99/00) |
| Illicit
drugs: |
significant
transit point for African cannabis and South Asian heroin,
mandrax, and methamphetamines destined for the South African
and European markets |
|
