 Zimbabwe is a
landlocked country in east-central Southern Africa. Bordered by
the Limpopo river in the south and the Zambezi river in the
north, its highland and middle-altitude plateaus are
covered
mainly in Brachystegia-dominated woodland.
Zimbabwe is a beautiful and usually safe country to visit,
despite
its troubles. It is a beautiful
land with vast tracts of
game-rich wilderness. Zimbabwe is home to the Victoria Falls,
one of the natural wonders of the world, the stone enclosures of
Great Zimbabwe – remnants of a past empire - magnificent
wildlife preserves
with herds of elephant and other game roaming
vast stretches of wilderness, as well as the bustling city of
Harare.
For years, Zimbabwe was a major tobacco producer and a potential
bread basket for surrounding countries. Recently the forced
seizure of almost all white-owned commercial farms, with the
stated aim of benefiting landless black Zimbabweans, led to
sharp falls in production and precipitated the collapse of the
agriculture-based economy. The country has endured rampant
inflation and critical food and fuel shortages.
Descendants of the Shona tribe make up more than 80% of
Zimbabwe's population, while Ndebele make up slightly less than
10%.
The remaining approximate 10% comprises of Africans from other
tribes (mostly Bantu-speaking tribes from neighbouring
Mozambique), white Africans (British, Afrikaans and Portuguese)
and Asians (mostly Indian and Chinese).
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Zimbabwe Facts |
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Full Name |
Republic of Zimbabwe |
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Capital City |
Harare |
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Area |
390,580 sq km |
|
Population |
13,000,000 |
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Time Zone |
GMT/UTC
+2 |
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Languages |
English (official) 2%
Shona (other) 76% |
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Currency |
Zimbabwe Dollar (Z$) |
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Climate |
Zimbabwe’s climate is generally very warm. Because
of the country’s elevation, which averages 915m
above sea level, the temperature rarely
exceeds 33°C or falls below 7°C.
Nevertheless, temperatures around 30°C are very hot,
and are experienced
regularly.
Zimbabwe’s summer is from November to February, and
the days are hottest
at this time. Zimbabwe also receives almost all of
its rain during summer. |
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