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|
| Geography |
|
Landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine
boundary with Zambia; in full flood (February-April) the massive
Victoria Falls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling
water; Lake Kariba on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border forms the world's
largest reservoir by volume (180 cu km; 43 cu mi) |
| Location: | Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia |
| Geographic coordinates: | 20 00 S, 30 00 E |
| Area: | total: 390,757 sq km land: 386,847 sq km water: 3,910 sq km
Size comparison: 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: 8.24% permanent crops: 0.33% other: 91.43% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 1,740 sq km (2003) |
| Natural hazards: | recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare |
| Current Environment 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; poor mining practices have led to toxic waste and
heavy metal pollution |
| International Environment 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 |
| ^Back to Top |
| People |
| Population: |
13,182,908 (July 2013 est.)
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, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population
by age and sex than would otherwise be expected |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 39.4% (male 2,623,606/female
2,570,028) 15-24 years: 22.5% (male 1,472,186/female
1,493,816) 25-54 years: 30.8% (male 2,039,943/female
2,018,589) 55-64 years: 3.7% (male 176,951/female
311,113) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 193,147/female
283,529) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| Median age: | total: 18.9 years male: 18.2 years female: 19.6 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 4.357% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 32.19 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate: | 12.38 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate: |
23.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into
South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities
(2012 est.) |
| Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15
years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92
male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: |
total: 28.23 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 30.67 deaths/1,000 live births female:
25.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 51.82 years
male: 51.95 years female: 51.68 years (2012 est.)
|
| Total fertility rate: | 3.58 children born/woman (2013 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 14.3% (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 1.2 million (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 83,000 (2009 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Zimbabwean(s) adjective: Zimbabwean |
| Ethnic groups: | African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), 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: 90.7% male: 94.2%
female: 87.2% (2003 est.) |
| ^Back to Top |
| Government |
| Country name: |
conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe
conventional short form: Zimbabwe former: Southern
Rhodesia, Rhodesia |
| Government type: | parliamentary democracy |
| Capital: |
name: Harare geographic coordinates:
17 49 S, 31 02 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead
of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| 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 the UK) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 18 April (1980) |
| Constitution: | 21 December 1979 |
| Legal system: | mixed legal system of English common law, Roman-Dutch civil law, and customary law |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: |
chief of state: Executive President Robert Gabriel
MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); Vice President John Landa NKOMO (since
December 2009) and Vice President Joice MUJURU (since 6 December 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Morgan TSVANGIRAI
(since 11 February 2009); Deputy Prime Minister Arthur MUTAMBARA
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and prime minister;
responsible to the House of Assembly (For more information visit
the World Leaders website ) 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 for a five-year term (no term limits); elections last held
on 28 March 2008 followed by a run-off on 27 June 2008 (next to be held
in 2013); co-vice presidents drawn from party leadership
election results: Robert Gabriel MUGABE reelected president;
percent of vote - Robert Gabriel MUGABE 85.5%, Morgan TSVANGIRAI 9.3%,
other 5.2%; note - first round voting results - Morgan TSVANGIRAI 47.9%,
Robert Gabriel MUGABE 43.2%, Simba MAKONI 8.3%, other 0.6%; first-round
round polls were deemed to be flawed suppressing TSVANGIRAI's results;
the 27 June 2008 run-off between MUGABE and TSVANGIRAI was severely
flawed and internationally condemned |
| Legislative branch: |
bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate (93
seats - 60 members elected by popular vote for a five-year term, 10
provincial governors nominated by the president and the prime minister,
16 traditional chiefs elected by the Council of Chiefs, 2 seats held by
the president and deputy president of the Council of Chiefs, and 5
members appointed by the president) and a House of Assembly (210 seats -
members elected by popular vote for five-year terms) elections:
last held on 28 March 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - MDC 51.6%,
ZANU-PF 45.8%, other 2.6%; seats by party - MDC 30, ZANU-PF 30; House of
Assembly - percent of vote by party - MDC 51.3%, ZANU-PF 45.8%, other
2.9%; seats by party - MDC 109, ZANU-PF 97, other 4 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court; High Court |
| Political parties and leaders: |
African National Party or ANP [Egypt
DZINEMUNHENZVA]; Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai or MDC-T
[Morgan TSVANGIRAI]; Movement for Democratic Change - Ncube or MDC-N
[Welshman NCUBE]; Peace Action is Freedom for All or PAFA; United
Parties [Abel MUZOREWA]; United People's Party or UPP [Daniel SHUMBA];
Zimbabwe African National Union-Ndonga or ZANU-Ndonga [Wilson KUMBULA];
Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Robert
Gabriel MUGABE]; Zimbabwe African Peoples Union or ZAPU [Dumiso
DABENGWA]; Zimbabwe Youth in Alliance or ZIYA |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition; National
Constitutional Assembly or NCA [Lovemore MADHUKU]; Women of Zimbabwe
Arise or WOZA [Jenny WILLIAMS]; Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions or
ZCTU [Wellington CHIBEBE] |
| International organization participation: |
ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN,
UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU,
WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Machivenyika
MAPURANGA 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 David Bruce WHARTON
embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare mailing
address: P. O. Box 3340, Harare telephone: [263]
(4) 250-593 through 250-594 FAX: [263] (4) 796-488, or
722-618 |
| ^Back to Top |
| Economy |
|
Zimbabwe's economy is growing despite continuing
political uncertainty. Following a decade of contraction from 1998 to
2008, Zimbabwe's economy recorded real growth of more than 9% per year
in 2010-11, before slowing to 5% in 2012, due in part to a poor harvest
and low diamond revenues. However, the government of Zimbabwe still
faces a number of difficult economic problems, including infrastructure
and regulatory deficiencies, ongoing indigenization pressure, policy
uncertainty, a large external debt burden, and insufficient formal
employment. Zimbabwe's 1998-2002 involvement in the war in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo drained hundreds of millions of dollars
from the economy. The government's subsequent land reform program,
characterized by chaos and violence, badly damaged the commercial
farming sector, the traditional source of exports and foreign exchange
and the provider of 400,000 jobs, turning Zimbabwe into a net importer
of food products. Until early 2009, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
routinely printed money to fund the budget deficit, causing
hyperinflation. Dollarization in early 2009 - which allowed currencies
such as the Botswana pula, the South Africa rand, and the US dollar to
be used locally - ended hyperinflation and restored price stability but
exposed structural weaknesses that continue to inhibit broad-based
growth. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): |
GDP (purchasing power parity): $6.909 billion (2012
est.) $6.579 billion (2011 est.) $6.015
billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): |
GDP (official exchange rate): $10.8 billion
note: in 2009, the Zimbabwean dollar was taken out of
circulation, making Zimbabwe's GDP at the official exchange rate a
highly inaccurate statistic (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 5% (2012 est.) 9.4% (2011 est.) 9.6% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): |
GDP - per capita (PPP): $500 (2012 est.)
$500 (2011 est.) $500 (2010 est.) note:
data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 20.3% industry: 25.1% services: 54.6% (2012 est.) |
| Labor force: | 3.909 million (2012 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 66% industry: 10% services: 24% (1996) |
| Unemployment rate: |
95% (2009 est.) 80% (2005
est.) note: figures reflect underemployment; true
unemployment is unknown and, under current economic conditions,
unknowable |
| Population below poverty line: | 68% (2004) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 40.4% (1995) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 50.1 (2006) 50.1 (1995) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.3% (2012 est.) 5.4% (2011 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed): 21.9% of GDP (2012 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA (2010 est.) |
| Public debt: | 202.7% of GDP (2012 est.) 219.7% of GDP (2011 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; sheep, goats, pigs |
| Industries: |
mining (coal, gold, platinum, copper, nickel,
tin, diamonds, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel;
wood products, cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear,
foodstuffs, beverages |
| Industrial production growth rate: | 5.7% (2011 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 7.615 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 101 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 12.54 billion kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 53 million kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 5.497 billion kWh (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$521.9 million (2012 est.) -$621.5 million (2011 est.) |
| Exports: | $3.314 billion (2012 est.) $2.932 billion (2011 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | platinum, cotton, tobacco, gold, ferroalloys, textiles/clothing |
| Exports - partners: |
South Africa 17.3%, China 16.9%, Democratic
Republic of the Congo 11.7%, Botswana 10.5%, Italy 6.1% (2011) |
| Imports: | $4.675 billion (2012 est.) $4.37 billion (2011 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures, chemicals, fuels, food products |
| Imports - partners: | South Africa 55.4%, China 9.2% (2011) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $422 million (31 December 2012 est.) $461 million (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $6.975 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $6.43 billion (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $NA |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $NA |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: |
$10.9 billion (31 December 2011)
$11.48 billion (31 December 2010) $3.83 billion (31 December
2009) |
| Exchange rates: |
Zimbabwean dollars (ZWD) per US dollar -
234.25 (2010) 234.25 (2009) 9,686.8 (2007) note:
the dollar was adopted as a legal currency in 2009; since then
the Zimbabwean dollar has experienced hyperinflation and is essentially
worthless |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
| ^Back to Top |
| Communications |
| Telephones in use: | 356,000 (2011) country comparison to the world: 109 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 9.2 million (2011) |
| Telephone system: |
general assessment: 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,
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: country code -
263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 2 international digital
gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru) |
| Radio broadcast stations: |
|
| Television broadcast stations: |
|
| Internet country code: | .zw |
| Internet hosts: | 30,615 (2012) |
| Internet users: | 1.423 million (2009) |
| ^Back to Top |
| Transportation |
| Airports: | 202 (2012) country comparison to the world: 29 |
| Airports (paved runways): |
total: 17 over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2012) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): |
total: 185 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 110 under 914 m: 73 (2012) |
| Pipelines: | refined products 270 km (2010) |
| Railways: |
total: 3,427 km narrow gauge:
3,427 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2008) |
| Roadways: | total: 97,267 km paved: 18,481 km unpaved: 78,786 km (2002) |
| Waterways: | (some navigation possible on Lake Kariba) (2011) |
| Ports and terminals: | Binga, Kariba |
| ^Back to Top |
| Military |
|
| Military branches: |
Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army
(ZNA), Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ), Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)
(2009) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women are eligible to serve (2012) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 2,616,051 females age 16-49: 2,868,376 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 1,528,166 females age 16-49: 1,646,041 (2010 est.) |
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