Zimbabwe – country information

Country name	Zimbabwe
Official name	Zimbabwe
Capital	Harare
Continent	Africa
Area	390,757 km2
Population	12,973,808 (2012)
Foundation of a state	18/04/1980
The highest mountains	Inyangani 2595 m
Longest rivers	Zambezi 2660 km (inland 800 km)
State system	a pluralist republic with a unicameral parliament
The biggest cities	Harare (Capital) 1,275,000, Bulawayo 645,000, Chitungwiza 285,000
Official language	English
Ethnicity/National Composition	Bantu blacks 98%, Europeans 1.5%, others 0.5%
Religious affiliation	traditional African faith 41%, Protestant 17.5%, African Christian 14%, Roman Catholic 11.5%, other 16%
Currency	1 Zimbabwe dollar (Z$) = 100 cents
gross domestic product (GDP)	US$552 (2012)
Average life expectancy of the population	39.29 years (2006)

Zimbabwe – Neighboring States

State	Capital	Area	Population
Botswana	Gaborone	581,730 km2	2,024,904
South Africa – JAR	Pretoria	1,221,040 km2	52,981,991
Mozambique	Maputo	801,590 km2	23,700,715
Zambia	Lusaka	752,618 km2	14,580,290

Country overview

Zimbabwe, formerly Southern Rhodesia, lies in south-east Africa between the Zambezi River, which forms its northern border with Zambia, and the Limpopo River, which separates it from South Africa to the south. It borders Botswana to the west and Mozambique to the east.

According to Abbreviationfinder, Zimbabwe is a state in South Africa. Common borders with South Africa in the south, Botswana in the west, Zambia in the north, Mozambique in the east. The capital is Harare.

The climate is subequatorial, tropical. The average temperature is +20*С.

They live – buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, elephants, rhinos, lions, hippos, leopards.

The country is located in the central part of South Africa between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers. Nature gave Zimbabwe one of the mildest climates on the planet, which is famous for its warm, mild weather throughout the year. Here is the world-famous Victoria Falls, which the locals call Mosi-oa-Tunya (thundering smoke) – one of the most picturesque and enchanting sights on the African continent. Indeed, water spray rising from the waterfall forms a cloud that looks like smoke.

The magnificent wild African nature is another factor contributing to the growing popularity of Zimbabwe among tourists. Many animals can be seen here in their natural surroundings. 13% of the entire territory of the country are parks and reserves. There are several safari regions in the valley of the Zambezi and Tuli rivers, which are inhabited by elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards and all kinds of antelope. Many are allowed to be hunted with a permit. Usually the hunting season is open from the beginning of May to the end of September.

Resorts and attractions of Zimbabwe

The great African continent has been a wildlife scene for tourists from all over the world for thousands of years. Deserts, jungles, rivers and mountains merge together in Africa to create a unique picture of untouched nature.

Now Zimbabwe continues to flicker in the headlines of the world press for not very pleasant reasons. Of course, local politicians promise an early improvement in the living conditions of the local population, but in this they are very similar to politicians in absolutely all countries of the world, and not just Africa.

In fact, the country is still grappling with the aftermath of years of political struggle. Of course, there are some improvements in the economy, but millions of people are still dependent on humanitarian aid.

Country data

Location: South Africa

Time zone: CET + 1 (during summer time: CET)

Total area: 390,757 km²

Land area: 386,847 km²

Water area: 3,910 km²

Length of the state border: 3,066 km

Bordering countries:
Botswana: 813 km
Mozambique: 1,231 km
Zambia: 797 km
South Africa: 225 km

Coastline: 0 km

Capital: Harare

Provinces: 10
Bulawayo, Harare, Manicaland, Central Mashonaland, East Mashonaland, West Mashonaland, Masvingo, North Matabeleland, South Matabeleland, Midlands

Telephone code: 00 263 (Source: Allcitycodes)

Highest point: Inyangani 2,592 m

Population

Population: approx. 13.8 million residents (Countryaah, 2021)

Population growth: 4.4% per year

Population density (residents per km²): 35

Life expectancy: 55 (male), 56 (female)

Official language: English

Religions:

• 25% Christians
• 75% other

Climate

The seasons in Zimbabwe are opposite to the European ones.

Winter lasts from May to August and brings little rain. During the day, temperatures rise to a maximum of 20 ° C. Even at night it is sometimes very cold with temperatures around freezing point.

The warmest time of the year is from September to the end of November. Then during the day it is often up to 30 ° C.

The rainy season begins at the beginning of December and lasts until the end of March, sometimes until the beginning of April. The rains only last a few hours, but occur almost every day.

Currency / finance

Zimbabwe no longer has an official national currency. The US dollar, South African rand and Chinese renminbi are mainly used.

After the Zimbabwe dollar (ZWL) reached inflation rates of several hundred thousand percent per month in the years 2007-2009 (hyperinflation), its legal tender function was suspended by the government on April 12, 2009.

ATMs: There are very few ATMs available in the capital.

International credit cards: Only accepted in large hotels and a few car rental companies.

Regulations: Most regions of the country rarely accept credit cards. Cash payments are common.

An unlimited amount of foreign currencies can be imported and exported. It is recommended to bring US dollars in banknotes.

The national currency can be imported and exported up to an amount of 2,000 ZWL.

Important: never exchange money at street vendors! Since there is a great shortage of cash in the country, one is almost always cheated in such exchange transactions.

Customs regulations

The following may be carried duty-free:

• 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars
• 2 liters of alcoholic beverages

(Information applies to people aged 18 and over)

Tourists and people in transit can bring items of personal use with them duty-free.

Gifts up to a total value of US $ 250 may be carried duty-free.

Valuable items should be declared upon entry so that there are no unnecessarily long waiting times when leaving.

Travel advice

The poor economic and social situation in Zimbabwe results in a high crime rate.

The increased presence of police and security forces in the tourist centers also means that one is never safe from attacks.

Since medical care in the country is very poor, you should bring all the medicines you need and a well-stocked first-aid kit with you when you arrive.

Behavioral advice

Photographing and filming military installations and people, airports and public buildings is strictly prohibited.

After dark, you shouldn’t have to be alone or driving.

As there are often violent attacks and thefts, you should not have any valuable items or large amounts of money with you.

Tip: Always carry 2 purses with you. In the first one (which you carry well hidden) you keep your money for the day. The second should contain a few small bills and coins. So you can give out the second wallet in the event of a robbery and satisfy the perpetrator with it without losing all of your money.

Economy

Mining and agriculture are the country’s main industries.

The industrial boom in the 1970s and 1980s made Zimbabwe more economically independent.

Industries: clothing industry, mining, chemical industry, wood processing, steel processing

Natural resources: asbestos, chromium, iron ore, gold, coal, copper, nickel, platinum, zinc

Land use:

• Usable land: 7%
• Grain cultivation: 0%
• Pasture area: 13%
• Forests: 23%
• other: 57%

Plants

There is a diverse flora in Zimbabwe. The tree savannah is the most common.

The higher regions mostly still have dense forest areas, while in the lower savannas there are only a few trees.

The baobab tree, a tree species typical of Africa, is very common here.

In the last few decades, however, more and more forests have been cleared to create growing areas for agriculture and areas for industry.

Animals

Due to the heavy clearing of large areas, the animal population was severely decimated. Nevertheless, there is a very high diversity of animals in the air and on land.

In addition to around 650 bird species, there are many animals typical of Africa on land. Monkeys, buffalos, elephants, giraffes, crocodiles, lions, rhinos and snakes are native here.