2000 Edition

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.

Area

land

386,670 sq km

total

390,580 sq km

water

3,910 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Montana

Climate

tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Inyangani 2,592 m

lowest point

junction of the Runde and Save rivers 162 m

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

Geographic coordinates

20 00 S, 30 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked

Irrigated land

1,930 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

3,066 km

Land use

arable land

7%

forests and woodland

23%

other

57% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

13%

Location

Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare

Natural resources

coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals

Terrain

mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east

Age structure

0-14 years: 39.64% (male 2,274,128; female 2,222,277) 15-64 years: 56.82% (male 3,251,860; female 3,192,888) 65 years and over: 3.54% (male 204,028; female 197,340) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

25 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

22.43 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

African 98% (Shona 71%, Ndebele 16%, other 11%), white 1%, mixed and Asian 1%

Infant mortality rate

62.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects

Life expectancy at birth

female

36.34 years (2000 est.)

male

39.18 years

total population

37.78 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write English

female

80% (1995 est.)

male

90%

total population

85%

Nationality

adjective

Zimbabwean

noun

Zimbabwean(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

note

there is a small but steady flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa in search of better paid employment

Population

11,342,521

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 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

0.26% (2000 est.)

Religions

syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.34 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

Capital

Harare

Constitution

21 December 1979

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Zimbabwe

conventional short form

Zimbabwe

former

Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia

Data code

ZI

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Thomas McDONALD

embassy

172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare

mailing address

P. O. Box 3340, Harare

telephone

(4) 794521

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Simbi Veke MUBAKO

telephone

(202) 332-7100

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president; responsible to the House of Assembly

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

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%

elections

president nominated by the House of Assembly for a six-year term (if more than one nomination, an electoral college consisting of members of the House of Assembly elects the president); election last held 16-17 March 1996 (next to be held NA March 2002); co-vice presidents appointed by the president

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

FAX

(202) 483-9326

(4) 796488

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

18 April 1980 (from UK)

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law

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)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ZANU-PF 117, ZANU-NDONGA 2, independent 1

elections

last held 8-9 April 1995 (next to be held 24-25 June 2000)

National holiday

Independence Day, 18 April (1980)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party or DP [Emmanuel MAGOCHE]; Forum Party of Zimbabwe ; Movement for Democratic Change or MOC ; Popular Democratic Front or PDF ; United Parties ; Zimbabwe African National Union-NDONGA or ZANU-NDONGA [Ndabaningi SITHOLE]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF ; Zimbabwe Unity Movement or ZUM

Political pressure groups and leaders

National Constitutional Assembly or NCA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs

Budget

expenditures

$2.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $279 million (FY96/97 est.)

revenues

$2.5 billion

Currency

1 Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$5 billion (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$437.6 million (1995)

Economy - overview

The government of Zimbabwe faces a wide variety of difficult economic problems as it struggles to consolidate earlier progress in developing 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. The economy is being steadily weakened by 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.

Electricity - consumption

8.403 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

1.921 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

6.97 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

78.19%

hydro

21.81%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1 - 38.1679 (January 2000), 38.3142 (1999), 21.4133 (1998), 11.8906 (1997), 9.9206 (1996), 8.6580 (1995)

Exports

$2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities

tobacco 23%, gold 14%, ferroalloys 7%, cotton 6% (1997 est.)

Exports - partners

South Africa 12%, UK 11%, Germany 8%, Japan 6%, US 6% (1997 est.)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $26.5 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

28%

industry

32%

services

40% (1997 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,400 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

0% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.8% highest 10%: 46.9% (1990)

Imports

$2 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment 39%, other manufactures 18%, chemicals 15%, fuels 10% (1997 est.)

Imports - partners

South Africa 37%, UK 7%, US 6%, Japan 6%, Germany 5% (1997 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

mining (coal, gold, copper, nickel, tin, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel, wood products, cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

59% (1999 est.)

Labor force

5 million (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 66%, services 24%, industry 10% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line

60% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate

50% (1999 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

10 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 7, FM 20 (plus 17 repeater stations), shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

1.14 million (1997)

Telephone system

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)

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)

Television broadcast stations

16 (1997)

Televisions

370,000 (1997)

Airports

459 (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

441 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 217 under 914 m: 220 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

8,692 km

total

18,338 km

unpaved

9,646 km (1996 est.)

Pipelines

petroleum products 212 km

Ports and harbors

Binga, Kariba

Railways

narrow gauge

2,759 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified; 42 km double track) (1995 est.)

total

2,759 km (1995)

Waterways

the Mazoe and Zambezi rivers are used for transporting chrome ore from Harare to Mozambique

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$127 million (FY99/00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

3.1% (FY99/00)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 2,924,630 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,814,168 (2000 est.)

Illicit drugs

significant transit point for African cannabis and South Asian heroin, mandrax, and methamphetamines destined for the South African and European markets