Zimbabwe

parliamentary democracyIndependence 18 April 1980 (from UK

Zimbabwe as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 71 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalHarare
Area390,580 km2
1992

Every edition of Zimbabwe

Populationas each edition published it
11.03 million July 1992 · 10.39m in 1990
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 1.32% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 18.9 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 42.82 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5.4 children per woman 1992 · 5.8 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
59 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 65 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $545 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition -10% in 1993

Corrected. The 1992 edition's notes and definitions, abbreviations and appendices follow the last entry in the file, Zimbabwe, and the source parser made them fields of that entry. All corrections

Geography

13 fields
Total area
390,580km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Montana
Land boundaries
3,066km total
Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km

Land area

386,670 km2

Coastline

none - landlocked

Disputes

quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia is in disagreement

Climate

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

Terrain

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

Natural resources

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

Land use

  • arable land 7%;
  • permanent crops NEGL%;
  • meadows and pastures 12%;
  • forest and woodland 62%;
  • other 19%;
  • includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment

  • recurring droughts;
  • floods and severe storms are rare;
  • deforestation;
  • soil erosion;
  • air and water pollution

Note

landlocked

People

14 fields
Population
11,033,376
(July 1992), growth rate 2.9% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth
40Death
8Net migration
-3

Ethnic divisions

African 98% (Shona 71%, Ndebele 16%, other 11%)white 1%mixed and Asian 1%
Literacy
67%
(male 74%, female 60%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

59 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth

60 years male, 64 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate

5.4 children born/woman (1992)

Nationality

noun - Zimbabwean(s); adjective - Zimbabwean

Religions

syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, a few Muslim

Languages

English (official); Shona, Sindebele

Labor force

3,100,000; agriculture 74%, transport and services 16%, mining, manufacturing, construction 10% (1987)

Organized labor

17% of wage and salary earners have union membership

Government

Parliamentary democracy

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

78.3%
Robert MUGABE 78.3%Edgar TEKERE 21.7%

Long-form name

Republic of Zimbabwe

Type

parliamentary democracy

Capital

Harare

Administrative divisions

8 provinces; Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo (Victoria), Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands

Independence

18 April 1980 (from UK; formerly Southern Rhodesia)

Constitution

21 December 1979

National holiday

Independence Day, 18 April (1980)

Executive branch

executive president, 2 vice presidents, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government:
  • Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987);
  • Co-Vice President Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31 December 1987);
  • Co-Vice President Joshua M. NKOMO (since 6 August 1990)

Political parties and leaders

  • Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), Robert MUGABE;
  • Zimbabwe African National Union-Sithole (ZANU-S), Ndabaningi SITHOLE;
  • Zimbabwe Unity Movement (ZUM), Edgar TEKERE;
  • Democratic Party (DP), Emmanuel MAGOCHE

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Elections

Executive President:
last held 28-30 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1996); results - Robert MUGABE 78.3%, Edgar TEKERE 21.7%
Parliament:
  • last held 28-30 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1995);
  • results - percent of vote by party NA;
  • seats - (150 total, 120 elected) ZANU-PF 117, ZUM 2, ZANU-S 1

Member of

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

  • Counselor (Political Affairs), Head of Chancery, Ambassador Stanislaus Garikai CHIGWEDERE;
  • Chancery at 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009;
  • telephone (202) 332-7100
US:
  • Ambassador Edward Gibson LANPHER;
  • Embassy at 172 Herbert Chitapo Avenue, Harare (mailing address is P. O. Box 3340, Harare);
  • telephone [263] (4) 794-521

Flag

  • seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green with a white equilateral triangle edged in black based on the hoist side;
  • a yellow Zimbabwe bird is superimposed on a red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle

Economy

Agriculture employs three-fourths of the labor force and supplies almost 40% | of exports.

16 fields
Unemployment rate
30%
at least · (1991 est.)
External debt
$2.96billion
(December 1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$2.7 billionExpenditures
$3.3 billion
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $330 million (FY91)

Overview

Agriculture employs three-fourths of the labor force and supplies almost 40% of exports. The manufacturing sector, based on agriculture and mining, produces a variety of goods and contributes 35% to GDP. Mining accounts for only 5% of both GDP and employment, but supplies of minerals and metals account for about 40% of exports.

Wide year-to-year fluctuations in agricultural production over the past six years have resulted in an uneven growth rate, one that on average has matched the 3% annual increase in population. Helped by an IMF/World Bank structural adjustment program, output rose 3.5% in 1991. A drought beginning toward the end of 1991 suggests rough going for 1992.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $7.1 billion, per capita $660; real growth rate 3.5% (1991 est.)

Exports

$1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

commodities:
agricultural 35% (tobacco 20%, other 15%), manufactures 20%, gold 10%, ferrochrome 10%, cotton 5%
partners:
Europe 55% (EC 40%, Netherlands 5%, other 15%), Africa 20% (South Africa 10%, other 10%), US 5%

Imports

$1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)

commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment 37%, other manufactures 22%, chemicals 16%, fuels 15%
partners:
EC 31%, Africa 29% (South Africa 21%, other 8%), US 8%, Japan 4%

Industrial production

growth rate 5% (1991 est.); accounts for 35% of GDP

Electricity

3,650,000 kW capacity; 7,500 million kWh produced, 700 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

mining, steel, clothing and footwear, chemicals, foodstuffs, fertilizer, beverage, transportation equipment, wood products

Agriculture

  • accounts for 11% of GDP and employs 74% of population;
  • 40% of land area divided into 4,500 large commercial farms and 42% in communal lands;
  • crops - corn (food staple), cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts;
  • livestock - cattle, sheep, goats, pigs;
  • self-sufficient in food

Economic aid

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY80-89), $389 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.6 billion;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $36 million;
  • Communist countries (1970-89), $134 million

Currency

Zimbabwean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1 - 4.3066 (March 1992), 3.4282 (1991), 2.4480 (1990), 2.1133 (1989), 1.8018 (1988), 1.6611 (1987)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

7 fields

Airports, 491 total, 401 usable

permanent-surface runways
22runways | over 3,659 m
2runways 2,440-3,659 m
3runways 1,220-2,439 m
32

Networkskm

Highways
85,237Railroads
2,745
Highways: ; 15,800 km paved, 39,090 km crushed stone, gravel, · stabilized soil: 23,097 km improved earth; 7,250 km unimproved earth · Railroads: ; 42 km double track; 355 km electrified

Railroads

  • 2,745 km 1.067-meter gauge;
  • 42 km double track;
  • 355 km electrified

Highways

85,237 km total; 15,800 km paved, 39,090 km crushed stone, gravel,; stabilized soil: 23,097 km improved earth; 7,250 km unimproved earth

Inland waterways

Lake Kariba is a potential line of communication

Pipelines

petroleum products 8 km

Civil air

12 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

  • system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance;
  • consists of microwave links, open-wire lines, and radio communications stations;
  • 247,000 telephones;
  • broadcast stations - 8 AM, 18 FM, 8 TV;
  • 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe National Police | (including Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police), People's Militia

3 fields

Branches

Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe National Police (including Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police), People's Militia

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 2,355,965; 1,456,829 fit for military service

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $412.4 million, about 6% of GDP (FY91 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Zimbabwe.” The World Factbook 1992. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/zimbabwe/1992.

How to cite ← 1991 edition 1993 edition →