Zimbabwe

Republic of Zimbabwe

parliamentary democracyIndependence 18 April 1980 (from UK)

Zimbabwe as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 75 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalHarare
Area390,580 km2
LocationSouthern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia
Populationas each edition published it
10.84 million July 1993 est. · 10.39m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.32% 1993 est. · 1.82% in 2025
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 18.9 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
42.82 years 1993 est. · 67.2 yrs in 2025
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5.26 children per woman 1993 est. · 5.8 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
75.3 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 65 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$545 1992 est. · $3,500 in 2025
GDP real growth% a year
-10% 1992 est. · 2% in 2025

Corrected. The 1993 edition's appendices (the UN system, international organizations, weights and measures) follow the last entry in the file, Zimbabwe, and the source parser made them fields of that entry. All corrections

Geography

Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia

14 fields

Land useshare of 390,580 km2

arable land 7%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 12%forest and woodland 62%other 19%irrigated 2,200 km2 (1989 est.)
Area
390,580km2
land area: 386,670 km2comparative area: slightly larger than Montana
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none; landlocked
Land boundaries
3,066km
total · Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km

Location

Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

International 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

Environment

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

Note

landlocked

People

14 fields
Population
10,837,772
(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 1.32% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth
38.16Death
17.68Net migration
-7.27

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years42.82
41.2 · 44.49
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy67%
74% · 60%
MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

Ethnic divisions

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

Religions

syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%Christian 25%indigenous beliefs 24%Muslim and other 1%
Labor force
3.1million
by occupation: agriculture 74%, transport and services 16%, mining, manufacturing, construction 10% (1987)

Infant mortality rate

75.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.26 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Zimbabwean(s)
adjective:
Zimbabwean

Languages

English (official), Shona, Sindebele

Government

Parliamentary democracy

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

78.3%
Robert MUGABE 78.3%Edgar TEKERE 21.7%

Names

conventional long form:
Republic of Zimbabwe
conventional short form:
Zimbabwe
former:
Southern Rhodesia

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)

Constitution

21 December 1979

National holiday

Independence Day, 18 April (1980)

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;
  • Forum Party, Enock DUMBUTSHENA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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

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)

Member of

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-15, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:
Counselor (Political Affairs), Head of Chancery, Ambassador-designate Amos Bernard Muvengwa MIDZI
chancery:
1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
(202) 332-7100

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:
Ambassador Edward Gibson LANPHER
embassy:
172 Herbert Chitapo Avenue, Harare
mailing address:
P. O. Box 3340, Harare
telephone:
[263] (4) 794-521
FAX:
[263] (4) 796-488

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.

18 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$545
(1992 est.)
Real growth rate
-10%
(1992 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 5% (1991 est.); accounts for 38% of GDP
Unemployment rate
35%
at least · (1993 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 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 severe drought in 1991/92 caused the economy to contract by about 10% in 1992.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $6.2 billion (1992 est.)

Exports

$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)

commodities:
agricultural 35% (tobacco 20%, other 15%), manufactures 20%, gold 10%, ferrochrome 10%, cotton 5%
partners:
UK 14%, Germany 11%, South Africa 10%, Japan 7%, US 5% (1991)

Imports

$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)

commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment 37%, other manufactures 22%, chemicals 16%, fuels 15%
partners:
UK 15%, Germany 9%, South Africa 5%, Botswana 5%, US 5%, Japan 5% (1991)

External debt

$3.9 billion (March 1993 est.)

Electricity

3,650,000 kW capacity; 8,920 million kWh produced, 830 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

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

Agriculture

  • accounts for 13% 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

1 Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1 - 6.3532 (February 1993), 5.1046 (1992), 3.4282 (1991), 2.4480 (1990), 2.1133 (1989), 1.8018 (1988)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

6 fields

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: (including 42 km double track, 355 km electrified)

Railroads

2,745 km 1.067-meter gauge (including 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 212 km

Airports

total:
485
usable:
403
with permanent-surface runways:
22
with runways over 3,659 m:
2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
3
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
29

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 Republic Police | (including Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police), People's Militia

3 fields

Branches

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

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 2,315,461; fit for military service 1,436,671 (1993 est.)

Defense expenditures

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

Cite this entry

Central Intelligence Agency. “Zimbabwe.” The World Factbook 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/zimbabwe/1993.