Zimbabwe
Republic of Zimbabwe
parliamentary democracyIndependence 18 April 1980 (from UK)
Zimbabwe as the 2000 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 106 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia
18 fieldsLand useshare of 390,580 sq km
Natural resources
coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals
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
People
15 fieldsNote
Per 1,000 population(2000 est.)
Male · female
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.)
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
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.)
Languages
English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects
Government
Parliamentary democracy; Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987)
19 fieldsLegislature, 120 seats, elected 8-9 April 1995one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Zimbabwe
- conventional short form:
- Zimbabwe
- former:
- Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia
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
Executive branch
- 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
- 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
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the president; responsible to the House of Assembly
- 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
- 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%
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)
- elections:
- last held 8-9 April 1995 (next to be held 24-25 June 2000)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ZANU-PF 117, ZANU-NDONGA 2, independent 1
Political parties and leaders
- Democratic Party or DP [Emmanuel MAGOCHE];
- Forum Party of Zimbabwe [Enock DUMBUTSHENA];
- Movement for Democratic Change or MOC [Morgan TSVANGIRAYI];
- Popular Democratic Front or PDF [Austin CHAKAODZA];
- United Parties [Abel MUZOREWA];
- Zimbabwe African National Union-NDONGA or ZANU-NDONGA [Ndabaningi SITHOLE];
- Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Robert MUGABE];
- Zimbabwe Unity Movement or ZUM [Edgar TEKERE]
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Simbi Veke MUBAKO
- 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 Thomas McDONALD
- embassy:
- 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 3340, Harare
- telephone:
- [263] (4) 794521
- FAX:
- [263] (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
Economy
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.
31 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1997 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
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.
Industries
mining (coal, gold, copper, nickel, tin, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel, wood products, cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages
Agriculture - products
corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs
Imports - commodities
machinery and transport equipment 39%, other manufactures 18%, chemicals 15%, fuels 10% (1997 est.)
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)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone 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)
Transportation
8 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Military
Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic Police (includes Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police)
5 fieldsMilitary branches
Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic Police (includes Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldIllicit drugs
significant transit point for African cannabis and South Asian heroin, mandrax, and methamphetamines destined for the South African and European markets [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Zimbabwe.” The World Factbook 2000. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/zimbabwe/2000.