Geographic coordinates: 20 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:total area: 390,580 sq kmland area: 386,670 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than Montana
Land boundaries:total: 3,066 kmborder countries: Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa225 km, Zambia 797 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
International disputes: quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, andZambia is in disagreement
Climate: tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (Novemberto March)
Terrain: mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east lowest point: junction of the Lundi and Savi rivers 162 m highest point: Inyangani 2,592 m
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 (coffee)meadows and pastures: 13%forest and woodland: 49%other: 31%
Irrigated land: 2,250 sq km (1993 est.)
Environment:current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; airand water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd - once the largestconcentration of the species in the world - has been significantlyreduced by poachingnatural hazards: recurring droughts; floods and severe storms arerareinternational agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed,but not ratified - Desertification
Geographic note: landlocked
People ———
Population: 11,271,314 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 44% (male 2,513,606; female 2,481,478)15-64 years: 53% (male 2,935,188; female 3,030,270)65 years and over: 3% (male 152,244; female 158,528) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.41% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 32.34 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 18.2 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)note: there is a small but steady flow of Zimbabweans into SouthAfrica in search of better paid employment
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.03 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/femaleall ages: 0.99 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 72.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 41.85 years male: 41.91 years female: 41.78 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.09 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality: noun: Zimbabwean(s) adjective: Zimbabwean
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%
Languages: English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language ofthe Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribaldialects
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write in English (1995 est.)total population: 85%male: 90%female: 80%
Government —————
Name of country:conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabweconventional short form: Zimbabweformer: Southern Rhodesia
Data code: ZI
Type of government: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Harare
Administrative divisions: 8 provinces and 2 cities* withprovincial status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, MashonalandCentral, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo (Victoria),Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands
Independence: 18 April 1980 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 April (1980)
Constitution: 21 December 1979
Legal system: mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state and head of government: Executive President RobertGabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987) was nominated by the Houseof Assembly (if more than one nomination, electoral college ofmembers of the House of Assembly elect the president); election lastheld 26-27 March 1996 (next to be held NA March 2002); results -Robert MUGABE 92.7%, Abel MUZOREWA 4.8%; Ndabaningi SITHOLE 2.4%;Co-Vice President Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31 December 1987);Co-Vice President Joshua M. NKOMO (since 6 August 1990) wasappointed by the presidentcabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the president; responsible toParliament
Legislative branch: unicameralParliament: elections last held 8-9 April 1995 (next to be held NAMarch 2000); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (150total, 120 elected) ZANU-PF 118, ZANU-Ndonga 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Zimbabwe African NationalUnion-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), Robert MUGABE; Zimbabwe AfricanNational Union-NDONGA (ZANU-NDONGA), Ndabaningi SITHOLE; ZimbabweUnity Movement (ZUM), Edgar TEKERE; Democratic Party (DP), EmmanuelMAGOCHE; Forum Party of Zimbabwe, Enock DUMBUTSHENA; United Parties,Abel MUZOREWA
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, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:chief of mission: Ambassador Amos Bernard Muvengwa MIDZIchancery: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009telephone: [1] (202) 332-7100FAX: [1] (202) 483-9326
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Johnnie CARSON embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare mailing address: P. O. Box 3340, Harare telephone: [263] (4) 794521 FAX: [263] (4) 796488
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 ———-
Economic overview: Agriculture employs 70% of the labor force of this landlocked nation and supplies almost 40% of exports. Mining accounts for only 5% of both GDP and employment, but minerals and metals account for about 40% of exports. Severe drought caused GDP to drop 8% in 1992, with growth rebounding to 2% in 1993 and 4.5% in 1994, only to drop by 2.4% in 1995. The government is continuing to push its IMF/World Bank structural adjustment program aimed at encouraging exports and foreign investment. Officials face the difficult task of restraining expenditures in their effort to keep inflation within bounds.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $18.1 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: -2.4% (1995)
GDP per capita: $1,620 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 18.3% industry: 35.3% services: 46.4% (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25.8% (1995)
Labor force: 4.228 million (1993 est.) by occupation: agriculture 70%, transport and services 22%, industry 8%
Unemployment rate: at least 45% (1994 est.)
Budget:revenues: $1.7 billionexpenditures: $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $253million (FY92/93)
Industries: mining, steel, clothing and footwear, chemicals, foodstuffs, fertilizer, beverage, transportation equipment, wood products
Industrial production growth rate: 10% (1994)
Electricity: capacity: 2,040,000 kW production: 9 billion kWh consumption per capita: 913 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs
Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)commodities: agricultural 35% (tobacco 30%, other 5%), manufactures25%, gold 12%, ferrochrome 10%, textiles 8% (1992)partners: UK 14%, Germany 11%, South Africa 10%, Japan 7%, US 5%(1991)
Imports: $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)commodities: machinery and transportation equipment 41%, othermanufactures 23%, chemicals 16%, fuels 12% (1991)partners: South Africa 25%, UK 15%, Germany 9%, US 6%, Japan 5%(1991)
External debt: $4.4 billion (1994)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $362 million (1993)
Currency: 1 Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1 -9.3633 (January 1996), 8.6580 (1995), 8.1500 (1994), 6.4725 (1993), 5.0942 (1992), 3.4282 (1991)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Transportation ———————
Railways:total: 2,759 km (1995)narrow gauge: 2,759 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified; 42 kmdouble track) (1995 est.)
Highways:total: 91,078 kmpaved: 14,572 kmunpaved: 76,506 km (1992 est.)
Waterways: Lake Kariba is a potential line of communication
Pipelines: petroleum products 212 km
Ports: Binga, Kariba
Airports:total: 403with paved runways over 3 047 m: 3with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 2with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 6with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 8with paved runways under 914 m: 185with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 198 (1995 est.)
Communications ———————
Telephones: 301,000 (1990 est.)
Telephone system: system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, and radiotelephone communication stations international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 18, shortwave 0
Radios: 890,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 8 (1986 est.)
Televisions: 280,000 (1992 est.)
Defense ———-
Branches: Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, ZimbabweRepublic Police (includes Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49: 2,629,880 males fit for military service: 1,632,391 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $236 million, 3.4% of GDP (FY95/96)
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