Match 266 DB Rec# - 7,718 Dataset-WOFACT
Title :Zimbabwe
Text :
Zimbabwe
Geography
Location:
Southern Africa, northeast of Botswana
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total area:
390,580 sq km
land area:
386,670 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than Montana
Land boundaries:
total 3,066 km, Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km,
Zambia 797 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
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
Land use:
arable land:
7.25%
permanent crops:
0.25% (coffee is a permanent crop)
meadows and pastures:
12.5%
forest and woodland:
49%
other:
31%
Irrigated land:
2,250 sq km (1993 est.)
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
natural hazards:
recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea,
Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Desertification
Note:
landlocked
People
Population:
11,139,961 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
47% (female 2,588,193; male 2,617,485)
15-64 years:
51% (female 2,915,697; male 2,723,511)
65 years and over:
2% (female 151,635; male 143,440) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.78% (1995 est.)
Birth rate:
36.35 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate:
18.54 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
note:
following the settlement of hostilities in Mozambique in 1992, refugees from
the fighting there began to return to their homes; this process continues at
a lesser rate in 1995; there is a small but steady flow of Zimbabweans into
South Africa in search of better paid employment
Infant mortality rate:
72.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
41.35 years
male:
39.73 years
female:
43.01 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.93 children born/woman (1995 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
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
total population:
78%
male:
84%
female:
72%
Labor force:
3.1 million
by occupation:
agriculture 74%, transport and services 16%, mining, manufacturing,
construction 10% (1987)
Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Zimbabwe
conventional short form:
Zimbabwe
former:
Southern Rhodesia
Digraph:
ZI
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)
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 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); election last held 28-30 March 1990
(next to be held NA March 1996); results - Robert MUGABE 78.3%, Edgar TEKERE
21.7%
cabinet:
Cabinet; appointed by the president; responsible to Parliament
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Parliament:
elections last held 8-9 April 1995 (next to be held NA March 2000); results
- percent of vote by party NA; seats - (150 total, 120 elected) ZANU-PF 118,
ZANU-S 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
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 of Zimbabwe, Enock DUMBUTSHENA; United Parties, Abel
MUZOREWA
Member of:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-15, G-77, GATT, 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 II, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMUR, UNOSOM, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Amos Bernard Muvengwa MIDZI
chancery:
1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
Government
telephone:
[1] (202) 332-7100
FAX:
[1] (202) 483-9326
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Johnny 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
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 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 3.5% in 1994. Despite the lingering
effects of the drought on economic and social conditions, the government is
continuing to push its IMF/World Bank structural adjustment program aimed at
encouraging exports and foreign investment.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power parity - $17.4 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate:
3.5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita:
$1,580 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
22% (December 1994 est.)
Unemployment rate:
at least 45% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$1.7 billion
expenditures:
$2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $253 million (FY92/93)
Exports:
$1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities:
agricultural 35% (tobacco 30%, other 5%), manufactures 25%, 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., 1992 est.)
commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment 41%, other manufactures 23%,
chemicals 16%, fuels 12% (1991)
partners:
South Africa 25%, UK 15%, Germany 9%, US 6%, Japan 5% (1991)
External debt:
$3.5 billion (December 1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 2.3% (1992); accounts for 35% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
2,040,000 kW
production:
9 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
913 kWh (1993)
Industries:
mining, steel, clothing and footwear, chemicals, foodstuffs, fertilizer,
beverage, transportation equipment, wood products
Agriculture:
accounts for 20% of GDP; 40% of land area divided into 4,500 large
commercial farms and 42% in communal lands; crops - corn (food staple),
cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; livestock - cattle,
sheep, goats, pigs; self-sufficient in food
Economy
Economic aid:
NA
Currency:
1 Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1 - 8.3752 (January 1995), 8.1500 (1994),
6.4725 (1993), 5.1046 (1992), 3.4282 (1991), 2.4480 (1990)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Transportation
Railroads:
total:
2,745 km
narrow gauge:
2,745 km 1.067-m gauge (355 km electrified; 42 km double track)
Highways:
total:
85,237 km
paved:
15,800 km
unpaved:
crushed stone, gravel, stabilized earth 39,090 km; improved earth 23,097 km;
unimproved earth 7,250 km
Inland waterways:
Lake Kariba is a potential line of communication
Pipelines:
petroleum products 212 km
Ports:
Binga, Kariba
Airports:
total:
471
with paved runways over 3,047 m:
3
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:
2
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:
6
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
13
with paved runways under 914 m:
222
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m:
2
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
223
Communications
Telephone system:
247,000 telephones; system was once one of the best in Africa, but now
suffers from poor maintenance
local:
NA
intercity:
consists of microwave links, open-wire lines, and radio communications
stations
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Radio:
broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 18, shortwave 0
radios:
NA
Television:
broadcast stations:
8
televisions:
NA
Defense Forces
Branches:
Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic Police
(includes Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 2,435,931; males fit for military service 1,514,068 (1995
est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $175 million, 3.1% of GDP (FY94/95)
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The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995
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