Zimbabwe

Capital: Harare
Currency: 53.15 ZWD = 1 US Dollar
Independece: April 18, 1980 (from UK)

NATURAL FEATURES

Mainly a plateau of four regions:
1) The high veld, above 4,000 ft (1,219 m), from southwest to northeast.
2) On each side of it lies the middle veld, 3,000 to 4,000 ft (914–1,219 m) high.
3) And beyond,the low veld, at elevations below 3,000 ft (914 m).
4) The fourth region, the Eastern Highlands, is a narrow, mountainous belt along the Mozambique border, where the highest point in Zimbabwe, Mt. Inyangani (8,503 ft/2,592 m), stands.
It has a national park system, including Hwange and Victoria Falls. Natural resources include coal chromium ore, asbestos, gold nickel, copper, iron ore, venadium, lithnium, and tin.

PEOPLE

Official language is English, with Shona and Ndebele being the prominent African languages. About 98% of the population is African, with the Shona group predominant. The white population measures only 1% while the remaining 1% are mixed and Asians.
Major Religions: 50% christianity, 25% indigenous beliefs, 24% muslim and others 1%.
Major University: The Univ. of Zimbabwe.
Literacy : age 15 and over can read and write English
Total population:85%

GOVERNMENT

Form of Government: Parliamentary democracy, governed according to the 1979 constitution. Legislative power is vested in the 150-seat assembly. Executive power is exercised by the president, who is nominated by the assembly for a six-year term and serves as both chief of state and head of government.
Administrative Divisions: Divided into eight provinces and two cities.

ECONOMY

Chief AgriculturalProducts: Tobacco,Corn (the chief food source), cotton, sorghum, peanuts, wheat, sugarcane, soybeans, and coffee. There are also numerous tea plantations in the country; dairying is important in the high veld. Forests in SE Zimbabwe yield valuable hardwoods, including teak and mahogany.
Mineral resources: gold, nickel, asbestos, tin, iron, chromite, copper, and coal. Diamond and platinum mining began in the 1990s.
Industrial products: include iron and steel, cement, foodstuffs, machinery, textiles, and consumer goods. Power is generated mostly by a hydroelectric station at Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River.
Trading Partners: South Africa and the United Kingdom are the largest trading partners. Zimbabwe is a member of the Southern African Development Community.

TRANSPORTATION

The country has good road and rail networks and domestic and international air service.

REFERENCES

Dictionary, Encyclopedia, World Facts