Zimbabwe Profile
The information and statistics in this section have been
extracted from various international and Government publications.
Statistics with respect to Zimbabwe may not correspond to
measures used in OECD countries.
General Background
Zimbabwe is considered an emerging market in economic terms,
and as such it may be subject to greater economic and political
risks than more developed markets.
Geography and Population
Geography
Zimbabwe is situated in Southern Africa between the Limpopo
and Zambezi Rivers, and is part of the plateau that traverses
the subcontinent of Africa. The country is land-locked, sharing
borders with Zambia (north and northwest), South Africa (south),
Mozambique (east and north-east), Botswana (southwest) and
at its extreme north-western corner touches Namibia.
Zimbabwe has an area of 390,759 square kilometres (approximately
half the size of New South Wales, slightly smaller than California
or twice the size of Great Britain). The majority of the country
is more than 600m above sea level, and a significant feature
of Zimbabwe is the central plateau, which is about 650km long
and 80km wide and between 1,200m, and 1,500m above sea level.
Zimbabwe's capital is Harare, which is located in the north-eastern
part of the country at an elevation of 1,483m. Harare is a
hub of rail, road and air transport and is the centre of Zimbabwe's
industry and commerce. Zimbabwe's second largest city is Bulawayo,
located in the south-western part of the country at an elevation
of 1,341m.
Although it lies within the tropics, Zimbabwe enjoys a subtropical
climate because of its high average altitude. Mean monthly
temperatures in Harare range from 14°C in July to 21°C
in October. An extended dry season occurs from May through
October. Average annual rainfall increases generally from
south-west to north-east, averaging, less than 400mm in the
Limpopo Valley along the border with South Africa to more
than 1,000mm in the Eastern Highlands.
Population
In 1997 Zimbabwe had an estimated population of 12.1 million
with a population growth rate of about 3% per annum. Zimbabwe
has a population density of some 30 people per square kilometre.
Harare and the surrounding area have a population of approximately
2.5 million and Zimbabwe's other major urban area, Bulawayo,
has a population of approximately 1 million.
The indigenous population is of African origin, the main
tribes being the Shona and the Ndebele. The official language
for business purposes is English although radio and television
services are also provided in Shona and Ndebele. Zimbabwe
has a literacy rate of around 85%, believed to be the highest
in Africa.
Significant disparities in per capita incomes exist between
various sectors of the population. A large portion of the
rural population is engaged in subsistence agriculture and
economic pursuits of a marginal nature. More than 50% of the
population is under the age of 15. The low level of employment
opportunities for the estimated 300,000 school leavers annually
is one of Zimbabwe's major social and economic challenges.
History
Prior to the establishment of the first Christian mission
in 1859, complex tribal movements dominated Zimbabwe's history,
although there had been limited Portuguese penetration from
the east coast of Africa in the 16th and 17th centuries. The
discovery of gold in central Zimbabwe by European traders
from South Africa in the late 1800s led to more European interest.
In 1888 emissaries of Cecil John Rhodes negotiated with the
Matebele ruler, Lobengula, for the rights to all minerals
in the region, which led to the granting of a Royal Charter
by Queen Victoria in 1889 to the British South Africa Company.
European settlement of the area followed in 1890 and the
region was governed under the charter until 1923. Under this
rule, the British South Africa Company developed gold mining,
agricultural production and communications, including railway
systems linking the then Rhodesia with alternative routes
to the coast through South Africa and Mozambique.
After a referendum to determine whether it should be incorporated
into South Africa, Rhodesia, as Zimbabwe was then called,
was formally annexed to the British Crown in September 1923,
and soon after it became a self-governing colony within the
British Empire. The Federation of Southern Rhodesia, Northern
Rhodesia, and Nyasaland came to existence in 1953, but was
dissolved in 1963. Subsequent to the break up of the Federation,
Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland became independent and were
renamed Zambia and Malawi, respectively.
In November 1965, the ruling Rhodesian Front party unilaterally
declared Rhodesia's independence, following the breakdown
of talks with Britain, which wanted to guarantee that the
black majority would have a greater say in the government
of the country.
The Black Nationalist campaign for independence escalated
into a guerilla war between 1972 and 1979. A cease-fire was
signed in December 1979, upon which the country reverted to
a colony administered by Britain until general elections could
be held and the country could be granted formal independence
with the new name of the Republic of Zimbabwe. During this
time, United Nations trade sanctions, which had been imposed
in 1965, were lifted and international communications links
were reinstated. General elections were held in February 1980,
which resulted in a new Government being formed under the
leadership of Robert Mugabe.
Infrastructure
Zimbabwe has an extensive road network as well as a comprehensive
rail and air system. Zimbabwe's trade routes are by rail to
the major ports in Mozambique and South Africa. The majority
of the trade goes via South Africa. Zimbabwe has a total of
eight airports, three of which are international (Harare,
Bulawayo and Victoria Falls).
Telecommunications and postal services are provided by a
statutory corporation which has recently been commercialised.
Mobile telecommunications are currently provided by Government
and by private companies. Telecommunications services in Zimbabwe
are well developed compared to most other African countries.
An extensive electrical power network exists, with power
supplied by hydro-electric and coal-fired stations. Power
generation is currently insufficient to meet the growing requirements
of Zimbabwe and the additional power is purchased from Zambia,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa and Mozambique.
In 1959, one of the world's largest dams was constructed on
the Zambezi River, which forms Zimbabwe's north-western boundary
with Zambia, creating Lake Kariba, which covers an area in
excess of 5,200 square kilometres.
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