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| Geography |
| Landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zambia; in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria Falls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water |
| Location: | Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia |
| Geographic coordinates: | 20 00 S, 30 00 E |
| Area: | total: 390,757 sq km land: 386,847 sq km water: 3,910 sq km
Size comparison: slightly larger than Montana |
| Land Boundaries: | total: 3,066 km border countries: Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km |
| Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims: | none (landlocked) |
| Climate: | tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March) |
| Terrain: | mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: junction of the Runde and Save 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: 8.24% permanent crops: 0.33% other: 91.43% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 1,740 sq km (2008) |
| Natural hazards: | recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare |
| Current Environment 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; poor mining practices have led to toxic waste and heavy metal pollution |
| International Environment 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 |
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| People |
| Population: | 12,084,304 (July 2011 est.) note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 41.9% (male 2,555,916/female 2,504,947) 15-64 years: 54.3% (male 3,063,580/female 3,500,366) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 193,380/female 266,115) (2011 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 18.3 years male: 17.4 years female: 19.2 years (2011 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 4.31% (2011 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 31.86 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Death rate: | 13.58 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 24.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2011 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.83 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 29.5 deaths/1,000 live births male: 31.98 deaths/1,000 live births female: 26.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 49.64 years male: 49.93 years female: 49.34 years (2011 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 3.63 children born/woman (2011 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 14.3% (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 1.2 million (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 83,000 (2009 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Zimbabwean(s) adjective: Zimbabwean |
| Ethnic groups: | African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), mixed and Asian 1%, white less than 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 of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write English total population: 90.7% male: 94.2% female: 87.2% (2003 est.) |
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| Government |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe conventional short form: Zimbabwe former: Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia |
| Government type: | parliamentary democracy |
| Capital: | name: Harare geographic coordinates: 17 50 S, 31 03 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| 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 |
| Independence: | 18 April 1980 (from the UK) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 18 April (1980) |
| Constitution: | 21 December 1979 |
| Legal system: | mixed legal system of English common law, Roman-Dutch civil law, and customary law |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); Vice President John NKOMO (since December 2009) and Vice President Joyce MUJURU (since 6 December 2004) head of government: Prime Minister Morgan TSVANGIRAI (since 11 February 2009); Deputy Prime Minister Arthur MUTAMBARA cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and prime minister; responsible to the House of Assembly (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: presidential candidates nominated with a nomination paper signed by at least 10 registered voters (at least one from each province) and elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); elections last held on 28 March 2008 followed by a run-off on 27 June 2008 (next to be held in 2013); co-vice presidents drawn from party leadership election results: Robert Gabriel MUGABE reelected president; percent of vote - Robert Gabriel MUGABE 85.5%, Morgan TSVANGIRAI 9.3%, other 5.2%; note - first round voting results - Morgan TSVANGIRAI 47.9%, Robert Gabriel MUGABE 43.2%, Simba MAKONI 8.3%, other 0.6%; first-round round polls were deemed to be flawed suppressing TSVANGIRAI's results; the 27 June 2008 run-off between MUGABE and TSVANGIRAI was severely flawed and internationally condemned |
| Legislative branch: | bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate (93 seats - 60 members elected by popular vote for a five-year term, 10 provincial governors nominated by the president and the prime minister, 16 traditional chiefs elected by the Council of Chiefs, 2 seats held by the president and deputy president of the Council of Chiefs, and 5 members appointed by the president) and a House of Assembly (210 seats - members elected by popular vote for five-year terms) elections: last held on 28 March 2008 (next to be held in 2013) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - MDC 51.6%, ZANU-PF 45.8%, other 2.6%; seats by party - MDC 30, ZANU-PF 30; House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - MDC 51.3%, ZANU-PF 45.8%, other 2.9%; seats by party - MDC 109, ZANU-PF 97, other 4 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court; High Court |
| Political parties and leaders: | African National Party or ANP [Egypt DZINEMUNHENZVA]; Movement for Democratic Change or MDC [Morgan TSVANGIRAI]; Movement for Democratic Change - Mutambara or MDC-M [Arthur MUTAMBARA] (splinter faction of the MDC); Peace Action is Freedom for All or PAFA; United Parties [Abel MUZOREWA]; United People's Party or UPP [Daniel SHUMBA]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Ndonga or ZANU-Ndonga [Wilson KUMBULA]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Robert Gabriel MUGABE]; Zimbabwe African Peoples Union or ZAPU [Agrippa MADLELA]; Zimbabwe Youth in Alliance or ZIYA |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition; National Constitutional Assembly or NCA [Lovemore MADHUKU]; Women of Zimbabwe Arise or WOZA [Jenny WILLIAMS]; Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions or ZCTU [Wellington CHIBEBE] |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Machivenyika MAPURANGA 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 Charles A. RAY embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare mailing address: P. O. Box 3340, Harare telephone: [263] (4) 250-593 through 250-594 FAX: [263] (4) 796-488, or 722-618 |
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| Economy |
| Zimbabwe's economy is growing at a brisk pace despite continuing political uncertainty. Following a decade of contraction, Zimbabwe's economy recorded real growth of 5.9% in 2010. But the government of Zimbabwe still faces a number of difficult economic problems, including a large external debt burden and insufficient formal employment. Zimbabwe's 1998-2002 involvement in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo drained hundreds of millions of dollars from the economy. The government's land reform program, characterized by chaos and violence, has badly damaged the commercial farming sector, the traditional source of exports and foreign exchange and the provider of 400,000 jobs, turning Zimbabwe into a net importer of food products. The EU and the US provide food aid on humanitarian grounds, though on a smaller scale than before. Until early 2009, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe routinely printed money to fund the budget deficit, causing hyperinflation. The power-sharing government formed in February 2009 has led to some economic improvements, including the cessation of hyperinflation by eliminating the use of the Zimbabwe dollar and removing price controls. The economy is registering its first growth in a decade, but will be reliant on further political improvement for greater growth. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $5.457 billion (2010 est.) $5.006 billion (2009 est.) $4.723 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $7.474 billion note: in 2009, the Zimbabwean dollar was taken out of circulation, making Zimbabwe's GDP at the official exchange rate a highly inaccurate statistic (2010 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 9% (2010 est.) 6% (2009 est.) -17.7% (2008 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $500 (2010 est.) $400 (2009 est.) $400 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 19.8% industry: 24.4% services: 55.7% (2010 est.) |
| Labor force: | 3.848 million (2010 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 66% industry: 10% services: 24% (1996) |
| Unemployment rate: | 95% (2009 est.) 80% (2005 est.) note: figures reflect underemployment; true unemployment is unknown and, under current economic conditions, unknowable |
| Population below poverty line: | 68% (2004) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 40.4% (1995) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 50.1 (2006) 50.1 (1995) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.7% (2010 est.) 5.1% (2009 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed): 22.3% of GDP (2010 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $2.25 billion expenditures: $2.25 billion (2010 est.) |
| Public debt: | 234.1% of GDP (2010 est.) 279.2% of GDP (2009 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; sheep, goats, pigs |
| Industries: | mining (coal, gold, platinum, copper, nickel, tin, diamonds, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel; wood products, cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages |
| Industrial production growth rate: | 6% (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 7.723 billion kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 12.47 billion kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 54 million kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 5.268 billion kWh (2008 est.) |
| Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 11,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - imports: | 13,140 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$767.3 million (2010 est.) -$1.137 billion (2009 est.) |
| Exports: | $2.54 billion (2010 est.) $1.61 billion (2009 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | platinum, cotton, tobacco, gold, ferroalloys, textiles/clothing |
| Exports - partners: | Democratic Republic of the Congo 14.8%, South Africa 13.4%, Botswana 13.2%, China 12.7%, Netherlands 5.9%, Italy 4.6% (2010) |
| Imports: | $4.043 billion (2010 est.) $3.139 billion (2009 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures, chemicals, fuels, food products |
| Imports - partners: | South Africa 58%, China 8.7% (2010) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $376 million (31 December 2010 est.) $351 million (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $6.027 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $5.891 billion (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $NA |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $NA |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $11.48 billion (31 December 2010) $5.333 billion (31 December 2007) $26.56 billion (31 December 2006) |
| Exchange rates: | Zimbabwean dollars (ZWD) per US dollar - 234.25 (2010) 234 (2009) 30,000 (2007) 162 (2006) 78 (2005) |
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| Communications |
| Telephones in use: | 385,100 (2009) country comparison to the world: 104 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 2.991 million (2009) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: 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, 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: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .zw |
| Internet hosts: | 29,866 (2010) |
| Internet users: | 1.423 million (2009) |
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| Transportation |
| Airports: | 216 (2010) country comparison to the world: 28 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 19 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 9 (2010) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 197 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 120 under 914 m: 74 (2010) |
| Pipelines: | refined products 270 km (2010) |
| Railways: | total: 3,427 km narrow gauge: 3,427 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2010) |
| Roadways: | total: 97,267 km paved: 18,481 km unpaved: 78,786 km (2002) |
| Waterways: | (some navigation possible on Lake Kariba) (2009) |
| Ports and terminals: | Binga, Kariba |
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| Military |
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| Military branches: | Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ), Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) (2009) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18-24 years of age for compulsory military service; women are eligible to serve (2010) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 2,616,051 females age 16-49: 2,868,376 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 1,528,166 females age 16-49: 1,646,041 (2010 est.) |
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