Zimbabwe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Republic of Zimbabwe
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Unity, Freedom, Work"
Anthem:  Simudzai Mureza wedu WeZimbabwe  (Shona) Kalibusiswe Ilizwe leZimbabwe  (Sindebele) Blessed be the land of Zimbabwe
Capital and largest city	Harare
Official languages	16 languages Chewa Chibarwe English Kalanga Koisan Nambya Ndau Ndebele Shangani Shona sign language Sotho Tonga Tswana Venda Xhosa
Ethnic groups (2003)	82% Shona 14% Ndebele 2% other African 1% White 1% Coloured and Indian
Demonym(s)	Zimbabwean
Government	Semi-presidential republic
• President	Emmerson Mnangagwa
• 1st Vice-President	Phelekezela Mphoko
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Assembly
Independence from the United Kingdom
• Declared	11 November 1965
• Recognised	18 April 1980
• Constitution of Zimbabwe	15 May 2013
Area
• Total	390,757 km2 (150,872 sq mi) (60th)
• Water (%)	1
Population
• 2016 estimate	16,750,327 (72nd)
• Density	26/km2 (67.3/sq mi) (170th)
GDP (PPP)	2013 estimate
• Total	$7.731 billion
• Per capita	$589
GDP (nominal)	2013 estimate
• Total	$10.978 billion
• Per capita	$837
Gini (2009)	50.1 high
HDI (2015)	0.516 low · 154th
Currency	variousa
Time zone	UTC+2 (Central Africa Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (not observed)
Driving side	left
Calling code	+263
ISO 3166 code	ZW
Internet TLD	.zw
The Zimbabwean dollar is no longer in active use after it was officially suspended by the government due to hyperinflation. The United States dollar (US$), South African rand (R), Botswana pula (P), Pound sterling (£) and Euro (€) are now used instead. The United States dollar has been adopted as the official currency for all government transactions.

The Republic of Zimbabwe is a country in the southern part of the continent of Africa. Its capital city is Harare.

Geography

Zimbabwe is surrounded by other countries, and so it has no coast on the sea. This type of country is called landlocked. The countries that surround Zimbabwe are Zambia, Botswana, South Africa and Mozambique.

Zimbabwe is home to the famous waterfall, Victoria Falls, which are a feature of the river Zambezi and also the Great Zimbabwe, the ancient architectural monument from which the country was named after.

Flora and fauna

The country is mostly savanna. In the east it is moist and mountainous with tropical evergreen and hardwood forests. Trees include teak and mahogany, knobthorn, msasa and baobab. Among the many flowers and shrubs are hibiscus, spider lily, leonotus, cassia, tree wisteria and dombeya.

Elephant at water hole in Hwange National Park

There are around 350 species of mammals in Zimbabwe. There are also many snakes and lizards, over 500 bird species, and 131 fish species.

History

The area that is now Zimbabwe was added to the British Empire around 1890. Zimbabwe is also known by its old name of Rhodesia. In 1965, it became an independent country when Prime Minister Ian Smith announced the Unilateral Declaration of Independence(U.D.I). The government was mostly controlled by the white population, similar to South Africa at the time. African citizens were given full equality in 1980, and the country's name was officially changed to Zimbabwe. Robert Mugabe led the country as the Prime Minister and President for 37 years. Though Mugabe was elected fairly at first, he became a dictator, and had put in place a number of cruel and disastrous laws. On November 21, 2017, Mugabe resigned as President of Zimbabwe.

Language

The country Zimbabwe has a mixture of languages; Shona, Ndebele, Venda, Manyika, Nyanja, Chagani, and a unique-unified Zimbabwean English.

Economy

Zimbabwe uses the currencies of several other countries. The government uses the United States dollar. The economy is currently in a bad situation. Foreign currency reserves are at very low levels, and the Zimbabwean Dollar has become very devalued. Just recently, three zeroes were taken off the Zimbabwean dollar (for example, $1,000,000 (one million dollars) would become $1000 (one thousand dollars)). Many observers link this to Mugabe's controversial Land Reform programme.

• Agriculture: Most people in Zimbabwe work in the field of agriculture: cattle, poultry, pigs, vegetables, millet, sorghum, maize, rice, cassava, tea, coffee, groundnuts, cotton, wheat, sugar cane, timber.
• Mining: Copper, silver, tin, coal, nickel, cobalt, gold, iron ore, asbestos, chrome.
• Manufacturing: Iron, steel, food processing, textiles, brewing, wood, furniture, tobacco.
• Other: Tourism centring on the Victoria Falls and the game parks

2017 coup d'état

On November 15, 2017, President Robert Mugabe was placed under house arrest as Zimbabwe's military took control in a coup. On November 21, 2017, Mugabe resigned the Presidency.

Provinces

Provinces of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is divided into 8 provinces and 2 cities that are the same as a province.

Cities

The largest cities are:

Cities in Zimbabwe
Rank	City	Population				Province	Image
		Census 1982	Census 1992	Census 2002	Est. 2007
1.	Harare	656,011	1,189,103	1,444,534	1,607,022	Harare
2.	Bulawayo	413,814	621,742	676,787	713,340	Bulawayo
3.	Chitungwiza	172,556	274,912	321,782	352,204	Harare
4.	Mutare	69,621	131,367	170,106	193,629	Manicaland
5.	Gweru	78,918	128,037	141,260	148,935	Midlands
6.	Kwekwe	47,607	75,425	93,072	103,210	Midlands
7.	Kadoma	44,613	67,750	76,173	81,008	Mashonaland West
8.	Masvingo	30,523	51,743	69,993	80,630	Masvingo
9.	Chinhoyi	24,322	43,054	56,794	65,109	Mashonaland West
10.	Marondera	19,971	39,384	52,283	60,291	Mashonaland East

Sports

Football is the most popular sport in Zimbabwe. Rugby union and cricket are also popular. Zimbabwe has won eight Olympic medals.

Zimbabwe has also done well in the Commonwealth Games and All-Africa Games. Kirsty Coventry won 11 gold medals in swimming. Zimbabwe has also been at Wimbledon and the Davis Cup in tennis. Zimbabwe has also done well in golf. Other sports played in Zimbabwe are basketball, volleyball, netball, and water polo, as well as squash, motorsport, martial arts, chess, cycling, polocrosse, kayaking and horse racing. Most of these sports don't have international representatives but instead stay at a junior or national level.

Related pages

• List of rivers of Zimbabwe
• Zimbabwe at the Olympics
• Zimbabwe national football team

Images for kids

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  Towers of Great Zimbabwe

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  Matabeleland in the 19th century.

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  The opening of the railway to Umtali in 1899.

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  Ian Smith signing the Unilateral Declaration of Independence on 11 November 1965 with his cabinet in audience.

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  Bishop Abel Muzorewa signs the Lancaster House Agreement seated next to British Foreign Secretary Lord Carrington.

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  Trends in Zimbabwe's Multidimensional Poverty Index, 1970–2010.

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  The Zambezi River in the Mana Pools National Park.

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  Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe since 1980.

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  Supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change in 2005.

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  A market in Mbare, Harare.

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  The GDP per capita (current), compared to neighbouring countries (world average = 100).

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  Victoria Falls, the end of the upper Zambezi and beginning of the middle Zambezi.

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  A n'anga (Traditional Healer) of the majority (70%) Shona people, holding a kudu horn trumpet

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  A group of women and children in Norton, Zimbabwe

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  Raw boerewors

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  Baden-Powell's drawing of Chief of Scouts Burnham, Matobo Hills, 1896.

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  St George's College, Harare was established in 1896 by a French Jesuit