Zimbabwe
Visited
At a glance
- Region
- Eastern Africa
- Capital
- Harare
- Population
- 16.6 million (2024)
- Area
- 390,757 km²
- Languages
- Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Chewa, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language
- Currency
- Botswana pula (BWP), Chinese yuan (CNY), Euro (EUR), British pound (GBP), Indian rupee (INR), Japanese yen (JPY), United States dollar (USD), South African rand (ZAR), Zimbabwean bonds (ZWB)
- Drives on the
- left
- Calling code
- +263
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Before you go
Overview
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in southern Africa. The capital and largest city are Harare, followed by Bulawayo.
Harare Gardens and Botanical Gardens showcase a compilation of the African modern art and traditional artefacts such as textiles, jewellery and musical instruments. The Mukuvisi Woodlands has a Safari park, wildlife park and bird park with bike paths. The highest point in the country is at Mount Nyangani in Nyanga National Park.
From 1898 to 1964, the country was known as Rhodesia. The territory was colonized by the British. The country received official independence on 18th April 1980 with Robert Mugabe as the prime minister. The capital’s name was changed from Salisbury to Harare on 18th April 1982. There were land reforms in 2000 where the white farmers’ land was grabbed. Mugabe ruled for 37 years and resigned in November 2017 after pressure to do so. He was succeeded by Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The iconic Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe is famous for houseboat holidays and the tiger fish. It had a population of 14.65 million by 2019. It has an area of 390,759 km2.
The country’s main languages are Shona, Ndebele, English, Xhosa and Chewa.
The education system comprises of two years of pre-primary school, seven years of primary school, four or six years of secondary education and tertiary levels. The country’s predominant religion is Christianity. The most popular sport is cricket and football.
Its climate varies with altitude. The rainy season is from November to March while the dry season is from May to September. The major crops grown are maize, cotton, soybeans, wheat, tobacco and horticultural crops. The major exports are cotton, tobacco and horticultural crops.
Zimbabwe, Great Zimbabwe Ruins
Zimbabwe is bordered on the south by South Africa, on the southwest and west by Botswana, on the north by Zambia and the northeast and east by Mozambique.
History
The Kingdom of Zimbabwe built the stone city of Great Zimbabwe in the 11th to 15th centuries. The country was the British colony of Rhodesia and became independent as Zimbabwe in 1980.
Food & culture
Sadza, maize porridge, is eaten with relish and meat. Stone sculpture is a celebrated art form.
Wildlife
Hwange National Park has huge elephant herds, and Mana Pools is known for walking and canoe safaris.
Festivals & events
The Harare International Festival of the Arts is one of Africa's largest arts festivals.
Things to see
Victoria Falls, the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, Hwange, Mana Pools and Matobo National Park.
Interesting facts
Zimbabwe has 16 official languages.
