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ZIMBABWE.TXT
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1994-11-29
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Zimbabwe
Geography
Location:
Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
390,580 sq km
land area:
386,670 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than Montana
Land boundaries:
total 3,066 km, Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225
km, Zambia 797 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International disputes:
quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia is in disagreement
Climate:
tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)
Terrain:
mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains
in east
Natural resources:
coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore,
vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals
Land use:
arable land:
7%
permanent crops:
NA% (coffee is a permanent crop)
meadows and pastures:
12%
forest and woodland:
62%
other:
NA%
Irrigated land:
2,200 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution
natural hazards:
recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare
international agreements:
party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea; signed,
but not ratified - Biodiversity
Note:
landlocked
People
Population:
10,975,078 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.2% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
37.24 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
18.1 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-7.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
tatal population:
42.06 years
male:
40.44 years
female:
43.74 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.1 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Zimbabwean(s)
adjective:
Zimbabwean
Ethnic divisions:
African 98% (Shona 71%, Ndebele 16%, other 11%), white 1%, mixed and
Asian 1%
Religions:
syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian
25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%
Languages:
English (official), Shona, Sindebele
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.);
total population:
67%
male:
74%
female:
60%
Labor force:
3.1 million
by occupation:
agriculture 74%, transport and services 16%, mining, manufacturing,
construction 10% (1987)
Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Zimbabwe
conventional short form:
former:
Southern Rhodesia
Digraph:
ZI
Type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Harare
Administrative divisions:
8 provinces; Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East,
Mashonaland West, Masvingo (Victoria), Matabeleland North,
Matabeleland South, Midlands
Independence:
18 April 1980 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 18 April (1980)
Constitution:
21 December 1979
Legal system:
mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987);
Co-Vice President Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31 December 1987);
Co-Vice President Joshua M. NKOMO (since 6 August 1990); election last
held 28-30 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1996); results -
Robert MUGABE 78.3%, Edgar TEKERE 21.7%
cabinet:
Cabinet; appointed by the president; responsible to Parliament
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Parliament:
elections last held 28-30 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1995);
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (150 total, 120
elected) ZANU-PF 117, ZUM 2, ZANU-S 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), Robert
MUGABE; Zimbabwe African National Union-Sithole (ZANU-S), Ndabaningi
SITHOLE; Zimbabwe Unity Movement (ZUM), Edgar TEKERE and Abel
MUYOREWA; Democratic Party (DP), Emmanuel MAGOCHE; Forum Party, Enock
DUMBUTSHENA
Member of:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-15, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAVEM II,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMUR, UNOSOM, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Amos Bernard Muvengwa MIDZI
chancery:
1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
(202) 332-7100
FAX:
(202) 483-9326
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Edward Gibson LANPHER
embassy:
172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare
mailing address:
P. O. Box 3340, Harare
telephone:
[263] (4) 794-521
FAX:
[263] (4) 796-488
Flag:
seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red,
yellow, and green with a white equilateral triangle edged in black
based on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird is superimposed on a
red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle
Economy
Overview:
Agriculture employs three-fourths of the labor force and supplies
almost 40% of exports. The manufacturing sector, based on agriculture
and mining, produces a variety of goods and contributes 35% to GDP.
Mining accounts for only 5% of both GDP and employment, but supplies
of minerals and metals account for about 40% of exports. Wide
fluctuations in agricultural production over the past six years have
resulted in an uneven growth rate, one that on average has matched the
3% annual increase in population. Helped by an IMF/World Bank
structural adjustment program, output rose 3.5% in 1991. A severe
drought in 1991/92 caused the economy to contract by about 10% in
1992.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $15.9 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
2% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$1,400 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
22% (January 1994 est.)
Unemployment rate:
at least 35% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$1.7 billion
expenditures:
$2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $253 million (FY93)
Exports:
$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
agricultural 35% (tobacco 30%, other 10%), manufactures 25%, gold 12%,
ferrochrome 10%, textiles 8% (1992)
partners:
UK 14%, Germany 11%, South Africa 10%, Japan 7%, US 5% (1991)
Imports:
$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment 41%, other manufactures 23%,
chemicals 16%, fuels 12% (1991)
partners:
South Africa 25%, UK 15%, Germany 9%, US 6%, Japan 5% (1991)
External debt:
$3.5 billion (December 1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 2.3% (1992); accounts for 35% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
3,650,000 kW
production:
8.18 billion kWh (1992)
consumption per capita:
740 kWh (1992)
Industries:
mining, steel, clothing and footwear, chemicals, foodstuffs,
fertilizer, beverage, transportation equipment, wood products
Agriculture:
accounts for 20% of GDP and employs 74% of population; 40% of land
area divided into 4,500 large commercial farms and 42% in communal
lands; crops - corn (food staple), cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee,
sugarcane, peanuts; livestock - cattle, sheep, goats, pigs;
self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
NA
Currency:
1 Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1 - 8.1037 (January 1994), 6.4725
(1993), 5.1046 (1992), 3.4282 (1991), 2.4480 (1990), 2.1133 (1989)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Communications
Railroads:
2,745 km 1.067-meter gauge (including 42 km double track, 355 km
electrified)
Highways:
total:
85,237 km
paved:
15,800 km
unpaved:
crushed stone, gravel, stabilized earth 39,090 km; improved earth
23,097 km; unimproved earth 7,250 km
Inland waterways:
Lake Kariba is a potential line of communication
Pipelines:
petroleum products 212 km
Airports:
total:
477
usable:
401
with permanent-surface runways:
22
with runways over 3,659 m:
2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
3
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
28
Telecommunications:
system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor
maintenance; consists of microwave links, open-wire lines, and radio
communications stations; 247,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 8
AM, 18 FM, 8 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches:
Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic
Police (including Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police)
Manpower availability:
males 15-49 2,371,186; fit for military service 1,472,603 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $412.4 million, about 6% of GDP (FY91 est.)