Zimbabwe

Radio broadcast stations

AM 8, FM 18, shortwave 0

Radios

890,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

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, and radiotelephone communication stations international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

301,000 (1990 est.)

Television broadcast stations

8 (1986 est.)

Televisions

280,000 (1992 est.)

Agriculture - products

corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs

Budget

revenues: $2.5 billion expenditures : $2.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $29 million (FY96/97 est.)

Currency

1 Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$4.4 billion (1994)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $362 million (1993)

Economy - overview

Agriculture employs 70% of the labor force of this landlocked nation and supplies almost 40% of exports. Mining accounts for only 5% of both GDP and employment, but minerals and metals account for about 40% of exports. Severe drought caused GDP to drop 8% in 1992, with growth rebounding to 2% in 1993 and 4.5% in 1994, only to drop by 2.4% in 1995. The government is continuing to push its IMF/World Bank structural adjustment program aimed at encouraging exports and foreign investment. Officials face the difficult task of restraining expenditures in their effort to keep inflation within bounds.

Electricity - capacity

2.15 million kW (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita

747 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

7.33 billion kWh (1994)

Exchange rates

Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1 - 10.8696 (January 1997), 9.9206 (1996), 8.6580 (1995), 8.1500 (1994), 6.4725 (1993), 5.0942 (1992)

Exports

total value: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: agricultural 47% (tobacco 31%), manufactures 27%, gold 12%, textiles 8%, ferrochrome 6% (1994 est.) partners: South Africa 14%, UK 10%, Germany 8%, Japan 8%, (1995 est.)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $26.4 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 18.3% industry: 35.3% services: 46.4% (1993 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,340 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.5% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: machinery and transportation equipment 41%, other manufactures 16%, chemicals 16%, fuels 10% (1994 est.) partners: South Africa 41%, UK 7%, US 6%, Japan 6% (1995 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

10% (1994)

Industries

mining (coal, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores), copper, steel, nickel, tin, wood products, cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages

Inflation rate - consumer price index

21.7% (1996 est.)

Labor force

total: 4.228 million (1993 est.) by occupation: agriculture 70%, transport and services 22%, industry 8%

Unemployment rate

at least 45% (1994 est.)

Area

total : 390,580 sq km land: 386,670 sq km water: 3,910 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Montana

Climate

tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: junction of the Lundi and Savi rivers 162 m highest point: Inyangani 2,592 m

Environment - current 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

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Desertification

Geographic coordinates

20 00 S, 30 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked

Irrigated land

1,930 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 3,066 km border countries: Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km

Land use

arable land : 7% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 13% forests and woodland: 23% other: 57% (1993 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, northeast of Botswana

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare

Natural resources

coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals

Terrain

mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east

Administrative divisions

8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo (Victoria), Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands

Constitution

21 December 1979

Country name

conventional long form : Republic of Zimbabwe conventional short form: Zimbabwe former: Southern Rhodesia

Data code

ZI

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Johnnie CARSON embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare mailing address: P. O. Box 3340, Harare telephone : [263] (4) 794521

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Amos Bernard Muvengwa MIDZI chancery: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 332-7100

Executive branch

chief of state: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); Co-Vice Presidents Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31 December 1987) and Joshua M. NKOMO (since 6 August 1990); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government : Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); Co-Vice Presidents Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31 December 1987) and Joshua M. NKOMO (since 6 August 1990); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet : Cabinet appointed by the president; responsible to the House of Assembly elections: president nominated by the House of Assembly for a six-year term (if more than one nomination, an electoral college consisting of members of the House of Assembly elects the president); election last held 26-27 March 1996 (next to be held NA March 2002); co-vice presidents appointed by the president election results: Robert Gabriel MUGABE elected president; percent of electoral college vote - Robert Gabriel MUGABE 92.7%, Abel MUZOREWA 4.8%; Ndabaningi SITHOLE 2.4%

FAX

[1] (202) 483-9326

FAX

[263] (4) 796488

Flag description

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

18 April 1980 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral parliament, called House of Assembly (150 seats, 120 of which are directly elected by popular vote for six-year terms; of the other 30 seats, 12 are nominated by the president, 10 are occupied by traditional chiefs chosen by their peers, and 8 by provincial governors) elections: last held 8-9 April 1995 (next to be held NA April 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ZANU-PF 117, ZANU-Ndonga 2, independent 1

National capital

Harare

National holiday

Independence Day, 18 April (1980)

Political parties and leaders

Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Robert MUGABE]; Zimbabwe African National Union-NDONGA or ZANU-NDONGA [Ndabaningi SITHOLE]; Zimbabwe Unity Movement or ZUM [Edgar TEKERE]; Democratic Party or DP [Emmanuel MAGOCHE]; Forum Party of Zimbabwe [Enock DUMBUTSHENA]; United Parties [Abel MUZOREWA]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Military branches

Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic Police (includes Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$236 million (FY95/96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

3.4% (FY95/96)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 2,717,032 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males : 1,687,536 (1997 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 43% (male 2,507,219; female 2,471,357) 15-64 years: 54% (male 3,020,632; female 3,106,729) 65 years and over : 3% (male 154,231; female 163,007) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

31.65 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

19.02 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

African 98% (Shona 71%, Ndebele 16%, other 11%), white 1%, mixed and Asian 1%

Infant mortality rate

72.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 40.84 years male: 40.85 years female : 40.83 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write in English total population: 85% male: 90% female: 80% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun : Zimbabwean(s) adjective: Zimbabwean

Net migration rate

NA migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there is a small but steady flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa in search of better paid employment

Population

11,423,175 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

1.26% (1997 est.)

Religions

syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.94 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia is in disagreement

Illicit drugs

significant transit point for African cannabis and South Asian heroin, mandrax, and methamphetamines destined for the South African and European markets TAIWAN

Airports

402 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 203 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m : 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 184 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total : 199 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 198 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 91,099 km paved: 15,486 km unpaved : 75,613 km (1993 est.)

Pipelines

petroleum products 212 km

Ports and harbors

Binga, Kariba

Railways

total : 2,759 km (1995) narrow gauge: 2,759 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified; 42 km double track) (1995 est.)

Waterways

the Mazoe and Zambezi rivers are used for transporting chrome ore from Harare to Mozambique