Zimbabwe - Tourism and Travel

The Republic of Zimbabwe is a country in central southern Africa.

It has an area of 150,873 square miles (390,759 square kilometers).

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country.

The land is made up of a high plateau.

The Limpopo River is in the south.

In the north are the Zambezi river valley and Lake Kariba.

The Zambezi River flows along the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

As it runs swiftly along the border, it cuts a wide, deep channel.

Victoria Falls is located between Zimbabwe and Zambia, where the Zambezi River cuts a huge gorge. Large faults in the basalt here have made the rocks more susceptible to erosion. These faults were created when lava cooled and then contracted.

The capital of Zimbabwe is Harare.

12,253,000 people live in Zimbabwe.

Most of them live in the center of the country.

71% are Shona, 16% are Ndebele, 11% belong to other African tribes, 1% are white and 1% are Asian.

English is the official language. Shona and isiNdebele are also spoken.

50% of the people are Syncretic, practicing a mixture of Christianity and traditional religions, 25% are Christian and 24% practical traditional religions. There are a small number of Muslims.

Mining is very important. Zimbabwe has reserves of gold, platinum, chromium, copper, nickel and asbestos.

Agriculture and the raising of cattle for beef are major industries.

Important crops include sugar cane, corn, tobacco and cotton.

Zimbabwe exports gold, nickel, iron alloys, cotton and tobacco.

The official currency of Zimbabwe is the Zimbabwe dollar, which equals 100 cents.

There is a presidential system of government.

Zimbabwe was once a British colony known as Southern Rhodesia.

It became independent after a war that lasted from the mid-1960s until 1979.

In recent years, the economy of Zimbabwe has suffered as a result of political instability.