:Zimbabwe Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Zimbabwe
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; formerly Southern Rhodesia)
Constitution:
21 December 1979
Legal system:
mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law
National holiday:
Independence Day, 18 April (1980)
Executive branch:
executive president, 2 vice presidents, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
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)
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; Democratic Party (DP), Emmanuel
MAGOCHE
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
Executive President:
last held 28-30 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1996); results - Robert
MUGABE 78.3%, Edgar TEKERE 21.7%
Parliament:
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
Member of:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM,
OAU, PCA, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Counselor (Political Affairs), Head of Chancery, Ambassador Stanislaus
Garikai CHIGWEDERE; Chancery at 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20009; telephone (202) 332-7100
US:
Ambassador Edward Gibson LANPHER; Embassy at 172 Herbert Chitapo Avenue,
Harare (mailing address is P. O. Box 3340, Harare); telephone [263] (4)
794-521
:Zimbabwe Government
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
:Zimbabwe 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 year-to-year 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 drought beginning toward the end of 1991
suggests rough going for 1992.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $7.1 billion, per capita $660; real growth rate
3.5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
25% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
at least 30% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $2.7 billion; expenditures $3.3 billion, including capital
expenditures of $330 million (FY91)
Exports:
$1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
agricultural 35% (tobacco 20%, other 15%), manufactures 20%, gold 10%,
ferrochrome 10%, cotton 5%
partners:
Europe 55% (EC 40%, Netherlands 5%, other 15%), Africa 20% (South Africa
10%, other 10%), US 5%
Imports:
$1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment 37%, other manufactures 22%,
chemicals 16%, fuels 15%
partners:
EC 31%, Africa 29% (South Africa 21%, other 8%), US 8%, Japan 4%
External debt:
$2.96 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 5% (1991 est.); accounts for 35% of GDP
Electricity:
3,650,000 kW capacity; 7,500 million kWh produced, 700 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
mining, steel, clothing and footwear, chemicals, foodstuffs, fertilizer,
beverage, transportation equipment, wood products
Agriculture:
accounts for 11% 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:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY80-89), $389 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.6 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $36 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $134
million
Currency:
Zimbabwean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) = 100 cents
:Zimbabwe Economy
Exchange rates:
Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1 - 4.3066 (March 1992), 3.4282 (1991),
2.4480 (1990), 2.1133 (1989), 1.8018 (1988), 1.6611 (1987)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
:Zimbabwe Communications
Railroads:
2,745 km 1.067-meter gauge; 42 km double track; 355 km electrified
Highways:
85,237 km total; 15,800 km paved, 39,090 km crushed stone, gravel,
stabilized soil: 23,097 km improved earth; 7,250 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
Lake Kariba is a potential line of communication
Pipelines:
petroleum products 8 km
Civil air:
12 major transport aircraft
Airports:
491 total, 401 usable; 22 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways
over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 32 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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