Population:
10,837,772 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.32% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
38.16 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
17.68 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
-7.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
75.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
42.82 years
male:
41.2 years
female:
44.49 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.26 children born/woman (1993 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)
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)
*Zimbabwe, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Zimbabwe
conventional short form:
Zimbabwe
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)
Constitution:
21 December 1979
Legal system:
mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law
National holiday:
Independence Day, 18 April (1980)
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; Forum Party, Enock DUMBUTSHENA
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
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
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)
Member of:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-15, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS,
NAM, OAU, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UPU, WCL,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Counselor (Political Affairs), Head of Chancery, Ambassador-designate Amos
Bernard Muvengwa MIDZI
*Zimbabwe, Government
chancery:
1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
(202) 332-7100
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Edward Gibson LANPHER
embassy:
172 Herbert Chitapo 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
*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 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 - exchange rate conversion - $6.2 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
-10% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$545 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
45% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
at least 35% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues $2.7 billion; expenditures $3.3 billion, including capital
expenditures of $330 million (FY91)
Exports:
$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
agricultural 35% (tobacco 20%, other 15%), manufactures 20%, gold 10%,
ferrochrome 10%, cotton 5%
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 37%, other manufactures 22%,
chemicals 16%, fuels 15%
partners:
UK 15%, Germany 9%, South Africa 5%, Botswana 5%, US 5%, Japan 5% (1991)
External debt:
$3.9 billion (March 1993 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 5% (1991 est.); accounts for 38% of GDP
Electricity:
3,650,000 kW capacity; 8,920 million kWh produced, 830 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
mining, steel, clothing and footwear, chemicals, foodstuffs, fertilizer,
beverage, transportation equipment, wood products
Agriculture:
accounts for 13% 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), $134
million
Currency:
1 Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) = 100 cents
*Zimbabwe, Economy
Exchange rates:
Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1 - 6.3532 (February 1993), 5.1046 (1992),
3.4282 (1991), 2.4480 (1990), 2.1133 (1989), 1.8018 (1988)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
*Zimbabwe, Communications