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
natural hazards: recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are
rare
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed,
but not ratified - Desertification
Geographic note: landlocked
People ———
Population: 11,271,314 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (male 2,513,606; female 2,481,478)
15-64 years: 53% (male 2,935,188; female 3,030,270)
65 years and over: 3% (male 152,244; female 158,528) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.41% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 32.34 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 18.2 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
note: there is a small but steady flow of Zimbabweans into South
Africa in search of better paid employment
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: 0.96 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.99 male(s)/female (1996 est.)