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Country Profile: Zimbabwe
Fact File:CapitalHarareOther CitiesBindura, Lupane, Gwanda, Mutare, Marondera, Gweru, ChinhoyiOfficial languageEnglishRecognised regional languagesShona, Isi, Ndebele AreaTotal 390,757 km2Population13,349,0001 (2009est)CurrencyU.S. dollar |
Overview
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. It is a mineral and natural resource rich country and generates most of its GDP from these industries, as well as tourism.
Languages and Dialects
Zimbabwe has English as its official language, however the majority of the population speaks Shona, the native language of the Shona people, a Bantu language. Its other native language, Sindebele, is spoken by the Matabele people. Unlike many other African countries, Zimbabwe has only a few dialects and languages spoken by the majority of its population, this allows for a higher literacy rate and increased communication within the country.
Resources and Business
For Zimbabwe, minerals, natural resources, mining, agriculture and tourism are the main industries within the nation. The mining sector remains very lucrative, with some of the world's largest platinum reserves being mined by Anglo-American and Impala Platinum. Zimbabwe is the biggest trading partner of South Africa on the continent. Zimbabwe maintained positive economic growth throughout the 1980s and 90s, and looks to continue to do so. As like many other African nations, they are rich in terms of natural resources and minerals and they look to expand upon these resources for the benefit of their exportation industry.
Educational Standing
The nation of Zimbabwe has the 2nd highest literacy rate in all of Africa, at over 90% of its adult population. This is an extremely high figure and adds to the cultural strength of the nation as a whole. The richer families send their children to privately owned schools for their education, whereas the majority of children go to government funded public schools. While private education can be rather expensive in Zimbabwe, public school is paid for by the government and therefore is free for all citizens.
Tourism
Zimbabwe has a rich tourism industry, and has partnerships with many large airlines such as Australian Airlines, British Airways and German Lufthansa. Zimbabwe is able to boast several major tourist attractions, the most popular being Victoria Falls, which is estimated to be the largest waterfall in the world. This large waterfall is also in part of Zambia, as the two countries work together in order to mutually benefit from the tourists they attract. The Victoria Falls National Park is also in this area and is one of the eight main national parks in Zimbabwe, the largest of which is Hwange National Park.
Future Outlook
Zimbabwe looks to continue to grow based on its wealth of natural resources and minerals as well as its strong industrial sectors that include mining, agriculture and tourism. Zimbabwe will try to expand its tourism industry in particular, in order to show the world all of the wonders that Zimbabwe has to offer. It is expected that the economy of Zimbabwe will continue to grow in the near future and will become an African leader in the exportation industry. Furthermore, with one of the highest literacy rates in Africa, Zimbabwe will continue their research into renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and hydroenergy.
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