Private guides and guided tours in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

CAPITAL CITY OF Zimbabwe: Harare
LANGUAGE OF Zimbabwe: English
CURRENCY OF Zimbabwe: Euro (EUR)
COMMENTS ABOUT Zimbabwe:

Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, and formerly the Republic of Rhodesia, is a landlocked country in the southern part of the continent of Africa,
Cities : Harare (Capital), Bulawayo, Victoria Falls, Mutare, Gweru, Marondera, Binga, Kariba
Best Places : Victoria Falls, Great Zimbabwe, The Eastern Highlands, Kariba, Matobo
Calling code : +263
Time zone : CAT (UTC+2)
The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the South Africa Company in 1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated that favored whites in power. In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded more complete voting rights for the black African majority in the country (then called Rhodesia). UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime minister, has been the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) and has dominated the country's political system since independence. His chaotic land redistribution campaign begun in 2000 caused an exodus of white farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in widespread shortages of basic commodities. Ignoring international condemnation, MUGABE rigged the 2002 presidential election to ensure his reelection. Opposition and labor groups launched general strikes in 2003 to pressure MUGABE to retire early; security forces continued their brutal repression of regime opponents.

CLIMATE OF Zimbabwe: tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)
RELIGION OF Zimbabwe: syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%
POPULATION OF Zimbabwe: 12,671,860 - estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)>>
ECONOMY OVERVIEW OF Zimbabwe: The government of Zimbabwe faces a wide variety of difficult economic problems as it struggles with an unsustainable fiscal deficit, an overvalued exchange rate, soaring inflation, and bare shelves. Its 1998-2002 involvement in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, drained hundreds of millions of dollars from the economy. Badly needed support from the IMF has been suspended because of the country's failure to meet budgetary goals. Inflation rose from an annual rate of 32% in 1998 to 383% in 2003, and is expected to reach 700% in 2004. The government's land reform program, characterized by chaos and violence, has badly damaged the commercial farming sector, the traditional source of exports and foreign exchange and the provider of 400,000 jobs.