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Zimbabwe

Website: http://www.gta.gov.zw

BRIEF HISTORY
The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the [British] 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 an 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 president since 1987. Zimbabwe is also a member of ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

GEOGRAPHY
Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia

CLIMATE
Tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)

TERRAIN
Mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east.

NATURAL RESOURCES
Coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals.

POPULATION
12,236,805

ETHNIC GROUPS
African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), mixed and Asian 1%, white less than 1%.

NATIONALITY
Noun: Zimbabwean(s)
Adjective: Zimbabwean

LANGUAGES
English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects.

COUNTRY NAME
Conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe
Conventional short form: Zimbabwe
Former: Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia

GOVERNMENT TYPE
Parliamentary Democracy

CAPITAL CITY
Harare

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS
8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands.

INDEPENDENCE
18 April 1980 (from UK)

NATIONAL HOLIDAY
Independence Day, 18 April (1980)

CONSTITUTION
21 December 1979

LEGAL SYSTEM
Mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Chief of state: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); Vice President Joseph MSIKA (since December 1999) and Vice President Joyce MUJURU (since 6 December 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); Vice President Joseph MSIKA (since December 1999) and Vice President Joyce MUJURU (since 6 December 2004)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; responsible to the House of Assembly
Elections: presidential candidates nominated with a nomination paper signed by at least 10 registered voters (at least one from each province) and elected by popular vote for a six-year term (no term limits); election last held 9-11 March 2002 (next to be held in March 2008); co-vice presidents appointed by the president
Election results: Robert Gabriel MUGABE reelected president; percent of vote - Robert Gabriel MUGABE 56.2%, Morgan TSVANGIRAI 41.9%

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Bicameral Parliament consists of a House of Assembly (150 seats - 120 elected by popular vote for five-year terms, 12 nominated by the president, 10 occupied by traditional chiefs chosen by their peers, and eight occupied by provincial governors appointed by the president) and a Senate (66 seats - 50 elected by popular vote for a five-year term, six nominated by the president, 10 nominated by the Council of Chiefs)
Elections: House of Assembly last held 31 March 2005 (next to be held in 2010), Senate last held 26 November 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
Election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - ZANU-PF 59.6%, MDC 39.5%, other 0.9%; seats by party - ZANU-PF 78, MDC 41, independents 1; Senate - percent of vote by party - ZANU-PF 73.7%, MDC 20.3%, other 4.4%, independents 1.6%; seats by party - ZANU-PF 43, MDC 7

JUDICIAL BRANCH
Supreme Court; High Court.

POLITICAL PARTIES AND LEADERS
African National Party or ANP; Movement for Democratic Change or MDC Morgan TSVANGIRAI; Peace Action is Freedom for All or PAFA; United Parties [Abel MUZOREWA]; United People's Party [Daniel SHUMBA]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Ndonga or ZANU-Ndonga [Wilson KUMBULA]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Robert Gabriel MUGABE]; Zimbabwe African Peoples Union or ZAPU [Agrippa MADLELA]; Zimbabwe Youth in Alliance or ZIYA

FLAG DESCRIPTION
seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green with a white isosceles triangle edged in black with its base on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird representing the long history of the country is superimposed on a red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle, which symbolizes peace; green symbolizes agriculture, yellow - mineral wealth, red - blood shed to achieve independence, and black stands for the native people.

ECONOMY BRIEF

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
Corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; sheep, goats, pigs.

INDUSTRIES
Mining (coal, gold, platinum, copper, nickel, tin, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel; wood products, cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages.

EXPORT COMMODITIES
Cotton, tobacco, gold, ferroalloys, textiles/clothing.

IMPORT COMMODITIES
machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures, chemicals, fuels.

CURRENCY CODE
Zimbabwean dollar (ZWD)

INTERNET COUNTRY CODE
.zw

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