Zimbabwe: Facts and Figures - Facts and Figures

Official name

Republic of Zimbabwe

Capital

Harare

Area

390,759 sq km

150,873 sq mi

Administrative divisions (population)

Bulawayo

676,787 (2002)

Harare

1,469,000 (2003 estimate)

Manicaland

1,537,676 (1992)

Mashonaland Central

857,318 (1992)

Mashonaland East

1,033,336 (1992)

Mashonaland West

1,116,928 (1992)

Masvingo

1,221,845 (1992)

Matabeleland North

640,957 (1992)

Matabeleland South

591,747 (1992)

Midlands

1,302,212 (1992)

Largest cities (population)

Harare

1,469,000 (2003 estimate)

Bulawayo

676,787 (2002)

Chitungwiza

321,782 (2002)

Mutare

153,000 (2002)

Gweru

137,000 (2002)

Kwekwe

88,000 (2002)

Kadoma

72,000 (2002)

Masvingo

58,000 (2002)

Chinhoyi

55,000 (2002)

Marondera

46,000 (2002)

Hwange

43,000 (2002)

Zvishavane

35,000 (2002)

Redcliff

35,000 (2002)

Population

12,382,920 (2008 estimate)

Population growth rate

0.57 per cent (2008 estimate)

Population density

32 persons per sq km (2008 estimate)

83 persons per sq mi (2008 estimate)

Urbanization

Per cent urban

36 per cent (2005 estimate)

Per cent rural

64 per cent (2005 estimate)

Life expectancy

Total

39.7 years (2008 estimate)

Female

38.5 years (2008 estimate)

Male

40.9 years (2008 estimate)

Infant mortality rate

51 deaths per 1,000 live births (2008 estimate)

Literacy rate

Total

91.9 per cent (2005 estimate)

Female

88.7 per cent (2005 estimate)

Male

95.1 per cent (2005 estimate)

Ethnic divisions

Shona

71 per cent

Ndebele

16 per cent

Other

13 per cent

Languages

English (official), Shona, Ndebele, Manyika, Ndau, Kalanga, Nyanja, Kunda, Tonga, and other languages

Religions

Christian, Syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs), indigenous beliefs, Muslim, Hindu, other

Type of government

Presidential republic

Independence

April 18, 1980 (from the United Kingdom)

Constitution

April 18, 1980

Voting rights

Universal at age 18

Gross domestic product (GDP) (US$)

3,372 million (2005)

GDP per capita (US$)

259.20 (2005)

GDP by economic sector

GDP, agriculture

18.1 per cent (2005)

GDP, industry

22.6 per cent (2005)

GDP, services

59.3 per cent (2005)

National budget (US$)

Total revenue

2,834,017 million (1997)

Total expenditure

2,483,947 million (1997)

Monetary unit

1 Zimbabwe dollar (Z$), consisting of 100 cents

Exports

Tobacco, minerals, cotton, maize, gold, textiles, ferrochrome

Imports

Petroleum products, machinery, motor vehicles, foodstuffs

Major trading partners for exports

South Africa, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Botswana

Major trading partners for imports

South Africa, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, United States

Industries

Mining, textiles, chemicals, food processing, metals, wood products, cement, tourism

Agriculture

Crops: maize, tea, cotton, tobacco, wheat, millet, cassava, sunflower seeds, bananas, soya beans, coffee, sugar cane, peanuts; livestock: cattle, goats, sheep, pigs; self-sufficient in food

Natural resources

Gold, asbestos, nickel, copper, silver, emeralds, lithium, tin, iron ore, cobalt, chromium, coal, diamonds, kyanite, platinum, zinc, lead

Basic Facts and People sections

Area data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Population, population growth rate, and population projections are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International Data Base (IDB) (www.census.gov). Urban and rural population data are from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), FAOSTAT database (www.fao.org). Largest cities population data and political divisions data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Ethnic divisions and religion data are largely from the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook and from various country censuses and reports. Language data are largely from the Ethnologue, Languages of the World, Summer Institute of Linguistics International (www.sil.org).

Health and Education section

Life expectancy and infant mortality data are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International database (IDB) (www.census.gov). Population per physician and population per hospital bed data are from the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.who.int). Education data are from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org).

Government section

Government, independence, legislature, constitution, highest court, and voting qualifications data are largely from various government Web sites, the latest Europa World Yearbook, and the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook. The armed forces data are from Military Balance.

Economy section

Gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, GDP by economic sectors, employment, and national budget data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org). Monetary unit, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, exports, imports, and major trade partner information is from the latest Europa World Yearbook and various International Monetary Fund (IMF) publications.

Energy, Communication, and Transportation section

Electricity information is from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) database (www.eia.doe.gov). Radio, telephone, television, and newspaper information is from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org). Internet hosts, motor vehicles, and road data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org).

Note

Figures may not total 100 per cent due to rounding.