Choosing the Right CBSE School A Comprehensive Guide for Parents
Zimbabwe Facts: Economy, Demographics, Politics
1. Facts & Figures
President: Robert Mugabe (1980)
Land area: 149,293 sq mi (386,669 sq km); total
area: 150,804 sq mi (390,580 sq km)
Population (2009 est.): 11,392,629 (growth rate: 1.5%);
birth rate: 31.5/1000; infant mortality rate: 32.3/1000; life
expectancy: 45.7; density per sq mi: 82
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Harare, 2,331,400
(metro. area), 1,919,700 (city proper)
Other large cities: Bulawayo, 965,000; Chitungwiza, 411,700
Monetary unit: Zimbabwean dollar
2. Languages: English (official), Shona, Ndebele (Sindebele),
numerous minor tribal dialects
Ethnicity/race: African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%,
other 2%), mixed and Asian 1%, white less than 1%
Religions: syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs)
50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and
other 1%
Literacy rate: 91% (2003 est.)
4. Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $2.211 billion; per capita $200. Real growth
rate: –6.1%.
Inflation: 10, 453% official data; private sector estimates are much higher (yearend 2007
est.).
Unemployment: 80%.
Arable land: 8%.
Agriculture: corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; sheep, goats, pigs.
Labor force: 4.032 million (2007); agriculture 66%, services 24%, industry 10% (1996).
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.
Natural resources: coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium,
lithium, tin, platinum group metals.
Exports: $1.766 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.): cotton, tobacco, gold, ferroalloys,
textiles/clothing.
Imports: $2.055 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.): machinery and transport equipment, other
manufactures, chemicals, fuels.
Major trading partners: South Africa, Switzerland, UK, China, Germany, Botswana (2004).
5. Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 331,700 (2006); mobile
cellular: 832,500 (2006).
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 20 (plus 17 repeater stations), shortwave 1
(1998). Radios: 1.14 million (1997).
Television broadcast stations: 16 (1997).
Televisions: 370,000 (1997).
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (2000).
Internet users: 1 million (2005).