CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Zimbabwe


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!| Background:
 * 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.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 3,910 sq km land: 386,670 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: border countries: Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Inyangani 2,592 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 0.34% other: 91.34% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements !| Geography - note:
 * Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia
 * 20 00 S, 30 00 E
 * Africa
 * total: 390,580 sq km
 * slightly larger than Montana
 * total: 3,066 km
 * 0 km (landlocked)
 * none (landlocked)
 * tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)
 * mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east
 * lowest point: junction of the Runde and Save rivers 162 m
 * coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals
 * arable land: 8.32%
 * 1,170 sq km (1998 est.)
 * recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare
 * deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd - once the largest concentration of the species in the world - has been significantly reduced by poaching; poor mining practices have led to toxic waste and heavy metal pollution
 * party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
 * landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zambia; in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria Falls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water
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!| Population: note: 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.) !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 57% (male 3,649,400; female 3,571,631) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 230,272; female 227,834) (2004 est.) !| Median age: female: 19.1 years (2004 est.) male: 19.1 years !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2004 est.) !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 64.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 69.74 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 38.63 years female: 36.99 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Major infectious diseases: overall degree of risk: high (2004) !| Nationality: adjective: Zimbabwean !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 90.7% male: 94.2% female: 87.2% (2003 est.)
 * 12,671,860
 * 0-14 years: 39.4% (male 2,520,082; female 2,472,641)
 * total: 19.1 years
 * 0.68% (2004 est.)
 * 30.05 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 23.3 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * negligible migrant(s)/1,000 population
 * at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
 * total: 67.08 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 37.82 years
 * 3.6 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * 33.7% (2001 est.)
 * 2.3 million (2001 est.)
 * 200,000 (2001 est.)
 * typhoid fever, malaria, schistosomiasis
 * noun: Zimbabwean(s)
 * African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), mixed and Asian 1%, white less than 1%
 * syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%
 * English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Zimbabwe former: Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: head of government: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); Vice President Joyce MUJURU (since 6 December 2004; note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government 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; election last held 9-11 March 2002 (next to be held NA 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: elections: last held 24-25 June 2000 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - ZANU-PF 48.6%, MDC 47.0%, other 4.4%; seats by party - ZANU-PF 62, MDC 57, ZANU-Ndonga 1 !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX: [1] (202) 483-9326 telephone: [1] (202) 332-7100 chancery: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare mailing address: P. O. Box 3340, Harare telephone: [263] (4) 250-593 and 250-594 FAX: [263] (4) 796488 !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe
 * parliamentary democracy
 * Harare
 * 8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands
 * 18 April 1980 (from UK)
 * Independence Day, 18 April (1980)
 * 21 December 1979
 * mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law
 * 18 years of age; universal
 * chief of state: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); Vice President Joyce MUJURU (since 6 December 2004; note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
 * unicameral 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 8 occupied by provincial governors appointed by the president)
 * Supreme Court; High Court
 * Movement for Democratic Change or MDC [Morgan TSVANGIRAI]; National Alliance for Good Governance or NAGG [Shakespeare MAYA]; United Parties [Abel MUZOREWA]; 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]
 * National Constitutional Assembly or NCA [Lovemore MADHUKU]; Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition [Brian KAGORO]; Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions or ZCTU [Lovemore MATOMBO]
 * ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Simbi Veke MUBAKO
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph G. SULLIVAN
 * 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
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 24.5% services: 58.3% (2003) !| Investment (gross fixed): !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: 40.42% (1995) !| Distribution of family income - Gini index: !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $2.004 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003) !| Public debt: !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Current account balance: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * 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.
 * purchasing power parity - $24.03 billion (2003 est.)
 * -13.6% (2003 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $1,900 (2003 est.)
 * agriculture: 17.3%
 * 8.9% of GDP (2003)
 * 70% (2002 est.)
 * lowest 10%: 1.97%
 * 50.1 (1995)
 * 384.7% (2003 est.)
 * 4.17 million (2003 est.)
 * agriculture 66%, industry 10%, services 24% (1996)
 * 70% (2002 est.)
 * revenues: $1.568 billion
 * 41.3% of GDP (2003)
 * corn, cotton, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; sheep, goats, pigs
 * mining (coal, gold, copper, nickel, tin, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel, wood products, cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages
 * -14.7% (2003 est.)
 * 6.735 billion kWh (2001)
 * 9.813 billion kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 3.55 billion kWh (2001)
 * 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 23,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * $-346 million (2003)
 * $1.261 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * tobacco, gold, ferroalloys, textiles/clothing
 * Zambia 6.3%, South Africa 6.1%, China 5.3%, Germany 4.6%, Japan 4.4% (2003)
 * $1.691 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures, chemicals, fuels
 * South Africa 51.3%, Congo, Democratic Republic of the 6.1%, Germany 2.8% (2003)
 * $78 million (2003)
 * $3.404 billion (2003 est.)
 * $178 million; note - the EU and the US provide food aid on humanitarian grounds (2000 est.)
 * Zimbabwean dollar (ZWD)
 * ZWD
 * Zimbabwean dollars per US dollar - NA (2003), 55.0358 (2002), 55.0521 (2001), 44.4179 (2000), 38.3012 (1999); note - these are official exchange rates, non-official rates vary significantly
 * 1 January - 31 December
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network; Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; two international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru) !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 300,900 (2003)
 * 379,100 (2003)
 * general assessment: system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines
 * AM 7, FM 20 (plus 17 repeater stations), shortwave 1 (1998)
 * 1.14 million (1997)
 * 16 (1997)
 * 370,000 (1997)
 * .zw
 * 4,501 (2003)
 * 6 (2000)
 * 500,000 (2002)
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!| Railways: narrow gauge: 3,077 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2003) !| Highways: paved: 8,692 km unpaved: 9,646 km (1999 est.) !| Waterways: !| Pipelines: !| Ports and harbors: !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 8 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 186 under 914 m: 196 (2004 est.)
 * total: 3,077 km
 * total: 18,338 km
 * on Lake Kariba, length small (2003)
 * refined products 261 km (2004)
 * Binga, Kariba
 * 404 (2003 est.)
 * total: 17
 * total: 387
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!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - military age and obligation: !| Military manpower - availability: !| Military manpower - fit for military service: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 * Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic Police (includes Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police)
 * 18 years of age (est.) (2004)
 * males age 15-49: 3,285,007 (2004 est.)
 * males age 15-49: 2,033,978 (2004 est.)
 * $105 million (2003)
 * 1.7% (2003)
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