Statistical information Zimbabwe 1992

Zimbabwe in the World
top of pageBackground: The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the South Africa Company in 1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated to keep whites in power. In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its independence but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded 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.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 390,580 km²
Land: 386,670 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Montana
Land boundaries:
3,066 km total; Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km,
South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km
Coastline: none - landlocked
Maritime claims: none - landlocked
Disputes: quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia is in disagreement
Climate:
tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to
March)
Terrain: mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld; mountains in east
ElevationNatural resources: coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals
Land use: arable land: 7%; permanent crops: NEGL%; meadows and pastures 12%; forest and woodland 62%; other 19%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 11,033,376 (July 1992), growth rate 2.9% (1992)
Nationality: noun - Zimbabwean(s; adjective - Zimbabwean
Ethnic groups: African 98% (Shona 71%, Ndebele 16%, other 11%; white 1%, mixed and Asian 1%
Languages: English (official; Shona, Sindebele
Religions:
syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%,
Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, a few Muslim
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 40 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: -3 migrants/1000 population (1992)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare; deforestation; soil erosion; air and water pollution
Current issues note: landlocked
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 59 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male, 64 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 67% (male 74%, female 60%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Harare
Administrative divisions:
8 provinces; Manicaland, Mashonaland Central,
Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo (Victoria), Matabeleland North,
Matabeleland South, Midlands
Dependent areasIndependence: 18 April 1980 (from UK; formerly Southern Rhodesia)
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 April (1980)
Constitution: 21 December 1979
Legal system: mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal at age 18
Executive President:last held 28-30 March 1990 (next to be held NA
March 1996); results - Robert MUGABE 78.3%, Edgar TEKERE 21.7%
Parliament:last held 28-30 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (150 total, 120 elected)
ZANU-PF 117, ZUM 2, ZANU-S 1
Executive branch: executive president, 2 vice presidents, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer),
ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:Counselor (Political Affairs), Head of
Chancery, Ambassador Stanislaus Garikai CHIGWEDERE; Chancery at 1608 New
Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,009; telephone (202) 332-7,100
US:Ambassador Edward Gibson LANPHER; Embassy at 172 Herbert Chitapo
Avenue, Harare (mailing address is P. O. Box 3,340, Harare); telephone 263 (4) 794-521
Diplomatic representationFlag description
: seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green with a white equilateral triangle edged in black based on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird is superimposed on a red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview:
Agriculture employs three-fourths of the labor force and supplies almost 40% of exports. The manufacturing sector, based on agriculture and mining, produces a variety of goods and contributes 35% to
GDP. Mining accounts for only 5% of both GDP and employment, but supplies of minerals and metals account for about 40% of exports. Wide year-to-year fluctuations in agricultural production over the past six years have resulted in an uneven growth rate, one that on average has matched the 3% annual increase in population. Helped by an IMF/World Bank structural adjustment program, output rose 3.5% in 1991. A drought beginning toward the end of 1991 suggests rough going for 1992.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $7.1 billion, per capita $660; real growth rate 3.5% (1991 est.)
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 11% of GDP and employs 74% of population; 40% of land area divided into 4,500 large commercial farms and 42% in communal lands; crops - corn (food staple), cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; livestock - cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; self-sufficient in food
Industries: mining, steel, clothing and footwear, chemicals, foodstuffs, fertilizer, beverage, transportation equipment, wood products
Industrial production growth rate:
growth rate 5% (1991 est.); accounts for 35% of
GDP
Labor force: 3,100,000; agriculture 74%, transport and services 16%, mining, manufacturing, construction 10% (1987)
Organized labor: 17% of wage and salary earners have union membership
Unemployment rate: at least 30% (1991 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $2.7 billion; expenditures $3.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $330 million (FY91)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: agricultural 35% (tobacco 20%, other 15%), manufactures 20%, gold 10%, ferrochrome 10%, cotton 5%
Partners: Europe 55% (EC 40%, Netherlands 5%, other 15%), Africa 20% (South Africa 10%, other 10%), US 5%
Imports: $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: machinery and transportation equipment 37%, other manufactures 22%, chemicals 16%, fuels 15%
Partners: EC 31%, Africa 29% (South Africa 21%, other 8%), US 8%, Japan 4%
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1 - 4.3066 (March 1992), 3.4282 (1991), 2.4480 (1990), 2.1133 (1989), 1.8018 (1988), 1.6611 (1987)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 3,650,000 kW capacity; 7,500 million kWh produced, 700 kWh per capita (1991)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $412.4 million, about 6% of GDP (FY91 est.)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports:
491 total, 401 usable; 22 with permanent-surface runways; 2
with runways over 3,659 m; 3
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 32
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelines: petroleum products 8 km
Civil air: 12 major transport aircraft
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: Lake Kariba is a potential line of communication
Merchant marinePorts and terminalstop of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs