Statistical information Zimbabwe 1996Zimbabwe

Map of Zimbabwe | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Zimbabwe in the World
Zimbabwe in the World

Jayride


Zimbabwe - Introduction 1996
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Background: 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.


Zimbabwe - Geography 1996
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Location: Southern Africa, northeast of Botswana

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 390,580 km²
Land: 386,670 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Montana

Land boundaries: Total 3,066 km, Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: None; landlocked

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

Terrain: Mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld; mountains in east

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: junction of the Lundi and Savi rivers 162 m
Extremes highest point: Inyangani 2,592 m

Natural resources:
Coal
Chromium ore
Asbestos
Gold
Nickel
Copper
Iron ore
Vanadium
Lithium
Tin
Platinum group metals

Land use

Land use
Arable land: 7.25%
Permanent crops: 0.25% (coffee is a permanent crop)
Permanent pastures: 12.5%
Forests and woodland: 49%
Other: 31%

Irrigated land: 2,250 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


Zimbabwe - People 1996
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Population:
11,271,314 (July 1996 est.)
11,139,961 (July 1995 est.)

Growth rate:
1.41% (1996 est.)
1.78% (1995 est.)


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%
Muslim and other 1%


Demographic profile
Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years:
44% (male 2,513,606; female 2,481,478) (July 1996 est.)
47% (male 2,617,485; female 2,588,193) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 years:
53% (male 2,935,188; female 3,030,270) (July 1996 est.)
51% (male 2,723,511; female 2,915,697) (July 1995 est.)

65 years and over:
3% (male 152,244; female 158,528) (July 1996 est.)
2% (male 143,440; female 151,635) (July 1995 est.)


Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate:
1.41% (1996 est.)
1.78% (1995 est.)


Birth rate:
32.34 births/1000 population (1996 est.)
36.35 births/1000 population (1995 est.)


Death rate:
18.2 deaths/1000 population (1996 est.)
18.54 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)


Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1000 population (1996 est.)
Note: there is a small but steady flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa in search of better paid employment

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: 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
Current issues Natural hazards: recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare
International agreements: party to_Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified_Desertification
International agreements note: Landlocked

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
All ages: 0.99 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Infant Mortality Rate:
72.8 deaths/1000 live births (1996 est.)
72.7 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)


Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 41.85 years (1996 est.), 41.35 years (1995 est.)
Male: 41.91 years (1996 est.), 39.73 years (195 est.)
Female: 41.78 years (1996 est.), 43.01 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.09 children born/woman (1996 est.)
4.93 children born/woman (1995 est.)


Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)
Total population: 85%
Male: 90%
Female: 80%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


Zimbabwe - Government 1996
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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe
Conventional short form: Zimbabwe
Former: Southern Rhodesia

Government type: Parliamentary democracy

Capital: Harare (Former:Salisbury)

Administrative divisions: 8 provinces; Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo (Victoria), Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands

Dependent areas

Independence: 18 April 1980 (from U.K.)

National holiday: Independence Day, 18 April (1980)

Constitution: 21 December 1979

Legal system: Mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state and head of government: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987) was nominated by the House of Assembly (if more than one nomination, electoral college of members of the House of Assembly elect the president); election last held 26-27 March 1996 (next to be held NA March 2002); results_Robert MUGABE 92.7%, Abel MUZOREWA 4.8%; Ndabaningi SITHOLE 2.4%; Co-Vice President Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31 December 1987); Co-Vice President Joshua M. NKOMO (since 6 August 1990) was appointed by the president
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president; responsible to Parliament

Legislative branch: Unicameral Parliament:Elections last held 8-9 April 1995 (next to be held NA March 2000; results_percent of vote by party NA; seats_(150 total, 120 elected) ZANU-PF 118, ZANU-Ndonga 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation

Flag descriptionflag of Zimbabwe: 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 symbols

National anthem

National heritage


Zimbabwe - Economy 1996
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Economy overview: Agriculture employs 70% of the labor force of this landlocked nation and supplies almost 40% of exports. Mining accounts for only 5% of both GDP and employment, but minerals and metals account for about 40% of exports. Severe drought caused GDP to drop 8% in 1992, with growth rebounding to 2% in 1993 and 4.5% in 1994, only to drop by 2.4% in 1995. The government is continuing to push its IMF/World Bank structural adjustment program aimed at encouraging exports and foreign investment. Officials face the difficult task of restraining expenditures in their effort to keep inflation within bounds.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate:
-2.4% (1995)
3.5% (1994 est.)


Real gdp per capita:
purchasing power parity_ $1,620 (1995 est.)
$1,580 (1994 est.)


Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: Accounts for 20% of GDP; 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 10% (1994), 2.3% (1992; accounts for 35% of GDP

Labor force: 4.228 million (1993 est.)
By occupation Agriculture: 70%
By occupation Transport and services: 22%
By occupation Industry: 8% (1994)
Labor force

Unemployment rate: At least 45% (1994 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.7 billion
Expenditures: $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $253 million (FY92/93)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July_30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports:
total value. $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
$1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

Commodities:
Agricultural 35% (tobacco 30%, Other 5%)
Manufactures 25%
Gold 12%
Ferrochrome 10%
Textiles 8% (1992)

Partners:
U.K. 14%
Germany 11%
South Africa 10%
Japan 7%
U.S. 5% (1991)


Imports
Total value:
$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)

Commodities:
Machinery and transportation equipment 41%
Other manufactures 23%
Chemicals 16%
Fuels 12% (1991)

Partners:
South Africa 25%
U.K. 15%
Germany 9%
U.S. 6%
Japan 5% (1991)


Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:
$4.4 billion (1994)
$3.5 billion (December 1992 est.)


Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1_9.3633 (January 1996), 8.6580 (1995), 8.1500 (1994), 6.4725 (1993), 5.0942 (1992), 3.4282 (1991), 2.4480 (1990)


Zimbabwe - Energy 1996
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Electricity
Capacity: 2,040,000 kW
Production: 9 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 913 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


Zimbabwe - Communication 1996
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Telephones

Telephone system: 301,000 telephones (1990 est.); system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance
Local: NA
Intercity: consists of microwave links, open-wire lines, and radio communications stations
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


Zimbabwe - Military 1996
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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $236 million, 3.4% of GDP (FY95/96), $175 million, 3.1% of GDP (FY94/95)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


Zimbabwe - Transportation 1996
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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 403
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 198 (1995 est.)
With paved runways under 914 m: 185

Heliports

Pipelines: Petroleum products 212 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: Lake Kariba is a potential line of communication

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


Zimbabwe - Transnational issues 1996
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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs




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