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.

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

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

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

Natural 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%

Geography
Note: landlocked

Population: 10,720,459 (July 1991), growth rate 2.9% (1991)

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

Birth rate: 41 births/1000 population (1991)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1000 population (1991)

Environment
Current issues: recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare; deforestation; soil erosion; air and water pollution

Infant mortality rate: 61 deaths/1000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male, 64 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 5.6 children born/woman (1991)

Literacy: 67% (male 74%, female 60%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Country name: conventional 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

Independence: 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

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987; Co-Vice President Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31 December 1987; Co-Vice President Joshua M. NKOMO (since 6 August 1990)

Legislative branch: Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police, People's Militia

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International 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
In the us: Counselor (Political Affairs), Head of Chancery, Ambassador Stanislaus Garikai CHIGWEDERE; Chancery at 2,852 McGill Terrace NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 332-7,100; US--Ambassador (vacant; Embassy at 172 Herbert Chitapo Avenue, Harare (mailing address is P. O. Box 3,340, Harare; telephone [263] (4) 794-521

Flag 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 Zimbabwe ZimbabweZimbabwe

Economy 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 matched the 3% annual increase in population.

Agriculture products: accounts for about 15% 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: 4.7% (1988 est.), accounts for 35% of GDP

Labor force: 3,100,000; agriculture 74%, transport and services 16%, mining, manufacturing, construction 10% (1987)

Unemployment rate: at least 20% (1990 est.)

Budget: revenues $2.7 billion; expenditures $3.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $330 million (FY91)

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

Exports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodities: agricultural 35% (tobacco 20%, other 15%), manufactures 20%, gold 10%, ferrochrome 10%, cotton 5%
Partners: Europe 55% (EC 40%, Netherlands 5%, other 10%), Africa 20% (South Africa 10%, other 10%), US 5%

Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1989)
Commodities: 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%

Debt external: $2.96 billion (December 1989 est.)

Exchange rates: Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1--2.6724 (January 1991), 2.4480 (1990), 2.1133 (1989), 1.8018 (1988), 1.6611 (1987), 1.6650 (1986), 1.6119 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 2,036,000 kW capacity; 5,460 million kWh produced, 540 kWh per capita (1989)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: $412.4 million, NA% of GDP (FY91 est.)

Airports: 499 total, 415 usable; 23 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 35 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Pipelines: 8 km, refined products

Waterways: Lake Kariba is a potential line of communication

Disputes international: quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia is in disagreement