Background: The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the [British] 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 which began 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. In April 2005 the capital city of Harare embarked on Operation Restore Order ostensibly an urban rationalization program which resulted in the destruction of the homes or businesses of 700,000 mostly poor supporters of the opposition. President MUGABE in June 2007 instituted price controls on all basic commodities causing panic buying and leaving store shelves empty for months. General elections held in March 2008 contained irregularities but still amounted to a censure of the ZANU-PF-led government with the opposition winning a majority of seats in parliament. MDC opposition leader Morgan TSVANGIRAI won the most votes in the presidential polls but not enough to win outright. In the lead up to a run-off election in late June 2008 considerable violence enacted against opposition party members led to the withdrawal of TSVANGIRAI from the ballot. Extensive evidence of violence and intimidation resulted in international condemnation of the process. Difficult negotiations over a power-sharing government in which MUGABE remained president and TSVANGIRAI became prime minister were finally settled in February 2009 although the leaders failed to agree upon many key outstanding governmental issues. MUGABE was reelected president in June 2013 in balloting that was severely flawed and internationally condemned.

Geographic coordinates: 20 00 S 30 00 E

Area
Rank: 61
Land: 386,847 km²
Water: 3,910 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Montana

Land boundaries
Border countries: (4) Botswana 813 km; Mozambique 1231 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 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
Permanent crops: 0.31%
Other: 89.2% (2011)

Irrigated land: 1735 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 20 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare

Geography
Note: 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; Lake Kariba on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border forms the world's largest reservoir by volume (180 km³; 43 m³i)

Population: 13,182,908 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 73
Growth rate: 4.38% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 2
Below poverty line: 68% (2004)

Nationality
Adjective: Zimbabwean

Ethnic groups: African 98% (Shona 82% Ndebele 14% other 2%) mixed and Asian 1% white less than 1%

Languages: English (official) Shona Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele sometimes called Ndebele) numerous but minor tribal dialects

Religions: syncretic (part Christian part indigenous beliefs) 50% Christian 25% indigenous beliefs 24% Muslim and other 1%

Age structure
15-24 years: 22.5% (male 1,472,186/female 1,493,816)
25-54 years: 30.8% (male 2,039,943/female 2,018,589)
55-64 years: 3.7% (male 176,951/female 311,113)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 193,147/female 283,529) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 69.6 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.8 %
Potential support ratio: 14.7 (2013)

Median age
Male: 19 years
Female: 20 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 4.38% (2013 est.)
Rank: 2

Birth rate: 32.41 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 35

Death rate: 11.4 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 33

Net migration rate: 22.76 migrant(s)/1000 population
Rank: 3

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 3.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: HARARE (capital) 1.606 million (2009)

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; poor mining practices have led to toxic waste and heavy metal pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.57 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 20.5

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 71
Male: 29.63 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 24.79 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 209
Male: 53.79 years
Female: 53.93 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.58 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 45

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 58.5% (2010/11)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.06 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 1.7 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 14.3% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 5
People living with hivaids: 1.2 million (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 9
Deaths: 83,000 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 5

Major infectious diseases
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Animal contact disease: rabies (2013)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 7% (2008)
Rank: 143

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 10.1% (2011)
Rank: 68

Education expenditures: 2.5% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 158

Literacy
Total population: 83.6%
Male: 87.8%
Female: 80.1% (2011 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 10 years
Female: 9 years (2003)

Country name
Conventional short form: Zimbabwe
Former: Southern Rhodesia Rhodesia

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 17 49 S 31 02 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial status; Bulawayo* Harare* Manicaland Mashonaland Central Mashonaland East Mashonaland West Masvingo Matabeleland North Matabeleland South Midlands

Independence: 18 April 1980 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 18 April (1980)

Constitution: previous 1979; latest approved by referendum 16 March 2013 approved by Parliament 9 May 2013 (2013)

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law Roman-Dutch civil law and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987) note - according to the new constitution following the 31 July 2013 presidential elections the position of Prime Minister was abolished
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 for a five-year term (no term limits); elections last held on 31 July 2013 (next to be held in 2018); co-vice presidents drawn from party leadership
Election results: Robert Gabriel MUGABE reelected president; percent of vote - Robert Gabriel MUGABE 61.1% Morgan TSVANGIRAI 34.4% Welshman NCUBE 2.7% other 1.8%; note - the election process was considered flawed and roundly criticised by election monitors and international bodies

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate (93 seats - 60 members elected by popular vote for a five-year term 10 provincial governors nominated by the president 16 traditional chiefs elected by the Council of Chiefs 2 seats held by the president and deputy president of the Council of Chiefs and 5 members appointed by the president) and a House of Assembly (210 seats - members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 31 July 2013 (next to be held in 2018)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ZANU-PF 37 MDC 23; House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ZANU-PF 160 MDC 49 other 1

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president upon recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission an independent body consisting of the chief justice Public Service Commission chairman attorney general and 2-3 members appointed by the president; judges normally serve until age 65 but can elect to serve until age 70
Subordinate courts: High Court regional magistrate courts and special courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU COMESA FAO G-15 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA NAM OPCW PCA SADC UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNISFA UNMIL UNMISS UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW Washington DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 332-7,100
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 483-9,326
From the us embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue Harare
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 3,340 Harare
From the us telephone: [263] (4) 250-593 through 250-594
From the us FAX: [263] (4) 796-488 or 722-618

Flag description: 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 represents agriculture yellow mineral wealth red the blood shed to achieve independence and black stands for the native people

National symbols: Zimbabwe bird symbol; African fish eagle

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Solomon MUTSWAIRO/Fred Lecture CHANGUNDEGA

Economy overview: Zimbabwe's economy is growing despite continuing political uncertainty. Following a decade of contraction from 1998 to 2008 Zimbabwe's economy recorded real growth of more than 9% per year in 2010-11 before slowing to 5% in 2012 due in part to a poor harvest and low diamond revenues. However the government of Zimbabwe still faces a number of difficult economic problems including infrastructure and regulatory deficiencies ongoing indigenization pressure policy uncertainty a large external debt burden and insufficient formal employment. Zimbabwe''s 1998-2002 involvement in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo drained hundreds of millions of dollars from the economy. The government''s subsequent land reform program characterized by chaos and violence badly damaged the commercial farming sector the traditional source of exports and foreign exchange and the provider of 400,000 jobs turning Zimbabwe into a net importer of food products. Until early 2009 the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe routinely printed money to fund the budget deficit causing hyperinflation. Dollarization in early 2009 - which allowed currencies such as the Botswana pula the South Africa rand and the US dollar to be used locally - ended hyperinflation and reduced inflation to about 10% but exposed structural weaknesses that continue to inhibit broad-based growth.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 159

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 80

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 226

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 29.4%
Investment in fixed capital: 21.9%
Exports of goods and services: 67.9%
Imports of goods and services: -87.1%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 25.1%
Services: 54.6% (2012 est.)

Agriculture products: corn cotton tobacco wheat coffee sugarcane peanuts; sheep goats pigs

Industries: mining (coal gold platinum copper nickel tin diamonds clay numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores) steel; wood products cement chemicals fertilizer clothing and footwear foodstuffs beverages

Industrial production growth rate: 4.5% (2012 est.)
Rank: 65

Labor force: 3.931 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 92
By occupation industry: 10%
By occupation services: 24% (1996)

Unemployment rate: 80% (2005 est.)
Rank: 202

Population below poverty line: 68% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 40.4% (1995)

Distribution of family income gini index: 50.1 (1995)
Rank: 23

Budget
Expenditures: $1.095 billion
Surplus or deficit: NA% of GDP

Taxes and other revenues: NA% of GDP

Public debt: 180.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 1

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 186

Central bank discount rate: 975% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 1

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 34% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 5

Stock of narrow money: $6.586 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 74

Stock of broad money: $22.71 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 104

Stock of domestic credit: $6.289 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 98

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 70

Current account balance: $-522.9 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 101

Exports: $2.932 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 128
Commodities: platinum cotton tobacco gold ferroalloys textiles/clothing
Partners: China 21.1% South Africa 15.1% Democratic Republic of the Congo 12.1% Botswana 10.8% Italy 4.6% (2012)

Imports: $4.272 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 133
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment other manufactures chemicals fuels food products
Partners: South Africa 51.9% China 10% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $660.3 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 147

Debt external: $6.276 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 102

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $N/A

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 7.808 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 100
Consumption: 12.57 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 85
Exports: 56 million kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 80
Imports: 5.338 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 35
Installed generating capacity: 2.035 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 102
Generation sources fossil fuels: 66.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 116
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 209
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 33.4% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 68
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 145

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 120 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 121
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 210
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 146
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 208

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 147
Products consumption: 19,030 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 131
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 146
Products imports: 13,290 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 123

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 213
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 213
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 211
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 84
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 210

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 8.875 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 104

Telephones
Main lines in use: 301,600 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 117
Mobile cellular: 12.614 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 69

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; 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru) (2010)

Broadcast media: government owns all local radio and TV stations; foreign shortwave broadcasts and satellite TV are available to those who can afford antennas and receivers; in rural areas access to TV broadcasts is extremely limited (2007)

Internet
Country code: .zw
Hosts: 30,615 (2012)
Hosts rank: 108
Users: 1.423 million (2009)
Users rank: 84

Military expenditures: 3.8% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 26

Military service age and obligation: 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women are eligible to serve (2012)

Airports: 196 (2013)
Rank: 29
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 104
With unpaved runways: 72 (2013)

Pipelines: refined products 270 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 51
Narrow gauge: 3,427 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 47
Paved: 18,481 km
Unpaved: 78,786 km (2002)

Waterways: (some navigation possible on Lake Kariba) (2011)

Ports and terminals: Binga Kariba

Disputes international: Namibia has supported and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River thereby de facto recognizing a short but not clearly delimited Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river; South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho Zimbabwe and Mozambique to control smuggling poaching and illegal migration

Illicit drugs: transit point for cannabis and South Asian heroin mandrax and metham