Background: A series of trading states developed in the area of Zimbabwe prior to the arrival of the first European explorers; the largest of these was the Kingdom of Zimbabwe (ca. 1220-1450). In the 1880s, European colonists arrived with the British South Africa Company (BSAC), which obtained mining rights and established company rule over the area. The southern portion of BSAC holdings were annexed by the UK in 1923 and became the British colony of Southern Rhodesia. 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, was the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) from independence until his resignation in November 2017. His chaotic land redistribution campaign, which began in 1997 and intensified after 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.

Geographic coordinates: 20 00 S, 30 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 390,757 km²
Land: 386,847 km²
Water: 3,910 km²
Rank: 62
Comparative: about four times the size of Indiana; slightly larger than Montana

Land boundaries
Total: 3,229 km
Border countries: (4) Botswana 834 km; , Mozambique 1402 km; , South Africa 230 km; , Zambia 763 km

Coastline: 0 km
Note: (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
Mean elevation: 961 m
Lowest point: junction of the Runde and Save Rivers 162 m
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
Agricultural land: 42.5% (2011 est.)
Forest: 39.5% (2011 est.)
Other: 18% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 1740 km² (2012)

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
Distribution rank: population distribution map: 14,546,314 (July 2020 est.)
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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Rank: 73
Growth rate: 1.87% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 52
Below poverty line: 72.3% (2012 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Zimbabwean(s)
Adjective: Zimbabwean

Ethnic groups: African 99.4% (predominantly Shona; Ndebele is the second largest ethnic group), other 0.4%, unspecified 0.2% (2012 est.)

Languages: Shona (official; most widely spoken), Ndebele (official, second most widely spoken), English (official; traditionally used for official business), 13 minority languages (official; includes Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Shangani, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa)

Religions: Protestant 74.8% (includes Apostolic 37.5%, Pentecostal 21.8%, other 15.5%), Roman Catholic 7.3%, other Christian 5.3%, traditional 1.5%, Muslim 0.5%, other 0.1%, none 10.5% (2015 est.)

Demographic profile: Zimbabwe’s progress in reproductive, maternal, and child health has stagnated in recent years. According to a 2010 Demographic and Health Survey, contraceptive use, the number of births attended by skilled practitioners, and child mortality have either stalled or somewhat deteriorated since the mid-2000s. Zimbabwe’s total fertility rate has remained fairly stable at about 4 children per woman for the last two decades, although an uptick in the urban birth rate in recent years has caused a slight rise in the country’s overall fertility rate. Zimbabwe’s HIV prevalence rate dropped from approximately 29% to 15% since 1997 but remains among the world’s highest and continues to suppress the country’s life expectancy rate. The proliferation of HIV/AIDS information and prevention programs and personal experience with those suffering or dying from the disease have helped to change sexual behavior and reduce the epidemic.Historically, the vast majority of Zimbabwe’s migration has been internal - a rural-urban flow. In terms of international migration, over the last 40 years Zimbabwe has gradually shifted from being a destination country to one of emigration and, to a lesser degree, one of transit (for East African illegal migrants traveling to South Africa). As a British colony, Zimbabwe attracted significant numbers of permanent immigrants from the UK and other European countries, as well as temporary economic migrants from Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia. Although Zimbabweans have migrated to South Africa since the beginning of the 20th century to work as miners, the first major exodus from the country occurred in the years before and after independence in 1980. The outward migration was politically and racially influenced; a large share of the white population of European origin chose to leave rather than live under a new black-majority government.In the 1990s and 2000s, economic mismanagement and hyperinflation sparked a second, more diverse wave of emigration. This massive out migration - primarily to other southern African countries, the UK, and the US - has created a variety of challenges, including brain drain, illegal migration, and human smuggling and trafficking. Several factors have pushed highly skilled workers to go abroad, including unemployment, lower wages, a lack of resources, and few opportunities for career growth.

Age structure
0-14 years: 38.32% (male 2,759,155/female 2,814,462)
15-24 years: 20.16% (male 1,436,710/female 1,495,440)
25-54 years: 32.94% (male 2,456,392/female 2,334,973)
55-64 years: 4.07% (male 227,506/female 363,824)
65 years and over: 4.52% (male 261,456/female 396,396) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 81.6
Youth dependency ratio: 76.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.5
Potential support ratio: 18.3 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 20.5 years
Male: 20.3 years
Female: 20.6 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 189

Population growth rate: 1.87% (2020 est.)
Rank: 52

Birth rate: 33.6 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 24

Death rate: 9.3 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 53

Net migration rate: -5 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 197

Population distribution
Rank: population distribution map

Urbanization
Urban population: 32.2% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 2.19% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 1.530 million HARARE (capital) (2020)

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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.63 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 20 years (2015 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Infant mortality rate
Total: 30.3 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 34.2 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 26.4 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 54

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 62.3 years
Male: 60.2 years
Female: 64.5 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 209

Total fertility rate: 3.93 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 31

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 66.8% (2015)

Drinking water source
Urban: 2% of population
Rural: 32.6% of population
Total: 22.7% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 6.6% (2017)

Physicians density: 0.19 physicians/1000 population (2017)

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

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 3.9% of population
Rural: 51% of population
Total: 35.8% of population (2017 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 13.4% (2019 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 5
People living with hivaids: 1.4 million (2019 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 8
Deaths: 20,000 (2019 est.)
Deaths rank: 9

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2020)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
Animal contact diseases: rabies

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 15.5% (2016)
Rank: 126

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 9.7% (2019)
Rank: 64

Education expenditures: 5.9% of GDP (2018)
Rank: 28

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
Total population: 86.5%
Male: 88.5%
Female: 84.6% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 11 years (2013)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe
Conventional short form: Zimbabwe
Former: Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe-Rhodesia
Etymology: takes its name from the Kingdom of Zimbabwe (13th-15th century) and its capital of Great Zimbabwe, the largest stone structure in pre-colonial southern Africa

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Harare
Geographic coordinates: 17 49 S, 31 02 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology: named after a village of Harare at the site of the present capital; the village name derived from a Shona chieftain, Ne-harawa, whose name meant 'he who does not sleep'

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
History: previous 1965 (at Rhodesian independence), 1979 (Lancaster House Agreement), 1980 (at Zimbabwean independence); latest final draft completed January 2013, approved by referendum 16 March 2013, approved by Parliament 9 May 2013, effective 22 May 2013
Amendments: proposed by the Senate or by the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses of Parliament and assent of the president of the republic; amendments to constitutional chapters on fundamental human rights and freedoms and on agricultural lands also require approval by a majority of votes cast in a referendum; amended many times, last in 2017

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

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Zimbabwe; in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA (since 24 November 2017); First Vice President Constantino CHIWENGA (since 28 December 2017); note - Robert Gabriel MUGABE resigned on 21 November 2017, after ruling for 37 years 
Head of government: President Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA (since 24 November 2017); Vice President Constantino CHIWENGA (since 28 December 2017); Vice President Kembo MOHADI (since 28 December 2017) 
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president, responsible to National Assembly
Electionsappointments: each presidential candidate nominated with a nomination paper signed by at least 10 registered voters (at least 1 candidate from each province) and directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 3 July 2018 (next to be held in 2023); co-vice presidents drawn from party leadership
Election results: Emmerson MNANGAGWA reelected president in 1st round of voting; percent of vote - Emmerson MNANGAGWA (ZANU-PF) 50.8%, Nelson CHAMISA (MDC-T) 44.3%, Thokozani KHUPE (MDC-N) .9%, other 3%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 4 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 9 judges)
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; Constitutional Court judge appointment NA; judges serve nonrenewable 15-year terms
Subordinate courts: High Court; Labor Court; Administrative Court; regional magistrate courts; customary law courts; special courts

Political parties and leaders: MDC Alliance [Thokozane KHUPEIS] (acting)Movement for Democratic Change - MDC-T [Thokozani KHUPE]National People's Party or NPP [Joyce MUJURU] (formerly Zimbabwe People First or ZimPF)National Patriotic Front or NPF [Ambrose MUTINHIRI]Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA]Zimbabwe African Peoples Union or ZAPU [Isaac MABUKA]

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, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ammon MUTEMBWA (since 18 November 2014)
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 chief of mission: Ambassador Brian A. NICHOLS (since 19 July 2018)
From the us telephone: [263] (0) 867-701-1000
From the us embassy: 2 Lorraine Drive, Bluffhill, Harare
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 3,340, Harare
From the us FAX: [263] (4) 796-488

Flag description: seven equal horizontal bands of green (top), 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, flame lily; national colors: green, yellow, red, black, white

National anthem
Name: Kalibusiswe Ilizwe leZimbabwe [Northern Ndebele language] Simudzai Mureza WeZimbabwe [Shona] (Blessed Be the Land of Zimbabwe)
Lyricsmusic: Solomon MUTSWAIRO/Fred Lecture CHANGUNDEGA
Note: adopted 1994

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 81

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 205

Gross national saving:
Rank: 74

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 77.6% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 24% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 12.6% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 25.6% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -39.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 12% (2017 est.)
Industry: 22.2% (2017 est.)
Services: 65.8% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: tobacco, corn, cotton, 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: 0.3% (2017 est.)
Rank: 167

Labor force: 7.907 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 61
By occupation agriculture: 67.5%
By occupation industry: 7.3%
By occupation services: 25.2% (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Note: data include both unemployment and underemployment; true unemployment is unknown and, under current economic conditions, unknowable
Rank: 159

Population below poverty line: 72.3% (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2%
Highest 10: 40.4% (1995)

Budget
Revenues: 3.8 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 5.5 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -9.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 208

Taxes and other revenues: 21.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 138

Public debt:
Rank: 34

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 227

Current account balance:
Rank: 134

Exports:
Rank: 120
Partners: South Africa 50.3%, Mozambique 22.5%, UAE 9.8%, Zambia 4.9% (2017)
Commodities: platinum, cotton, tobacco, gold, ferroalloys, textiles/clothing

Imports:
Rank: 123
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures, chemicals, fuels, food products
Partners: South Africa 47.8%, Zambia 20.5% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 157

Debt external:
Rank: 116

Exchange rates:
Note: the dollar was adopted as a legal currency in 2009; since then the Zimbabwean dollar has experienced hyperinflation and is essentially worthless

Electricity
Access population without electricity: 7 million (2019)
Access electrification total population: 53% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 89% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 36% (2019)
Production: 6.8 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 113
Consumption: 7.118 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 108
Exports: 1.239 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Exports rank: 54
Imports: 2.22 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 54
Installed generating capacity: 2.122 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 111
Generation sources fossil fuels: 58% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 135
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 214
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 37% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 58
Generation sources other renewable sources: 5% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 110

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 219
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 217
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 217
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 214

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 216
Products consumption: 27,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 127
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 216
Products imports: 26,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 104

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 216
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 215
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 215
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 215
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 209

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 12.06 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 100

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 258,419
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1.81 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 117
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 12,863,830
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 90.1 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 72

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; analog TV only, no digital service (2017)

Internet
Country code: .zw
Users total: 3,796,618
Users percent of population: 27.06% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 93

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 203,056
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2018 est.)
Rank: 107

Military expenditures:
Rank: 121

Military and security forces: Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) (2020)

Military service age and obligation: 18-22 years of age for voluntary military service (18-24 for officer cadets; 18-30 for technical/specialist personnel); no conscription; women are eligible to serve (2019)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 12
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 285,539 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 670,000
Note: mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: Z (2016)

Airports: 196 (2013)
Rank: 29
With paved runways total: 17 (2013)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3 (2013)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2 (2013)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5 (2013)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7 (2013)
With unpaved runways total: 179 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 104 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 72 (2013)

Pipelines: 270 km refined products (2013)

Railways
Total: 3,427 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 3,427 km
Note: 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2014)
Rank: 58

Roadways
Total: 97,267 km (2019)
Paved: 18,481 km (2019)
Unpaved: 78,786 km (2019)
Rank: 49

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

Ports and terminals
River port: Binga, Kariba (Zambezi)

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 116,237 (Nigeria), 10,901 (Democratic Republic of Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 8,133 (Mozambique) (2020)
IDPs: 25,517 (tropical cyclone, 2019) (2020)
Stateless persons: 300,000 (2016)

Illicit drugs: transit point for cannabis and South Asian heroin, mandrax, and methamphetamines en route to South Africa