Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, formerly Southern Rhodesia under the British, and Rhodesia under Ian Smith, a landlocked republic in south central Africa. With an area of 150,873 sq mi (390,759 sq km), Zimbabwe is bordered by Zambia to the north, Mozambique to the northeast and east, and Botswana to the southwest and west.

Land and climate

Zimbabwe is situated astride a high plateau between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. The plateau is divided into three distinct zones. The High Veld is over 4,000 ft (1,219 m) above sea level and extends across the country from the southwest to the northeast. The Middle Veld is mos textensive in the northwest and rises 3,000–4,000 ft (914–1,219 m) above sea level. The Low Veld occupies land near river basins in the north and south and is 3,000 ft (914 m) below sea level. In the east, the highlands include Mt. Inyangani which rises to 8,503 ft (2,592 m). Zimbabwe's climate varies with the altitude.

People

The people of Zimbabwe are overwhelmingly black Africans, principally Bantus of the Shona or Ndebele groups. Other important tribes include the Tonga, Sena, Hlengwe, Venda, and Sotho. About 5% of the population consists of whites, coloreds (descendants of whites and black Africans), and Asians. The majority of the people is Christian, about 45% follow traditional animist beliefs, and there are Hindus among the small Asian minority. English is the official language, but Shona and Ndebele are widely spoken.

Economy

Most of the people of Zimbabwe work as subsistence farmers. But the country's agricultural sector was a major food exporter to the South African region. The principal cash crop is tobacco. Zimbabwe is also rich in mineral resources. Gold is the country's major export, but other valuable minerals include iron ore, asbestos, chrome, copper, and nickel. The country also has an expanding and diversified industrial sector.

History

Bushmen paintings and tools indicate that Zimbabwe had Stone Age inhabitants. Bantu peoples settled the area about A.D. 400, and during the 15th century, the Shona civilization established an empire; the capital was called Zimbabwe. In 1889, Cecil Rhodes obtained a charter from Britain to colonize and administer the area, and in 1923 it became the self-governing British colony of Southern Rhodesia. In 1953 the British combined Southern Rhodesia with Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Nyasaland (now Malawi) to form the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The federation dissolved in 1963 and in the face of growing demands from black Africans for self-determination, white conservatives led by Prime Minister Ian Smith declared independence from Britain in 1965. Britain refused to recognize the all-white regime and white Rhodesia was beset by international pressure and an armed insurgency. Rebel forces were headed by Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo. In a negotiated settlement, the country gained its independence and black majority rule in 1980, and its name was changed from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe. Rivalry between elements loyal to Robert Mugabe, who was elected president, and Joshua Nkomo threatened the new country's unity, but by the late 1980s the worst excesses of the internal fighting seemed to be under control. In the early 1990s land reforms were carried out, intended to lessen the difference in landownership between black and white. However, they were not entirely succesful.