Zimbabwe

 

Quick Facts

• Continental region – Southern Africa
• Currency _ United States Dollar($), RTGS dollar
• Capital City – Harare
• Official languages – Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Nambiar, Ndou, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa
• Population – 14.44 million (2018) World Bank
• Country dialling code  –  (+ 263)
• Official website – Zimbabwe
• Top 3 biggest industries  – Mining Sector, Agriculture, and Energy
• Google Maps link –Zimbabwe
• Where is it? – Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern Africa known for its dramatic landscape and diverse wildlife, much of it within parks, reserves and safari areas.

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Zimbawbwe In Pictures

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Zimbabwe History

• How did the country get its current name? –  The name “Zimbabwe” stems from a Shona term for Great Zimbabwe, an ancient city in the country’s south-east whose remains are now a protected site. Zimbabwe was formerly known as Southern Rhodesia (1898), Rhodesia (1965), and Zimbabwe Rhodesia (1979).
• When and by whom the country was first discovered? –  Various groups have occupied the area for thousands of years, including Bantu speaking farmers 2000 years ago. Shona civilisations covered most of the area between the 13th – 15th centuries. 
• Who were the first Inhabitants? – The Mapungubwe people, a Bantu-speaking group of migrants from present day South Africa, inhabited the Great Zimbabwe site from about AD 1000 – 1550, displacing earlier Khoisan people. From about 1100, the fortress took shape, reaching its peak by the fifteenth century.
• When it was first recognized as a country? – 18 April 1980, the Republic of Zimbabwe became independent. Zimbabwe previously had been under British sovereignty as Southern Rhodesia.
• Who was the first leader of the country? – Canaan Banana. Canaan Sodano Banana (5 March 1936 – 10 November 2003) was a Zimbabwean Methodist minister, theologian, and politician who served as the first President of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987.

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Five Significant Events 

1. Independence 1980 – Zane leader Robert Mugabe wins independence elections. Zimbabwe wins international recognition in April. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14113618)
2. President 1987 – Mr. Mugabe changes constitution, becomes executive president. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14113618)
3. Economic Crises 1999 – Economic crisis worsened by Zimbabwe’s unpopular military involvement in DR Congo civil war. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14113618)
4. 2000 June – Zanu-PF narrowly fights off a challenge from the opposition MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai at parliamentary elections, but loses its power to change the constitution. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14113618)
5. Election 2008 June – Robert Mugabe declared winner of run-off presidential election after Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out days before the poll, complaining of intimidation. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14113618)

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Five Places to Visit in Zimbabwe

1. Victoria Falls: There’s a clear reason why tersely-named Victoria Falls is one of Zimbabwe’s must-see places. Like the eponymous towns of Niagara in the US and Canada, the settlement is just a stone’s throw from the roaring waterfalls that gave it its moniker. (https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-zimbabwe/)
2. Harare: Nearly three million people call the metropolis of Harare their home, making it not only the capital but also the largest city of the nation. Sat up on plateaus of Zimbabwe’s central highlands, it certainly looks the part. (https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-zimbabwe/)
3. Bulawayo: Bulawayo belies a sort of New Orleans vibe. It’s got age-stained colonial frontispieces that ooze art deco and Victorian regal styles. It’s got swaying trees dotting its old avenues, and the occasional Anglo-esque public house occupying the arcades. (https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-zimbabwe/)
4. Matobo National Park: The legendary Matobo National Park is a cross-shaped reserve found just south out of aforementioned Bulawayo. Famed since time immemorial for its curious array of inselbergs and hoodoo rock formations, it’s a land of sculpted granite peaks and anthropomorphic bluffs. (https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-zimbabwe/)
5. Nyunga National Park: The home of the Highveld is a wild and wonderful place. Perched on the very roof of Zimbabwe, more than 1,800 meters above sea level, it’s formed by hulking hills of dolomite rock, and suspended boulders that creak in the cool breezes. (https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-zimbabwe/)

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References: 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14113618

https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-zimbabwe/