Zimbabwe Location:
Physical. Zimbabwe is located in Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia. It covers an area slightly larger than Montana. A tropical climate (moderated by altitude) prevails in most of the country, with a rainy season from November to March. Much of the land forms high plateaus with a higher central plateau, the High Veld, extending from the southwest to the northeast. Mountains are found in the east. Natural resources include coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, vanadium, lithium, tin, and platinum metal groups.
Zimbabwe People:
People. Almost 11.4 million people live in Zimbabwe. English is the official language, while residents also speak Shona, Sidebele, and numerous tribal languages. The country is largely comprised of native-African groups (Shona 71%, Ndebele 16%, other 11%) and a small white and Asian population. Zimbabwe's religious beliefs are: syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs 50%) Christian (25%) indigenous beliefs (24%) and Muslim (1%).
Zimbabwe Government:
Government. The emergence of a strong opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in Zimbabwe has apparently lead President Mugabe to start several initiatives to regain the support of the people. He has agreed to the occupation of white-owned commercial farms by Zimbabwean veterans. Mugabe and the ZANU-PF party have dominated Zimbabwean politics since it gained independence from Britain in 1980. With more than a third of the total land and up to 80% of the most productive farming areas in the hands of a few thousand whites before the recent seizures, land redistribution has been a key issue for Zimbabweans.
The number of political parties in Zimbabwe reflects the people’s resistance to the concentration of power. Independent non-government organizations have successfully taken up social human rights issues. The press, however, is controlled almost entirely by the government. Recent events have lead to more repressive measures against supporters of the opposition who are being driven underground.
Zimbabwe Economy:
Economy. The chaos of the land redistribution of the last few years has been caused severe economic deprivation for masses of Zimbabweans. Those who have been relocated on formerly white-owned lands have not prospered due to lack of essentials such as fertilizers, fuel and water. There have also been severe droughts. With an estimated 1 million people facing hunger and starvation and the devaluation its currency, Zimbabwe has moved away from its former status as breadbasket.
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