ZIMBABWE



Republic of Zimbabwe

CAPITAL : Harare

FLAG : The flag has seven equal horizontal stripes of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green. At the hoist is a white triangle, which contains a representation in yellow of the bird of Zimbabwe superimposed on a red star.

ANTHEM : God Bless Africa .

MONETARY UNIT : The Zimbabwe dollar ( Z $) is a paper currency of 100 cents. There are coins of 1, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents and 1 dollar, and notes of 2, 5, 10, and 20 dollars. Z $1 = US $0.000826 (or US $1 = Z $1,210; in January 2003).

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES : The metric system is used.

HOLIDAYS : New Year's Day, 1 January; Independence Day, 18 April; Workers' Day, 1 May; Africa Day, 25 May; Heroes' Days, 11–13 August; Christmas Day, 25 December; Boxing Day, 26 December. Movable holidays are Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Monday, and Whitmonday.

TIME : 2 PM = noon GMT.


LANGUAGES

The Shona speak dialects of the same Bantu language, Shona. There are six major dialects: Karanga, Zezuru, Korekore, Manyika, Ndau, and Kalanga. The Ndebele speak modified versions of Ndebele (or Sindebele), which belongs to the Nguni group of southeast Bantu languages.

English, the official language, is spoken by most Europeans and by an increasing number of Africans.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Each of the eight provinces of Zimbabwe is administered by a provincial commissioner appointed by the central government. Local services are provided by city, town, and rural councils. The Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Planning is charged with ensuring the establishment of local authorities where necessary and local adherence to legislation.

FISHING

There is some commercial fishing on Kariba Lake. Rural Zimbabweans fish the smaller lakes and rivers. The total catch in 2000 was estimated at 13,114 tons, with dagaas accounting for 80%.

DEPENDENCIES

Zimbabwe has no territories or colonies.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cheney, Patricia. The Land and People of Zimbabwe. New York: Lippincott, 1990.

Harmon, Daniel E. Southeast Africa: 1880 to the Present: Reclaiming a Region of Natural Wealth. Philadelphia, Penn.: Chelsea House Publishers, 2002.

Herbst, Jeffrey Ira. State Politics in Zimbabwe. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990.

Kriger, Norma J. Zimbabwe's Guerrilla War: Peasant Voices. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

Masters, William A. Government and Agriculture in Zimbabwe . Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 1994.

Munro, William Andrew. The Moral Economy of the State: Conservation, Community Development, and State-making in Zimbabwe. Athens: Ohio University Center for International Studies, 1998.

Owomoyela, Oyekan. Culture and Customs of Zimbabwe. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2002.

Potts, Deborah. Zimbabwe. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Clio Press, 1993.

Renwick, Robin. Unconventional Diplomacy in Southern Africa. New York: St. Martin's, 1997.

Rotberg, Robert I. Ending Autocracy, Enabling Democracy: The Tribulations of Southern Africa, 1960–2000. Cambridge, Mass.: World Peace Foundation, 2002.

Rubert, Steven C. and R. Kent Rasmussen. Historical Dictionary of Zimbabwe. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow, 2001.

Skelnes, Tor. The Politics of Economic Reform in Zimbabwe: Continuity and Change in Development. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1995.

Tamarkin, M. The Making of Zimbabwe: Decolonization in Regional and International Politics. Savage, Md.: F. Cass, 1990.

Thomas, Duncan and Muvandi, Ityai. The Demographic Transition in Southern Africa: Reviewing the Evidence from Botswana and Zimbabwe. Santa Monica, Calif.: Rand, 1995.

Weiss, Ruth. Zimbabwe and the New Elite. New York: British Academic Press, 1994.

User Contributions:

1
jameel
This has been helpful so much in my work at this diplomatic mission.i think the information should be updated occasionally but the layout is quite appreciated.
2
Webster Tiriboyi
The National anthem is not God Bless Africa. It is (in Shona) Simudzai Mureza Wedu weZimbabwe (Lift our Zimbabwe Flag)

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