About Zimbabwe
Area: 390 580 square kilometres (150,804 square miles)
Population (2014 est.): 13,771,721
Independence Day is celebrated on 18 April
Capital and largest city (2011 est.): Harare - 1.542 million
The Republic of Zimbabwe, is landlocked and generally speaking, sits between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers. To the south it borders South Africa, Botswana to the west, with Zambia to the northwest, and Mozambique to the east and northeast.
Zimbabwe recognizes 16 official languages, with English, Shona, and Ndebele being the most commonly used.
Perhaps most famous as the home of the Victoria Falls – which at 1708 metres wide (5 604 foot) and 108 metres (354 foot) high - is neither the tallest or widest waterfall in the world. However it is perhaps the biggest in terms of volume of water at peak flow. Zimbabwe is also home to 10 distinct National Parks, which are found throughout the country, and are home to a good variety of wildlife and places of natural beauty.
At 14 650 square kilometres, Hwange National Park is by far the biggest and probably the best known. Other parks include Mana Pools (2 196 square kilometres), Matusadona at 1 400 square kilometres and Matobo at 445 square kilometres. Kazuma Pan (313 square kilometres) may be the smallest, but is known for its excellent variety of water birds. The second largest Park (some 5 000 square kilometres) is Gonarezhou, which is known for its scenic beauty. It is also unique in that three major rivers, the Save, Runde and Mwenezi run through it, forming pools and natural oases, which allow for hundreds of species of birds, and other wildlife to be present in the area.
As with much of Southern Africa, rivers are essential and Zimbabwe relies on the Zambezi, Limpopo, Runde and Save, along with numerous tributaries.
Much of the country is high plateau with a higher central plateau, which forms a watershed between the Zambezi and Limpopo river systems. Both the Limpopo and the lower Zambezi valleys are broad and relatively flat plains. The eastern end of the watershed terminates in a north-south mountain spine, called the Eastern Highlands.
Additional landforms of interest include escarpments along the Zambezi River and deep river valleys within the central plateau. In addition, savanna grasslands cover the southern reaches, while evergreen forests are common central and east, especially in the mountain areas.
The lowest part of the country is the junction of the Runde and Save Rivers at 162 metres above sea level, with the highest point being Mount Nyangani at 2,592 metres above sea level (in the east of the country).
Zimbabwe is named after Great Zimbabwe, the twelfth-to fifteenth-century stone-built capital of the Rozwi Shona dynasty. The name is thought to derive from "great stone houses" or "esteemed houses".
Access to Zimbabwe, for tourists, is mostly through the town of Victoria Falls, which has recently upgraded its airport and runways facilities. Many visitors also arrive in neighbouring Livingstone (Zambia) and cross the Zambezi River to access Victoria Falls. There is also easy access to northern Botswana. Additionally there are daily flights between Johannesburg (South Africa) and Zimbabwe’s second largest town, Bulawayo.
Population (2014 est.): 13,771,721
Independence Day is celebrated on 18 April
Capital and largest city (2011 est.): Harare - 1.542 million
The Republic of Zimbabwe, is landlocked and generally speaking, sits between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers. To the south it borders South Africa, Botswana to the west, with Zambia to the northwest, and Mozambique to the east and northeast.
Zimbabwe recognizes 16 official languages, with English, Shona, and Ndebele being the most commonly used.
Perhaps most famous as the home of the Victoria Falls – which at 1708 metres wide (5 604 foot) and 108 metres (354 foot) high - is neither the tallest or widest waterfall in the world. However it is perhaps the biggest in terms of volume of water at peak flow. Zimbabwe is also home to 10 distinct National Parks, which are found throughout the country, and are home to a good variety of wildlife and places of natural beauty.
At 14 650 square kilometres, Hwange National Park is by far the biggest and probably the best known. Other parks include Mana Pools (2 196 square kilometres), Matusadona at 1 400 square kilometres and Matobo at 445 square kilometres. Kazuma Pan (313 square kilometres) may be the smallest, but is known for its excellent variety of water birds. The second largest Park (some 5 000 square kilometres) is Gonarezhou, which is known for its scenic beauty. It is also unique in that three major rivers, the Save, Runde and Mwenezi run through it, forming pools and natural oases, which allow for hundreds of species of birds, and other wildlife to be present in the area.
As with much of Southern Africa, rivers are essential and Zimbabwe relies on the Zambezi, Limpopo, Runde and Save, along with numerous tributaries.
Much of the country is high plateau with a higher central plateau, which forms a watershed between the Zambezi and Limpopo river systems. Both the Limpopo and the lower Zambezi valleys are broad and relatively flat plains. The eastern end of the watershed terminates in a north-south mountain spine, called the Eastern Highlands.
Additional landforms of interest include escarpments along the Zambezi River and deep river valleys within the central plateau. In addition, savanna grasslands cover the southern reaches, while evergreen forests are common central and east, especially in the mountain areas.
The lowest part of the country is the junction of the Runde and Save Rivers at 162 metres above sea level, with the highest point being Mount Nyangani at 2,592 metres above sea level (in the east of the country).
Zimbabwe is named after Great Zimbabwe, the twelfth-to fifteenth-century stone-built capital of the Rozwi Shona dynasty. The name is thought to derive from "great stone houses" or "esteemed houses".
Access to Zimbabwe, for tourists, is mostly through the town of Victoria Falls, which has recently upgraded its airport and runways facilities. Many visitors also arrive in neighbouring Livingstone (Zambia) and cross the Zambezi River to access Victoria Falls. There is also easy access to northern Botswana. Additionally there are daily flights between Johannesburg (South Africa) and Zimbabwe’s second largest town, Bulawayo.