Stone RuinsBegun during the eleventh century A.D. by Bantu-speaking ancestors of the Shona, Great Zimbabwe was constructed and expanded for more than 300 years in a local style that eschewed rectilinearity for flowing curves.
With an economy based on cattle husbandry, crop cultivation, and the trade of gold on the coast of the Indian Ocean, Great Zimbabwe was the heart of a thriving trading empire from the 11th to the 15th centuries. The word zimbabwe, the country's namesake, is a Shona (Bantu) word meaning “stone houses.”
The country is home to a diverse range of wildlife, with national parks scattered throughout the country hosting rare and endangered species, some exclusive to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is also the only country that is home to all of Africa`s Big Five: buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhino.
Travel to Zimbabwe is generally safe, but solo travelers need to be cautious of petty crime and scams. Lack of police presence has created a hotbed of crime, which for travelers can be dangerous and at times unnerving. Here's what you need to know about common travel scams and crime in Zimbabwe.
Causes suggested for the decline and ultimate abandonment of the city of Great Zimbabwe have included a decline in trade compared to sites further north, the exhaustion of the gold mines, political instability, and famine and water shortages induced by climatic change.
By 1200 C.E., the city had grown strong, and was well known as an important religious and trading center. Some believe that religion triggered the city's rise to power, and that the tall tower was used for worship. The people of Great Zimbabwe most likely worshipped Mwari, the supreme god in the Shona religion.
The golden bird, known as the "Great Zimbabwe Bird"(Hungwe) is the national symbol of Zimbabwe and is most likely a representation of the African fish eagle.
Republic
Unitary state
Semi-presidential system
Military dictatorship
The Zimbabwe government consists of an elected head of state, the president, and a legislature. Zimbabwe is a one party dominant state; the dominant party being the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front.
The Overberg region in the Western Cape is also known as the breadbasket of South Africa due to its large wheat fields, as well as fruit growing. Rhodesia was known as the breadbasket of Africa until 2000, exporting wheat, tobacco, and corn to the wider world, especially to other African nations.
Colonial era (1888–1980) In the 1880s, British diamond magnate Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company (BSAC) started to make inroads into the region. In 1898, the name Southern Rhodesia was adopted. In 1888, Rhodes obtained a concession for mining rights from King Lobengula of the Ndebele peoples.
As early as 1960, African nationalist political organisations in Rhodesia agreed that the country should use the name "Zimbabwe"; they used that name as part of the titles of their organisations. After taking office as Prime Minister, Abel Muzorewa sought to drop "Rhodesia" from the country's name.
Zimbabwe was once one of Southern Africa's most vibrant, productive, and resilient countries. Not surprisingly, Zimbabwe's Human Development Index (HDI) value is 0.509 – a score that places the country in the low human development category.
While meal prices in Zimbabwe can vary, the average cost of food in Zimbabwe is Z$378,210,714,008,140,032 per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Zimbabwe should cost around Z$151,284,285,603,256,032 per person.
It is derived from the word 'Sohna' in Punjab, which means beautiful. The whole land of Mutapa became known as 'the land of sona', or 'Sonaland'. 'Sona' or 'Sohna' were eventually corrupted to 'Shona'. 'Sonaland' became 'Shonaland'.
| Provinces of Zimbabwe |
|---|
| Category | Unitary state |
| Location | Republic of Zimbabwe |
| Number | 10 Provinces |
| Populations | 1,200,337 (Bulawayo) – 2,123,132 (Harare Province) |
The Economic History of Zimbabwe began with the transition to majority rule in 1980 and Britain's ceremonial granting of independence. The new government under Prime Minister Robert Mugabe promoted socialism, partially relying on international aid.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe blamed the hyperinflation on economic sanctions imposed by the United States of America, the IMF and the European Union. These sanctions affected the government of Zimbabwe, asset freezes and visa denials targeted at 200 specific Zimbabweans closely tied to the Mugabe regime.
African nation has defaulted on US$2.2 billion worth of loans made by China to Zimbabwe between 2000 and 2017.
Highest Paying Jobs in Sales
- 1Wholesale Manager(468,000 ZWD)
- 2National Sales Manager(452,000 ZWD)
- 3Sales Director(419,000 ZWD)
- 4Sales Executive(387,000 ZWD)
- 5Sales Manager(371,000 ZWD)
- 6National Account Manager(339,000 ZWD)
- 7Head of Direct Sales(323,000 ZWD)
- 8Head of Retail(316,000 ZWD)
1. Democratic Republic of Congo. Although the DRC has abundant natural resources, unfortunately with a projected 2019 GDP per capita of USD 475, the country is in the unenviably position of being the poorest country in the world.
TOP 10 RICHEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES IN 2020 RANKED BY GDP & PRIMARY EXPORTS
- 1 | NIGERIA – THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN AFRICA (GDP: $446.543 Billion)
- 2 | SOUTH AFRICA (GDP: $358.839 Billion)
- 3 | EGYPT (GDP: $302.256 Billion)
- 4 | ALGERIA (GDP: $172.781 Billion)
- 5 | MOROCCO (GDP: $119,04 Billion)
- 6 | KENYA (GDP: $99,246 Billion)
The economy of Zimbabwe is mainly made of tertiary industry which makes up to 60% of the total GDP as of 2017 . Zimbabwe has the second biggest informal economy as a share of its economy which has a score of 60.6%. Agriculture and mining largely contribute to exports.
The World Bank estimates that extreme poverty in Zimbabwe has risen over the past year, from 29% in 2018 to 34% in 2019, an increase from 4.7 to 5.7 million people. The bank predicts levels will continue to rise in 2020.
"Zimbabwe does not owe money to the IMF as we paid off loans with the world body. Zimbabwe has recorded 14 cases of Covid-19 including three deaths since December 2019 when the virus was discovered in Wuhan, China.
President of Zimbabwe
| President of the Republic of Zimbabwe |
|---|
| Formation | 18 April 1980 |
| Deputy | Vice-President of Zimbabwe |
| Salary | US$200,000 (2014) |
| Website | |
On 1 August, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission released preliminary results which show that the ruling party ZANU-PF has won the majority of seats in parliament. On 3 August, the Commission declared incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa the winner with just over 50% of the vote.
The Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) is a political organisation which has been the ruling party of Zimbabwe since independence in 1980.
listen); born 15 September 1942) is a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who has served as President of Zimbabwe since 24 November 2017.
How old is Mnangagwa?
78 years (September 15, 1942)
Canaan Banana. Canaan Sodindo 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.
Where is Emmerson Mnangagwa from?
The current Senate consists of 80 members, of whom 60 are elected for five-year terms in 6-member constituencies representing one of the 10 provinces, elected based on the votes in the lower house election, using party-list proportional representation, distributed using the hare quota.
First Vice-Presidents
| Rank | Vice President | Time in office |
|---|
| 1 | Simon Muzenda | 15 years, 263 days |
| 2 | Joice Mujuru | 10 years, 2 days |
| 3 | Emmerson Mnangagwa | 2 years, 329 days |
