How well do you know Zimbabwe?

History and Etymology of Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered by South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique.

• The country has a population of roughly 15 million people, with the Shona ethnic group comprising 82%.

• Zimbabwe has a diverse range of official languages, with English, Shona, and Ndebele being the most common.

• The Bantu people built the city-state of Great Zimbabwe, which became one of the major African trade centers by the 11th century.

• Zimbabwe was established as a kingdom after the city-state was abandoned, followed by the Rozvi and Mutapa empires.

• The British South Africa Company conquered Mashonaland and Matabeleland in the late 19th century, establishing Southern Rhodesia as a self-governing British colony in 1923.

• In 1965, the white minority government unilaterally declared independence as Rhodesia, leading to a 15-year guerrilla war with black nationalist forces.

• Zimbabwe gained de jure sovereignty in April 1980 and joined the Commonwealth of Nations, from which it was later suspended and withdrew.

• Robert Mugabe became Prime Minister of Zimbabwe in 1980 and President in 1987, ruling under an authoritarian regime with widespread human rights violations.

• The economy experienced decline and hyperinflation from 2000 to 2009 before rebounding after the use of other currencies was permitted.

• Mugabe was placed under house arrest in a coup d'état in 2017, leading to his resignation and the appointment of Emmerson Mnangagwa as president.

• Zimbabwe is a member of several international organizations, including the United Nations, the Southern African Development Community, and the African Union. The name "Zimbabwe" derives from a Shona term for Great Zimbabwe, a medieval city in the country's southeast.A Brief History and Geography of Zimbabwe

• Rhodesia became a republic in 1970 but was not recognized internationally, and its internal conflict intensified.

• In 1978, Smith reached an accord with African leaders, leading to the establishment of a biracial democracy.

• Elections were held in April 1979, and Muzorewa became prime minister, changing the country's name to Zimbabwe Rhodesia.

• The Lancaster House Agreement, in 1979, ended the guerrilla war and allowed Zimbabwe Rhodesia to proceed to legal independence.

• Mugabe became Zimbabwe's first prime minister and head of government, and Banana was the country's first president in a mainly ceremonial role.

• The Matabele unrest led to Gukurahundi, a campaign that killed thousands of civilians accused of supporting "dissidents."

• Land redistribution became the main issue in the 1990s, leading to the Fast Track Land Reform program in 2000.

• The economy collapsed by 2003, and the country faced a humanitarian crisis.

• In 2008, a power-sharing agreement was reached between Tsvangirai and Mugabe, allowing Tsvangirai to hold the office of prime minister.

• In November 2017, the army led a coup d'état, placing Mugabe under house arrest, and he eventually resigned.

• Mnangagwa won the 2018 general elections, and Chamisa contested the results, but the court confirmed Mnangagwa's victory.

• Zimbabwe has experienced significant economic decline, population loss, and political violence, with millions of deaths caused by the Mugabe government.

Geographically, Zimbabwe is:

• A landlocked country in southern Africa, bordered by South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique.

• Consisting of a central plateau with altitudes between 1,000 and 1,600 m, and an extreme east mountainous area known as the Eastern Highlands.

• The country's extreme northwest is home to Victoria Falls, one of the world's largest and most spectacular waterfalls.

• Zimbabwe has experienced two major post-Gondwana erosion cycles and a subordinate Plio-Pleistocene cycle.

• The country has a subtropical climate with local variations, and recurring droughts and severe storms are rare.Overview of Zimbabwe: Environment, Politics, Armed Forces, Human Rights, Administrative Divisions, and Sanctions

• Zimbabwe has a diverse environment with grassland mosaic, savanna, tropical evergreen and hardwood forests, miombo woodland, and a variety of flora and fauna.

• Deforestation, poaching, and woodland degradation caused by population growth, urban expansion, and use of fuel are major environmental concerns.

• Zimbabwe is a republic with a presidential system of government and a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate and the House of Assembly.

• Mugabe revised the constitution in 1987, forming an executive president, and his party, ZANU-PF, has won every election since independence.

• There have been allegations of vote-rigging, intimidation, and fraud in the parliamentary and presidential elections, resulting in boycotts, run-offs, and power-sharing deals.

• The Zimbabwe Defence Forces were formed by unifying three insurrectionist forces, and the Zimbabwe Republic Police is part of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

• There have been widespread reports of systematic and escalating violations of human rights, violations of the rights to shelter, food, freedom of movement and residence, freedom of assembly, and the protection of the law.

• Male homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe, and campaigns against both homosexual men and women have been carried out by the government.

• Opposition gatherings are frequently subject to reprisals by the police force, and there are concerns over the suppression of freedom of the press and speech.

• Zimbabwe is divided into eight provinces and two cities with provincial status, each headed by a provincial governor and a provincial administrator.

• The provinces are subdivided into 59 districts and 1,200 wards, each headed by a district administrator and a Rural District Council.

• Zimbabwe has been under sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union since the early 2000s, shaping its domestic politics and relations with Western nations.

• There are two types of U.S. sanctions on Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) and the Targeted Sanctions Program, which demand respect for human rights, stop interference in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and stop expropriation of white farms.Economy, Minerals, Agriculture, Tourism, Water Supply, Science and Technology, and Demographics of Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe's main foreign exports are minerals, gold, and agriculture, and the country is the largest trading partner of South Africa on the continent.

• Taxes and tariffs are high for private enterprises, while state enterprises are strongly subsidized, and state regulation is costly to companies.

• The tourism industry has been failing in recent years due to poaching, deforestation, and loss of wildlife, potentially disastrous for the economy.

• The information and communications technology sector has been growing at a fast pace, with Zimbabwe as Africa's fastest growing market in 2011.

• Since 2002, the government has had its lines of credit frozen at international financial institutions through U.S. legislation called the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 (ZDERA).

• Zimbabwe's economy declined from 2000 due to mismanagement and corruption by the government and the eviction of more than 4,000 white farmers in the controversial land confiscations of 2000.

• The mining sector is lucrative, with some of the world's largest platinum reserves being mined, and the Marange diamond fields, discovered in 2006, are considered the biggest diamond find in over a century.

• Zimbabwe's commercial farming sector was traditionally a source of exports and foreign exchange, but the government's land reform program badly damaged the sector, turning Zimbabwe into a net importer of food products.

• Zimbabwe has several major tourist attractions, including Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park, and the ancient and medieval ruined cities built in a unique dry stone style.

• According to the World Health Organization, 80% of Zimbabweans had access to improved drinking water sources, and only 40% had access to improved sanitation facilities in 2012.

• Zimbabwe has a well-developed education system, with one in 11 adults holding a tertiary degree, but lacks critical mass of researchers needed to trigger innovation.

• According to the 2012 census report, 99.7% of the population is of African origin, with the majority people being the Shona, comprising 82%, and Ndebele making up 14% of the population.

History and Etymology of Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered by South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique.

• The country has a population of roughly 15 million people, with the Shona ethnic group comprising 82%.

• Zimbabwe has a diverse range of official languages, with English, Shona, and Ndebele being the most common.

• The Bantu people built the city-state of Great Zimbabwe, which became one of the major African trade centers by the 11th century.

• Zimbabwe was established as a kingdom after the city-state was abandoned, followed by the Rozvi and Mutapa empires.

• The British South Africa Company conquered Mashonaland and Matabeleland in the late 19th century, establishing Southern Rhodesia as a self-governing British colony in 1923.

• In 1965, the white minority government unilaterally declared independence as Rhodesia, leading to a 15-year guerrilla war with black nationalist forces.

• Zimbabwe gained de jure sovereignty in April 1980 and joined the Commonwealth of Nations, from which it was later suspended and withdrew.

• Robert Mugabe became Prime Minister of Zimbabwe in 1980 and President in 1987, ruling under an authoritarian regime with widespread human rights violations.

• The economy experienced decline and hyperinflation from 2000 to 2009 before rebounding after the use of other currencies was permitted.

• Mugabe was placed under house arrest in a coup d'état in 2017, leading to his resignation and the appointment of Emmerson Mnangagwa as president.

• Zimbabwe is a member of several international organizations, including the United Nations, the Southern African Development Community, and the African Union. The name "Zimbabwe" derives from a Shona term for Great Zimbabwe, a medieval city in the country's southeast.A Brief History and Geography of Zimbabwe

• Rhodesia became a republic in 1970 but was not recognized internationally, and its internal conflict intensified.

• In 1978, Smith reached an accord with African leaders, leading to the establishment of a biracial democracy.

• Elections were held in April 1979, and Muzorewa became prime minister, changing the country's name to Zimbabwe Rhodesia.

• The Lancaster House Agreement, in 1979, ended the guerrilla war and allowed Zimbabwe Rhodesia to proceed to legal independence.

• Mugabe became Zimbabwe's first prime minister and head of government, and Banana was the country's first president in a mainly ceremonial role.

• The Matabele unrest led to Gukurahundi, a campaign that killed thousands of civilians accused of supporting "dissidents."

• Land redistribution became the main issue in the 1990s, leading to the Fast Track Land Reform program in 2000.

• The economy collapsed by 2003, and the country faced a humanitarian crisis.

• In 2008, a power-sharing agreement was reached between Tsvangirai and Mugabe, allowing Tsvangirai to hold the office of prime minister.

• In November 2017, the army led a coup d'état, placing Mugabe under house arrest, and he eventually resigned.

• Mnangagwa won the 2018 general elections, and Chamisa contested the results, but the court confirmed Mnangagwa's victory.

• Zimbabwe has experienced significant economic decline, population loss, and political violence, with millions of deaths caused by the Mugabe government.

Geographically, Zimbabwe is:

• A landlocked country in southern Africa, bordered by South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique.

• Consisting of a central plateau with altitudes between 1,000 and 1,600 m, and an extreme east mountainous area known as the Eastern Highlands.

• The country's extreme northwest is home to Victoria Falls, one of the world's largest and most spectacular waterfalls.

• Zimbabwe has experienced two major post-Gondwana erosion cycles and a subordinate Plio-Pleistocene cycle.

• The country has a subtropical climate with local variations, and recurring droughts and severe storms are rare.Overview of Zimbabwe: Environment, Politics, Armed Forces, Human Rights, Administrative Divisions, and Sanctions

• Zimbabwe has a diverse environment with grassland mosaic, savanna, tropical evergreen and hardwood forests, miombo woodland, and a variety of flora and fauna.

• Deforestation, poaching, and woodland degradation caused by population growth, urban expansion, and use of fuel are major environmental concerns.

• Zimbabwe is a republic with a presidential system of government and a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate and the House of Assembly.

• Mugabe revised the constitution in 1987, forming an executive president, and his party, ZANU-PF, has won every election since independence.

• There have been allegations of vote-rigging, intimidation, and fraud in the parliamentary and presidential elections, resulting in boycotts, run-offs, and power-sharing deals.

• The Zimbabwe Defence Forces were formed by unifying three insurrectionist forces, and the Zimbabwe Republic Police is part of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

• There have been widespread reports of systematic and escalating violations of human rights, violations of the rights to shelter, food, freedom of movement and residence, freedom of assembly, and the protection of the law.

• Male homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe, and campaigns against both homosexual men and women have been carried out by the government.

• Opposition gatherings are frequently subject to reprisals by the police force, and there are concerns over the suppression of freedom of the press and speech.

• Zimbabwe is divided into eight provinces and two cities with provincial status, each headed by a provincial governor and a provincial administrator.

• The provinces are subdivided into 59 districts and 1,200 wards, each headed by a district administrator and a Rural District Council.

• Zimbabwe has been under sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union since the early 2000s, shaping its domestic politics and relations with Western nations.

• There are two types of U.S. sanctions on Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) and the Targeted Sanctions Program, which demand respect for human rights, stop interference in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and stop expropriation of white farms.Economy, Minerals, Agriculture, Tourism, Water Supply, Science and Technology, and Demographics of Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe's main foreign exports are minerals, gold, and agriculture, and the country is the largest trading partner of South Africa on the continent.

• Taxes and tariffs are high for private enterprises, while state enterprises are strongly subsidized, and state regulation is costly to companies.

• The tourism industry has been failing in recent years due to poaching, deforestation, and loss of wildlife, potentially disastrous for the economy.

• The information and communications technology sector has been growing at a fast pace, with Zimbabwe as Africa's fastest growing market in 2011.

• Since 2002, the government has had its lines of credit frozen at international financial institutions through U.S. legislation called the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 (ZDERA).

• Zimbabwe's economy declined from 2000 due to mismanagement and corruption by the government and the eviction of more than 4,000 white farmers in the controversial land confiscations of 2000.

• The mining sector is lucrative, with some of the world's largest platinum reserves being mined, and the Marange diamond fields, discovered in 2006, are considered the biggest diamond find in over a century.

• Zimbabwe's commercial farming sector was traditionally a source of exports and foreign exchange, but the government's land reform program badly damaged the sector, turning Zimbabwe into a net importer of food products.

• Zimbabwe has several major tourist attractions, including Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park, and the ancient and medieval ruined cities built in a unique dry stone style.

• According to the World Health Organization, 80% of Zimbabweans had access to improved drinking water sources, and only 40% had access to improved sanitation facilities in 2012.

• Zimbabwe has a well-developed education system, with one in 11 adults holding a tertiary degree, but lacks critical mass of researchers needed to trigger innovation.

• According to the 2012 census report, 99.7% of the population is of African origin, with the majority people being the Shona, comprising 82%, and Ndebele making up 14% of the population.

History and Etymology of Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered by South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique.

• The country has a population of roughly 15 million people, with the Shona ethnic group comprising 82%.

• Zimbabwe has a diverse range of official languages, with English, Shona, and Ndebele being the most common.

• The Bantu people built the city-state of Great Zimbabwe, which became one of the major African trade centers by the 11th century.

• Zimbabwe was established as a kingdom after the city-state was abandoned, followed by the Rozvi and Mutapa empires.

• The British South Africa Company conquered Mashonaland and Matabeleland in the late 19th century, establishing Southern Rhodesia as a self-governing British colony in 1923.

• In 1965, the white minority government unilaterally declared independence as Rhodesia, leading to a 15-year guerrilla war with black nationalist forces.

• Zimbabwe gained de jure sovereignty in April 1980 and joined the Commonwealth of Nations, from which it was later suspended and withdrew.

• Robert Mugabe became Prime Minister of Zimbabwe in 1980 and President in 1987, ruling under an authoritarian regime with widespread human rights violations.

• The economy experienced decline and hyperinflation from 2000 to 2009 before rebounding after the use of other currencies was permitted.

• Mugabe was placed under house arrest in a coup d'état in 2017, leading to his resignation and the appointment of Emmerson Mnangagwa as president.

• Zimbabwe is a member of several international organizations, including the United Nations, the Southern African Development Community, and the African Union. The name "Zimbabwe" derives from a Shona term for Great Zimbabwe, a medieval city in the country's southeast.A Brief History and Geography of Zimbabwe

• Rhodesia became a republic in 1970 but was not recognized internationally, and its internal conflict intensified.

• In 1978, Smith reached an accord with African leaders, leading to the establishment of a biracial democracy.

• Elections were held in April 1979, and Muzorewa became prime minister, changing the country's name to Zimbabwe Rhodesia.

• The Lancaster House Agreement, in 1979, ended the guerrilla war and allowed Zimbabwe Rhodesia to proceed to legal independence.

• Mugabe became Zimbabwe's first prime minister and head of government, and Banana was the country's first president in a mainly ceremonial role.

• The Matabele unrest led to Gukurahundi, a campaign that killed thousands of civilians accused of supporting "dissidents."

• Land redistribution became the main issue in the 1990s, leading to the Fast Track Land Reform program in 2000.

• The economy collapsed by 2003, and the country faced a humanitarian crisis.

• In 2008, a power-sharing agreement was reached between Tsvangirai and Mugabe, allowing Tsvangirai to hold the office of prime minister.

• In November 2017, the army led a coup d'état, placing Mugabe under house arrest, and he eventually resigned.

• Mnangagwa won the 2018 general elections, and Chamisa contested the results, but the court confirmed Mnangagwa's victory.

• Zimbabwe has experienced significant economic decline, population loss, and political violence, with millions of deaths caused by the Mugabe government.

Geographically, Zimbabwe is:

• A landlocked country in southern Africa, bordered by South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique.

• Consisting of a central plateau with altitudes between 1,000 and 1,600 m, and an extreme east mountainous area known as the Eastern Highlands.

• The country's extreme northwest is home to Victoria Falls, one of the world's largest and most spectacular waterfalls.

• Zimbabwe has experienced two major post-Gondwana erosion cycles and a subordinate Plio-Pleistocene cycle.

• The country has a subtropical climate with local variations, and recurring droughts and severe storms are rare.Overview of Zimbabwe: Environment, Politics, Armed Forces, Human Rights, Administrative Divisions, and Sanctions

• Zimbabwe has a diverse environment with grassland mosaic, savanna, tropical evergreen and hardwood forests, miombo woodland, and a variety of flora and fauna.

• Deforestation, poaching, and woodland degradation caused by population growth, urban expansion, and use of fuel are major environmental concerns.

• Zimbabwe is a republic with a presidential system of government and a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate and the House of Assembly.

• Mugabe revised the constitution in 1987, forming an executive president, and his party, ZANU-PF, has won every election since independence.

• There have been allegations of vote-rigging, intimidation, and fraud in the parliamentary and presidential elections, resulting in boycotts, run-offs, and power-sharing deals.

• The Zimbabwe Defence Forces were formed by unifying three insurrectionist forces, and the Zimbabwe Republic Police is part of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

• There have been widespread reports of systematic and escalating violations of human rights, violations of the rights to shelter, food, freedom of movement and residence, freedom of assembly, and the protection of the law.

• Male homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe, and campaigns against both homosexual men and women have been carried out by the government.

• Opposition gatherings are frequently subject to reprisals by the police force, and there are concerns over the suppression of freedom of the press and speech.

• Zimbabwe is divided into eight provinces and two cities with provincial status, each headed by a provincial governor and a provincial administrator.

• The provinces are subdivided into 59 districts and 1,200 wards, each headed by a district administrator and a Rural District Council.

• Zimbabwe has been under sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union since the early 2000s, shaping its domestic politics and relations with Western nations.

• There are two types of U.S. sanctions on Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) and the Targeted Sanctions Program, which demand respect for human rights, stop interference in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and stop expropriation of white farms.Economy, Minerals, Agriculture, Tourism, Water Supply, Science and Technology, and Demographics of Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe's main foreign exports are minerals, gold, and agriculture, and the country is the largest trading partner of South Africa on the continent.

• Taxes and tariffs are high for private enterprises, while state enterprises are strongly subsidized, and state regulation is costly to companies.

• The tourism industry has been failing in recent years due to poaching, deforestation, and loss of wildlife, potentially disastrous for the economy.

• The information and communications technology sector has been growing at a fast pace, with Zimbabwe as Africa's fastest growing market in 2011.

• Since 2002, the government has had its lines of credit frozen at international financial institutions through U.S. legislation called the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 (ZDERA).

• Zimbabwe's economy declined from 2000 due to mismanagement and corruption by the government and the eviction of more than 4,000 white farmers in the controversial land confiscations of 2000.

• The mining sector is lucrative, with some of the world's largest platinum reserves being mined, and the Marange diamond fields, discovered in 2006, are considered the biggest diamond find in over a century.

• Zimbabwe's commercial farming sector was traditionally a source of exports and foreign exchange, but the government's land reform program badly damaged the sector, turning Zimbabwe into a net importer of food products.

• Zimbabwe has several major tourist attractions, including Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park, and the ancient and medieval ruined cities built in a unique dry stone style.

• According to the World Health Organization, 80% of Zimbabweans had access to improved drinking water sources, and only 40% had access to improved sanitation facilities in 2012.

• Zimbabwe has a well-developed education system, with one in 11 adults holding a tertiary degree, but lacks critical mass of researchers needed to trigger innovation.

• According to the 2012 census report, 99.7% of the population is of African origin, with the majority people being the Shona, comprising 82%, and Ndebele making up 14% of the population.