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Facts About Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a beautiful country, rich in resources and hardworking people. It is home to the magnificent Victoria Falls, the mighty Zambezi River and Hwange National Park, one of Africa's best safari destinations. But political mismanagement in the past decade has plunged the country into economic catastrophe, turning a once rich country into a desperate one. Things improved in 2009 when the US Dollar replaced the local Zimbabwe Dollar, and the two main political parties found some common ground (more below).

Location: Zimbabwe lies in Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia, (click here for a map).
Area: Zimbabwe covers 390,580 sq km, slightly larger than Montana, US, about the same size as Japan and slightly larger than Germany.
Capital City: Harare
Population: Around 13 million people live in Zimbabwe.
Language: English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele) and numerous but minor tribal dialects.
Religion: Syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%.
Climate: Zimbabwe is blessed with an excellent tropical climate because much of the country is on a high plateau, so it does not get quite as hot as its neighbors. The rainy season is from November to March.
When to Go: The best time to travel to Zimbabwe is from April to October during the dry season.
Currency: US Dollar, (replaced the Zimbabwe Dollar in April 2009).

Zimbabwe's Main Attractions:
Zimbabwe used to be a premier tourist destination in Southern Africa, affordable with excellent hotels and lodges, good restaurants, plenty of wildlife and lots to do and see. It still is all these things, but with fewer visitors.

  • Victoria Falls -- One of Africa's most impressive natural sights, a mile-wide curtain of falling water, it is not to be missed. There's lots to do besides admiring the waterfall in the Zambezi river area... Read more

  • Great Zimbabwe -- Great Zimbabwe is one of sub-Saharan Africa's most important and largest stone ruins. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1986, the large towers and structures were built out of millions of stones balanced perfectly on top of one another without the aid of mortar. Great Zimbabwe gave modern Zimbabwe its name as well as its national emblem... Read more

  • Hwange National Park -- Hwange National Park is one of Africa's best wildlife parks, home to vast herds of elephant, buffalo, zebra and giraffe. Endangered species like the African wild dog, brown hyena and gemsbok are also plentiful... Read more

  • Harare -- Zimbabwe's capital is great place to hear live music any night of the week, and don't miss the annual Harare International Festival of the Arts. The Shona sculpture is exquisite, as are many of the crafts for sale in markets dotted around the city... Read more

  • Matopos (Matobo) National Park -- Matopos is a very spiritual place, with lots of ancient bushman rock paintings as well as wildlife to enjoy. Cecil Rhodes is buried here... Read more

Travel to Zimbabwe:

Zimbabwe's International Airport: Harare International Airport (code: HRE) lies 7 miles (12km) southeast of Harare.

Getting to Zimbabwe: By air, visitors usually arrive in Harare, or Victoria Falls. Regional flights service the small Vic Falls airport, and Air Zimbabwe and KLM service Harare from Europe. Most longhaul visitors stop in Jo'burg en route to Zimbabwe. By land, border crossings with South Africa and Zambia are easily navigable, but can get busy. Many cross over the bridge at Victoria Falls, and locals flocking to South Africa for work use the Beitbridge Border that links to the N1. Botswana and Mozambique are also accessible by land, there are long distance buses servicing Harare - Blantyre (Malawi) as well. More...

Zimbabwe's Embassies/Visas: Visa requirements change frequently for visitors to Zimbabwe, check with their embassy for up to date information.

 

“Gradually over the years, in different, phased programmes, we have transformed that political independence which came on the 18th of April 1980 and raised it into the next step of economically empowering our people. We are not dreamers any more – we are masters of our destiny”.
-His Excellency,President,R.G.Mugabe


Contact Information


Physical Address
Corner Independence Avenue & Grimm Street,
Windhoek, Namibia

Postal Address
P.O. Box 23056,
Windhoek, Namibia

Email: zimbabwe@mweb.com.na

Tel: +264 61 227738
       
+264 61 228137
       +264 61 227204
       +264 61 228134
Fax: +264 61 226859