Quick Facts

© Copyright 2006 SASI Group (University of Sheffield)
and Mark Newman (University of Michigan).

Demography

Population: 11.4 million

Languages: English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects

Religions: syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%

Ethnic groups: African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), mixed and Asian, 1%, white less than 1%

Life expectancy: 44.28

Median age: 17.6 years

Population Growth Rate: -0.79%

Literacy (age 15+ can read and write): 90.7%

Geography

Capital: Harare

Area: 390,580 sq. km; slightly larger than Montana

Natural resources: coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals

Economy

GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.34 billion

Currency: Zimbabwean dollar

Population below the Poverty line: 68%

Government and Political

Date of Independence: April 18, 1980 (from UK)

Type of government: parliamentary democracy

Displacement

Refugees (country of origin): Democratic Republic of Congo 2500

IDPs: 569,685

The UN has reported that Zimbabwe has over 16,000 cases of Cholera, while President Mugabe claimed there was "no cholera." This map shows proportiate deaths of cholera worldwide.

© Copyright 2006 SASI Group (University of Sheffield) and Mark Newman (University of Michigan).