Zimbabwe

Republic of Zimbabwe

GEOGRAPHY:
Location:----------------- Southern Africa
Area:
Total area:--- 390,580 sq. km
Land area:--- 386,670 sq. km
Capital city:------------- Harare
Natural Resources:---------------- Coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold,
nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals.

PEOPLE:
Population:---------------- 11,044,147
Literacy rate:-------------- 85% of total population, (Males:90%,
Females:80%).
Languages:------------------ English(offical), Shona, Sindebele (the language
of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal
dialects.
Religious:----------------- 50%-syncretic (part Christian part indigenous
beliefs), 25%-Christian, 24%-indegenous beliefs, 1%-Muslim and other.

VITAL STATISTICS:
Birth rate:------------- 31.65 (per 1,000 population)(1997)
Death rate:------------- 31.65 (per 1,000 population)
Infant Mortality rate:------------ 72.6 (deaths per 1,000 live births)
Fertility rate:--------------- 3.94 (per woman)
Life Expectancy at birth:
Total population:--- 40.84 (Males:40.85, Females:40.85).

GOVERNMENT:
Type of Government:-------------- Parliamentary Democracy.
Independence:-------------- April 18, 1980 (from UK)
President:-------------- Robert Gabriel Mugabe.

ECONOMY:
GDP:--------------- purchasing power parity - $26.4 billion (1996)
GDP real growth rate:--- 5.5%
GDP per capita:--- $2,340
Inflation rate (consumer prices):------------- 21.7% (1996)
National budget:
Revenues:--- $2.5 billion
Expenditures:--- $2.9 billion
External Debt:-------------- $4.4 billion
Currency:--------------- 1 Zimbabwean dollar = 100 cents
Labor force:--------------- 4.228 million (1993)
Unemployment rate:---------------- at least 45% (1994)
Agriculture:---------------- Corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane,
peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs
Industries:--------------- Mining, steel, clothing and footwear, chemicals,
foodstuffs, fertilizer, beverages, transportation equipment, wood products.
Exports:---------------- $2.4 billion
Commodities:--- Agricultural (tobacco and other), manufactured goods,
gold, ferrochrome, textiles
Imports:---------------- $2.2 billion
Commodities:--- Machinery and trasportation equipment, other
manufactured goods, chemicals, fuels.

DEFENCE:
Defence Expenditures:--------------- Exchange rate conversion - $236
million, 3.4% of GDP

Geography:Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in south central Africa.