The Republic of Zimbabwe
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Historical Overview
Zimbabwe, formerly known as Rhodesia, gets its name from the Shona word “Zimbabwe” which means “stone houses.” It is named after the famous ruined city now known as Great Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has a long history: remains from the Stone Age, dating back 500,000 years, have been found around the country, and it is home to descendants of the original inhabitants of southern and central Africa. The original inhabitants of Zimbabwe were driven into the desert by Bantu-speaking groups, who have now populated Zimbabwe for over ten centuries. More recently, in April 1980, Zimbabwe achieved independence from a long period of colonial rule, as well as a period of white-dominated minority rule.
Learn more about Zimbabwe’s History
Zimbabwe, formerly known as Rhodesia, gets its name from the Shona word “Zimbabwe” which means “stone houses.” It is named after the famous ruined city now known as Great Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has a long history: remains from the Stone Age, dating back 500,000 years, have been found around the country, and it is home to descendants of the original inhabitants of southern and central Africa. The original inhabitants of Zimbabwe were driven into the desert by Bantu-speaking groups, who have now populated Zimbabwe for over ten centuries. More recently, in April 1980, Zimbabwe achieved independence from a long period of colonial rule, as well as a period of white-dominated minority rule.
Learn more about Zimbabwe’s History
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Population
According to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, Zimbabwe has a population of 13.8 million. Shona and Ndebele, two ethnic groups and language groups of Bantu descent, account for almost 90 percent of the Zimbabwean population, and Shona by itself makes up over 65 percent of the population (Bradley, Ingham and Sanger, 2017). At least 98 percent of the population is of African origin, and around 1 percent of the population is white and of non-African descent.
There are 16 official languages of Zimbabwe. English is an official language of Zimbabwe although it only spoken by five percent of the population as a native language (Mlambo, 2009). The majority of the population—about 75 percent—speaks language Shona as a native language, and about 18 percent speaks Ndebele as a native language. The remaining two percent of the population speaks different, regional languages (Ngara, 1977).
Learn more about the roles of English in Different Spheres
According to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, Zimbabwe has a population of 13.8 million. Shona and Ndebele, two ethnic groups and language groups of Bantu descent, account for almost 90 percent of the Zimbabwean population, and Shona by itself makes up over 65 percent of the population (Bradley, Ingham and Sanger, 2017). At least 98 percent of the population is of African origin, and around 1 percent of the population is white and of non-African descent.
There are 16 official languages of Zimbabwe. English is an official language of Zimbabwe although it only spoken by five percent of the population as a native language (Mlambo, 2009). The majority of the population—about 75 percent—speaks language Shona as a native language, and about 18 percent speaks Ndebele as a native language. The remaining two percent of the population speaks different, regional languages (Ngara, 1977).
Learn more about the roles of English in Different Spheres
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Geography
Zimbabwe is located in the tropics of the southern part of the African continent. It borders South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zambia. The Inyanga and Udizi mountain ranges stretch across the eastern border with Mozambique. On the western border with Zambia, there are two major bodies of water, Lake Kariba and Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls, a huge tourist attraction in Zimbabwe, is one of the largest waterfalls in the world. Zimbabwe is home to expansive river systems including the Zambezi, Limpopo, Runde, and Save, as well as sprawling grasslands and evergreen forests. The country typically experiences subtropical conditions, with six to seven months of the year (from October to April) receiving frequent rainfall, especially in the east. The capital of Zimbabwe is Harare, which is located in the northeastern region.
(World Atlas, 2017)
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Politics
Zimbabwe has had a long history of political unrest amidst the struggles for independence and power. Zimbabwe became an independent nation in April 1980. From the end of British colonial rule, the prime minister was Robert Mugabe. Robert Mugabe was a leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), the party that played a large role in Zimbabwe achieving its independence. However, after many years in power, Mugabe started to be seen as more of a dictator, and he faced fierce opposition in the past few elections. In fact, in 2008, an opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in the presidential election but was forced to withdraw from the race after his supporters became the targets of violence. Mugabe has been accused of fixing multiple elections in order to stay in power, using violence to get what he wants, and maintaining strict control over the press.
On November 6, 2017, 93-year-old President Mugabe sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, an ally of the Zimbabwean army. Consequently, on November 15, the army took control of the Zimbabwean government and media in a military coup, and on November 19, after 37 years in power, Mugabe was removed from office. Emmerson Mnangagwa was appointed in his place. On November 21, Mugabe released a statement to the public saying that he freely chose to resign in order to assure a smooth and peaceful transition of power.
Learn more about the roles of English in Different Spheres |
Above is a video of Robert Mugabe's address to the nation after the military coup on November 19, 2017 ("Zimbabwe's Mugabe," 2017).
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Religion
The Constitution of Zimbabwe allows for religion to be practiced freely. The vast majority of Zimbabweans (about 94 percent) are Christian, with the majority of those being Protestant. Only about five percent of Zimbabweans are non-religious, and one percent are affiliated with religions other than Christianity.
Sarah Morningred, Fall 2017