Language: English
Currency: US dollar (USD)- currently
Calling Code: +263
Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe (in
English: Republic of Zimbabwe, and east of the Shona Dzimba dza
mabwe, "stone house"), is a landlocked state located in the south of
the African continent, between the Zambezi River, the Victoria Falls
and the Limpopo River. It lacks oceanic coasts and limits to the
west with Botswana, to the north with Zambia, to the south with
South Africa and to the east with Mozambique. Their territories
correspond to the ancient Rhodesia of the South. The official
languages are English and Shona.
Its Human Development Index
(HDI) was the lowest in the world in 2010 at a level of 0.140.6
However, social reforms have been made in recent years that have
allowed significant growth in its HDI and according to the 2016
report now has a level of 0.516.
Chimanimani National Park is a protected biosphere in a Manicaland province in Zimbabwe. It is one of most popular destinations for hiking pristine African wilderness. |
Great Zimbabwe is a historic archaeological site located in Zimbabwe. It was constructed by the Bantu civilization to protect the political elites of their society. |
Hwange National Pak is a protected area in Matabeleland North Province famous for its numerous herds of elephants that roam these lands. |
Mana Pools National Park protect an extensive area in the lower Zambezi River that floods large expanses of African savanna. |
Victoria Falls is an impressive waterfall situated on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. It is one of the most famous natural landmarks on the African continent. |
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Initially, the territory of Zimbabwe was inhabited
by peoples who spoke Khoisan languages, similar in culture to their
modern speakers.
Around the 9th century AD. There is
evidence of the settlement of present Zimbabwe by a sufficiently
developed culture, which is considered to be owned by the people of
Gokomer, the ancestors of the present Shona. They founded the
Monomotap Empire, the capital of which was a city whose ruins are
now known as Greater Zimbabwe.
By the middle of the 15th
century, when the Portuguese appeared on the Indian Ocean, this
state covered almost the entire territory of Zimbabwe and part of
Mozambique. After clashes with the Portuguese, the empire collapsed,
although its fragments in the form of states of the Karanga tribe
remained until the beginning of the 20th century. By the 17th
century, part of the Shaun tribes again united into the Rosvy
empire, which succeeded in ousting the Portuguese from the
Zimbabwean plateau.
The Rosvy Empire ceased to exist in the
mid-19th century when, as a result of the expansion of the Zulus
under the leadership of Chaki, the Ndebele tribes under the rule of
King Mzilikazi moved to the territory of present southwestern
Zimbabwe. At the same time, gold deposits were discovered in
Zimbabwe, and these lands fell into the zone of interest of the
British Empire.
In 1888, Cecil Rhodes made an agreement with
Lobengula, the heir to Mzilikazi, who allowed the British to
intervene in the economy of Matabeleland (southwestern Zimbabwe,
inhabited by the Ndebele people). In 1899, the efforts of the same
Rhodes, the British South African company received the right to
develop vast territories, including the current Zimbabwe and Zambia,
since then known as Southern and Northern Rhodesia, respectively. In
1895, the company entered Mashonaland (center and north of
Zimbabwe), which marked the beginning of the colonization of these
lands.
In 1896-1897, the black population (primarily Shawn
and Ndebele) rebelled against British rule, but this rebellion,
known as (First) Chimurenga, collapsed completely, primarily due to
a catastrophic technological gap. Already from the 20th century, the
settlement of Southern Rhodesia with white settlers began.
In
1922, the British South African company ceased to operate Southern
Rhodesia. As a result of a referendum held mainly among white
settlers, she did not enter the Union of South Africa, but became a
self-governing colony within the British Empire.
After the
end of the Second World War and the beginning of the destruction of
the colonial system, many African countries that gained independence
chose the socialist path of development, while in South Africa
(South Africa, Angola, Mozambique) power passed exclusively to the
white minority. To avoid both of these extremes, the Federation of
Rhodesia and Nyasaland was organized in 1953, including Southern
Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland (modern Malawi), with the
status of a federal territory (no longer a colony, but not yet
dominion). However, ten years later, in 1963, the Federation
collapsed when independence gained Zambia and Malawi.
The
white government of Southern Rhodesia also demanded independence,
but London refused to grant it before power in the country was
completely given to the black majority (NIBMAR policy: No
Independence Before Majority African Rule). In response, on November
11, 1965, the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia, Ian Smith,
declared independence that was not recognized by Britain. In 1970,
Smith proclaimed Rhodesia a republic, which also did not receive
international recognition.
The government of the Rhodesian
Front party led by Smith pursued a policy of segregation, which is
often compared to apartheid, although, strictly speaking, this is
not entirely true. So, instead of a “racial” qualification in
Southern Rhodesia, a property qualification was often used, the
presence of black deputies was preserved in the parliament, there
were mixed racial units in the army, and there was no territorial
segregation of the South African type in Rhodesia. However, in
reality, all power belonged to the white minority, the country had a
regime of racial discrimination. Many public institutions served
only whites, most of the fertile land was in the hands of white
farmers.
The armed guerrilla war against the Rhodesian
government was waged by the African National Liberation Army of
Zimbabwe (ZANLA) led by Robert Mugabe and the People's Revolutionary
Army of Zimbabwe (ZIPRA) led by Joshua Nkomo, leader of the African
People's Union of Zimbabwe (ZAPU), which had bases in neighboring
South Rhodesian countries (for example, Botswana and Zambia) and
enjoyed the support of the USSR. After the socialists from FRELIMO
came to power in Mozambique in 1975, this country became the main
base for ZANLA attacks. The armed struggle against the power of the
white minority, which has been waged since 1964, is called the
Second Chimurenga.
Smith, in order to avoid a full-scale civil war,
began negotiations with moderate black leaders such as Abel Muzoreva
from the United African National Congress or Ndabaningi Sitole from
ZANU-Ndong in 1978. The country was called Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, and as
a result of the parliamentary elections, a black majority was formed
for the first time, although the judiciary or, for example, the
army, were still mostly white. Abel Muzoreva became the prime
minister, supported by both Smith and the South African government,
but he did not receive the full confidence of voters in Zimbabwe.
In accordance with the decisions of the Lancasterhouse
Conference on December 12, 1979, power in Rhodesia-Zimbabwe was
temporarily transferred to the British governor, Lord Arthur
Christopher John Soames, partisan detachments were to cease armed
operations and were placed in special isolated camps. In the 1980
general election, a radical victory was won by the radical wing of
ZANU - the African National Union of Zimbabwe under the leadership
of Robert Mugabe.
In 1982, Nkomo and his members of the same
party were removed from the government (due to a discovered party
stockpile of weapons), which caused discontent among his fellow
Ndebele, resulting in riots. The government sent the Fifth Brigade,
consisting mainly of Shawn, to Matabeleland to combat them, during
which many crimes were committed: up to 20,000 people died. Only in
1987, negotiations between ZANU and ZAPU resumed, and in 1988 they
united in a party called ZANU-PF.
In 1995, the radical
opponents of President Mugabe focused on Ndabaningi Sitole formed
the rebel organization Chimwenje in neighboring Mozambique. This
group set the goal of an armed overthrow of Mugabe. The Chimwenje
was supported by the Mozambique opposition party, RENAMO.
However, in 1996 Chimwenje was defeated by the Zimbabwean and
Mozambique security forces. Its leaders, as well as Sitole, were
brought to trial and received convictions.
After the drought
of 1992 and the ensuing famine, a state of emergency was imposed;
The recovery program developed by the IMF only led to even greater
dissatisfaction. The flow of refugees from the country intensified,
especially against the background of the ongoing persecution of the
Ndebele and the rise to power in South Africa by the ANC. As a
result, the government decided to speed up land reform.
Up to
70% of the land suitable for cultivation in the country was in the
hands of the white minority, which acquired it mainly after
independence. The UK allocated millions of pounds for the voluntary
redemption of these lands by the Zimbabwean government, but their
transfer to blacks was very slow. As a result, in 1999, forced
eviction of white farmers began, with the transfer of their land to
blacks (mainly political supporters of Mugabe), which caused sharp
criticism from the international community and especially in the UK,
which introduced economic sanctions against Zimbabwe.