Zimbabwe Country Overview
Where is Zimbabwe located? The landlocked country of Zimbabwe, also formerly known as Southern Rhodesia, is located in southern Africa. The state owes its name to the site of ruins known as “Great Zimbabwe”. On the time zone map, Zimbabwe is located in the world time zone of “Central Africa Time”, where there is a standard difference of +2 hours to world time. Even in the summer months there is no further time shift to the world clock, since a time change to summer time is unusual.
Bordering Countries of Zimbabwe
According to abbreviationfinder, Zimbabwe is a landlocked country situated in the southern African region, bordered by Zambia to the north, South Africa to the south, Botswana to the west and Mozambique to the east. It has an area of 390,757 square kilometers and a population of approximately 14 million people.
Zimbabwe is a diverse country with many different ethnic groups including Shona, Ndebele, Venda and Tonga. The population is largely rural with an estimated 70% living in rural areas. The capital of Zimbabwe is Harare and it is home to around two million people.
The economy of Zimbabwe relies heavily on its agricultural sector which accounts for around 25% of GDP. The main crops grown are maize, sorghum, millet and wheat as well as cash crops such as tobacco, cotton and sugar cane. Other economic activities include mining (gold, nickel, copper), timber production and manufacturing (textiles).
The climate in Zimbabwe is generally temperate with average temperatures ranging from 12-28 degrees Celsius throughout the year. The country experiences both wet and dry seasons with most rainfall occurring during the wet season (November – April). This has led to some parts of Zimbabwe facing periods of persistent drought due to lack of rainfall.
Zimbabwe has a rich cultural heritage with traditional music, dance and art forms that have been passed down through generations. There are also many national celebrations such as Independence Day (April 18th) which marks the end of British rule in 1980 or Heroes’ Day (August 11th) which celebrates those who fought for independence from colonial rule.
Relations between Zimbabwe and its neighbours are generally friendly despite occasional disputes over matters such as border control or illegal immigration. In recent years there have been efforts by both sides to improve relations as well as increased trade between them for mutual benefit. For example, Zimbabwe has signed several free trade agreements with neighbouring countries that have helped boost economic growth in both nations.
Population Distribution
As of 2023, the latest population of Zimbabwe is 14,546,314, based on our calculation of the current data from UN (United Nations).
| Total population | 14,546,314 |
| Population growth rate | 1.87% |
| Birth rate | 34.20 births per 1,000 people |
| Life expectancy | |
| Overall life expectancy | 53.86 years |
| Men life expectancy | 53.79 years |
| Women life expectancy | 53.93 years |
| Age structure | |
| 0-14 years | 38.62% |
| 15-64 years | 56.88% |
| 65 years and above | 4.50% |
| Median age | 20.35 years |
| Gender ratio (Male to Female) | 0.95 |
| Population density | 37.23 residents per km² |
| Urbanization | 34.90% |
| Ethnicities | |
| approx. 77% Schona (Karanga, Zezeru, Manyiku, Korekore), 17% Ndebele, 1.4% white etc. | |
| Religions | |
| Syncretic religions (partly Christian, partly indigenous) 40%; Christians 25% Indigenous believers 24% Muslims and other 1% | |
| Human Development Index (HDI) | 0.563 |
| HDI ranking | 150th out of 194 |
People in Zimbabwe
More than 14.6 million people live in Zimbabwe. Most of the residents belong to two ethnic groups: 70 out of 100 residents are Shona, a Bantu people. Twenty out of 100 are Ndebele, who split off from the Zulu. In the Shona language, “Zimbabwe” means something like “houses made of stone”.
Other smaller ethnic groups that live in Zimbabwe are Chewa, Tonga, Tsonga or Venda. Then there are the whites who came here in the 19th century and stayed in the country after independence. But today they only make up 0.4 percent of the population.
Population growth
By the year 2000, the population of Zimbabwe grew rapidly. This is no longer quite the case. Zimbabwe is one of the countries in which AIDS has spread rapidly. One in five residents of the country is probably affected. Many people die of AIDS, also because they do not have access to modern medicines. In addition, many residents have left the country and gone to South Africa, for example.
Languages in Zimbabwe
In 2013, Zimbabwe changed its constitution and now officially has 16 official languages. Since most of the residents are Shona, their language is the most widely spoken. It is also called Shona and belongs to the Bantu languages. The other ethnic groups in the country each speak their own language. Until 2013, English was the only official language in the country. It is still the language of administration and commerce.
Religions in Zimbabwe
94 out of 100 residents are Christians. Most of them are Protestants. However, there are also many people who live their traditional faith and follow their natural religion, but are also Christians. A few residents are Muslim.