Details about Zimbabwe

“Conventional Long Form:        Republic of Zimbabwe

Conventional Short Form:         Zimbabwe

Government Type:                      Parliamentary Democracy

Capital:                                         Harare

Administrative Divisions:            8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands.

Independence:                             18 April 1980

National Day:                              18 April

Legal System:                              Mixture of Roman –Dutch and English Common Law

Suffrage:                                      18 years of age, universal

Executive Branch:                       Chief of State:  

                                                      Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); The President is both the chief of State and head of Government.

Co-Vice Presidents: Joseph Msika (Since 23 December 1999) Joyce MUJURU, (Since 6 December 2004.Co-Vice Presidents appointed by the President

Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the President, responsible to the House of Assembly

Elections: Presidential candidates nominated with a nomination paper signed by at least 10 registered voters (at least one from each province) and elected by popular vote for a 6 year term. Last election held March 2002.

Legislative Branch:                     Bi-cameral

House of Assembly (150 seats) 120 elected by popular vote, 12 nominated by President, 10 occupied by Traditional chiefs chosen by their peers and 8 occupied Provincial Governors appointed by the President.

                                                      Elections: Last held 31 March 2005

                                                            House of Senate

 Judicial Branch:                         Supreme Court; High Court

 Political Parties:                Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF), Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), Popular Democratic Front or PDF; United Parties;

Geographical Situation

“Zimbabwe is situated in south-central Africa, covering an area of [390,000 sq. km] - almost three times the size of England and the same size as California. It's northern border with Zambia is formed by the Zambezi, Africa's fourth largest river after the Nile, the Congo and the Niger. Mozambique lies to the east and the Limpopo river marks Zimbabwe's southern boundary with South Africa.

Physically, the country is divided by a high central plateau, known as the highveld. Most of this predominantly fertile plateau is 2000 metres above sea level and consists of mopane and msasa savanna woodlands. The most noteworthy mountainous region is the Eastern Highlands which run for nearly more than 100 km along the border with Mozambique comprising Nyanaga, the Vumba and the Chimanimani Mountains at it's southern end. The underlying granite, exposed by millions of years of erosion, is seen in it's most dramatic form in the Matobo hills, south of Bulawayo.� Courtesy of the Ministry of Forerign Affairs.

People of Zimbabwe

“Zimbabwe's population stands at approximately 13 million with an annual growth rate of 3.5%... The biggest percentage of the people belongs to the Shona groups who inhabit the north and east, followed by the Ndebele who mainly live in the south-west of the country. Other minority groups include the Batonga, people of the Zambezi valley who were re-settled when part of the valley was flooded to form the Lake Kariba and the Venda along the south-western borders.

English is the official language of Zimbabwe. Of the two main Bantu Speaking groups 60% speak Shona and 40% Ndebele.�

Material on this page comes courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Courtesy European Parliament Committee on Development briefing paper on the Human Rights Situation in Zimbabwe dated 21 June 2005