Washington, DC 20009

telephone: [1] (202) 332-7100

FAX: [1] (202) 483-9326

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
(vacant); Charge d'Affairs Earl M. IRVING

embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare

mailing address: P. O. Box 3340, Harare

telephone: [263] (4) 250-593

FAX: [263] (4) 796487

Flag description: seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow,
red, black, red, yellow, and green with a white isosceles triangle
edged in black with its base on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe
bird is superimposed on a red five-pointed star in the center of the
triangle

Zimbabwe Economy

Economy - overview: The government of Zimbabwe faces a wide variety
of difficult economic problems as it struggles to consolidate
earlier moves to develop a market-oriented economy. Its involvement
in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, has
already drained hundreds of millions of dollars from the economy.
Badly needed support from the IMF suffers delays in part because of
the country's failure to meet budgetary goals. Inflation rose from
an annual rate of 32% in 1998 to 59% in 1999 and 60% in 2000. The
economy is being steadily weakened by excessive government deficits
and AIDS; Zimbabwe has the highest rate of infection in the world.
Per capita GDP, which is twice the average of the poorer sub-Saharan
nations, will increase little if any in the near-term, and Zimbabwe
will suffer continued frustrations in developing its agricultural
and mineral resources.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $28.2 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -6.1% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 28%

industry: 32%

services: 40% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: 60% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%:
1.8%

highest 10%: 46.9% (1990)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 60% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 5.5 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 66%, services 24%, industry
10% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 50% (2000 est.)

Budget: revenues: $2.5 billion

expenditures: $2.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $279
million (FY96/97 est.)

Industries: mining (coal, gold, copper, nickel, tin, clay, numerous
metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel, wood products, cement,
chemicals, fertilizer