n Montana

Land boundaries: 3,066 km total; Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km,
South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km

Coastline: none--landlocked

Maritime claims: none--landlocked

Disputes: quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia is in
disagreement

Climate: tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)

Terrain: mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld);
mountains in east

Natural resources: coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper,
iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin

Land use: 7% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 12% meadows and pastures;
62% forest and woodland; 19% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Environment: recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare;
deforestation; soil erosion; air and water pollution; desertification

Note: landlocked

- People
Population: 10,392,161 (July 1990), growth rate 3.3% (1990)

Birth rate: 42 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 65 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 59 years male, 63 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Zimbabwean(s); adjective--Zimbabwean

Ethnic divisions: 98% African (71% Shona, 16% Ndebele, 11% other);
1% white, 1% mixed and Asian

Religion: 50% syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs), 25%
Christian, 24% indigenous beliefs, a few Muslim

Language: English (official); Shona and Ndebele

Literacy: 74%

Labor force: 3,100,000; 74% agriculture, 16% transport and services,
10% mining, manufacturing, construction (1987)

Organized labor: 17% of wage and salary earners have union membership

- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Zimbabwe

Type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Harare

Administrative divisions: 8 provinces; Manicaland, Mashonaland Central,
Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South,
Midlands, Victoria (commonly called Masvingo)

Independence: 18 April 1980 (from UK; formerly Southern Rhodesia)

Constitution: 21 December 1979

Legal system: mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law

National holiday: Independence Day, 18 April (1980)

Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Leaders:
Chief of State and Head