rare

Environment--current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; land
degradation; air and water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd--once
the largest concentration of the species in the world--has been
significantly reduced by poaching

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography--note: landlocked

People

Population: 11,163,160 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 2,432,785; female 2,389,029)
15-64 years: 54% (male 2,986,531; female 3,059,186)
65 years and over: 3% (male 132,532; female 163,097) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.02% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 30.64 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 20.43 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there is a small but steady flow of Zimbabweans into South
Africa in search of better paid employment

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 61.21 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 38.86 years
male: 38.77 years
female: 38.94 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.71 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Zimbabwean(s)
adjective: Zimbabwean

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

Religions: syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs)
50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%

Languages: English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of
the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal
dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
total population: 85%
male: 90%
female: 80% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe
conventional short form: Zimbabwe
former: Southern Rhodesia

Data code: ZI

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Harare

Administrative divisions: 8 provinces and 2 cities* with
provincial status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland
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