Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Continent: Africa

Previous name: Rhodesia

Date of independence: 18th April 1980

Languages spoken: There are sixteen official languages, including Shona, Ndebele, and English

Population: Approximately 14,546,314

Flag: The Zimbabwean flag is red, yellow, green, and black with a white triangle emblem. Red symbolises the struggle for freedom, black is for the native people, and yellow is for the country’s mineral wealth. White is an emblem for peace, and green for agriculture.

 

 

Key facts: Located in Southern Africa, Zimbabwe is divided into eight provinces. The majority of the population is below 25 years old. The landscape includes high plateaus and a mountainous region in the east. Zimbabwe is landlocked, which means it does not have a coast. Zimbabwe was colonised by Britain and is governed by a presidential system. The country relies heavily on mining and agriculture to sustain its economy. Zimbabwe is among the few countries which use currency from another country (US dollars) due to the low value of the local currency.

 

Symbols and culture: The Zimbabwean bird, African fish eagle and flame lily are the country’s symbols. Zimbabwe practices a variety of cultural practices; the Shona people are the largest ethnic group and are well known for their sculptures.

 

Natural resources: Coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals.