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The ZIMBABWE PORTAL Zimbabwe (/zɪmˈbɑːbweɪ/ zim-BAHB-way; officially the Republic of Zimbabwe) is a landlocked country of southern Africa. It shares a 125-mile (200-kilometre) border on the south with the Republic of South Africa and is bounded on the southwest and west by Botswana, on the north by Zambia, and on the northeast and east by Mozambique. The capital is Harare (renamed from Salisbury in 1982). Zimbabwe achieved recognised independence from Britain in April 1980, following a 14-year period as an unrecognised state under the predominantly white minority government of Rhodesia, which unilaterally declared independence in 1965. Rhodesia briefly reconstituted itself as black-majority ruled Zimbabwe Rhodesia in 1979, but this order failed to gain international acceptance. Zimbabwe has three official languages: English, Shona and Ndebele. The country today equivalent to Zimbabwe was first demarcated by the British South Africa Company in the late 19th century; it became the self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia in 1923. President Robert Mugabe is the head of State and Commander in Chief of the armed forces. Morgan Tsvangirai was the Prime Minister from 2009-2013. Mugabe has been in power since the country's internationally recognised independence in 1980. Under his leadership the economy of Zimbabwe has declined from one of the strongest in Africa to the weakest. Read more... Modern day Matabeleland is a region in Zimbabwe currently divided into two provinces: Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South. These two provinces are in the west and south-west of Zimbabwe, between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers. The province is named after its inhabitants, the Ndebele people, who took control of the area in 1837 after having been pushed out of other areas of southern Africa during the Mfecane. The language spoken is Ndebele. The major city is Bulawayo. Another notable town is Hwange. The land is particularly fertile and this area has important gold deposits. Industries include gold and other mineral mines, and engineering. Stone Age evidence indicates that the San people, now living mostly in the Kalahari Desert, are the descendants of this region’s original inhabitants, almost 100 000 years ago. There are also remnants of several ironworking cultures dating back to AD 300. Little is known of the early ironworkers, but it is believed that they put pressure on the San and gradually took over the land. Masvingo is a town in south-eastern Zimbabwe and the capital of Masvingo Province. Known as Fort Victoria until 1982, when its name was briefly changed to Nyanda. Within a few months its name was again changed to Masvingo when it was discovered that Nyanda did not translate very well across dialects. The stone-carved Zimbabwe Bird is a national emblem of Zimbabwe, appearing on the national flags and coats of arms of both Zimbabwe and Rhodesia, as well as on banknotes and coins (first on Rhodesian pound and then Rhodesian dollar). It probably represents the bateleur eagle. The famous soapstone bird carvings stood on walls and monoliths of the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe built, it is believed, sometime between the 12th and 15th centuries by ancestors of the Shona. The ruins, which gave their name to modern Zimbabwe, cover some 1,800 acres (7.3 km²) and are the largest ancient stone construction in Zimbabwe. From Wikipedia's newest articles: ...that Cornway College was established in 2006? ...that the area of the Zambezi basin is 1,390,000 km²? ...that Lobengula, King of Matabeleland, signed the Rudd Concession on 30 October 1888? ...that Josiah Gumede, the only president of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia died in 1989? ...that Zimbabwean footballer, Bruce Grobbelaar, played for Liverpool F.C.? Jul 7: The UK based Observer newspaper reports that oil giant Royal Dutch Shell is considering pulling out of Zimbabwe. The company holds shares in a joint venture with rival BP, which supplies 74 petrol stations around Zimbabwe. Jul 6: South Africa's Thabo Mbeki holds talks in Zimbabwe with President Mugabe and leaders of a breakaway opposition faction. Jul 5: South Africa’s main labour union the Confederation of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) held a demonstration at the Beitbridge border post Saturday protesting against Robert Mugabe’s regime. Spokesman Jan Tsiane urged continental bodies to intervene in the crisis and help restore democracy in the wake of Mugabe’s one-man election. Jul 4: Robert Mugabe has warned neighbouring countries to ‘think twice’ before launching an attack against his regime. Analysts say this could be viewed as a direct threat to Botswana, who this week deployed an army brigade with artillery to patrol its border with Zimbabwe. Jul 3: The South African president’s shameful role as the so called “mediator” in the Zimbabwe crisis appears to have isolated him from his own countrymen, who are now fans of a free Zimbabwe, rather than fans of Mbeki. Jul 2: Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Tuesday night said South Africa had failed its “Apartheid era friends” by supporting Russia and China in the UN Security Council vote with regards to Zimbabwe. Jul 1: MDC Vice-President Thokozani Khupe said African leaders are aware there is a ‘big problem’ in Zimbabwe that urgently needs to be dealt with. Speaking from Johannesburg on her way back home from the AU summit in Egypt, Khupe said 40 African leaders supported the MDC victory in the March elections. Robert Gabriel Mugabe (born on February 21, 1924) has served as the head of government in Zimbabwe since 1980, as Prime Minister from 1980 to 1987 and as the first executive President since 1987. Mugabe is an outspoken, controversial and polarizing figure. His relationship with the former colonial power, the United Kingdom, has been particularly contentious; he is characterized as a violent dictator in the British press, and he in turn denounces the British establishment as inveterate colonialists. He rose to prominence in the 1960s as the Secretary general of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU). For many years in the 60s and 70s Mugabe was a political prisoner in Rhodesia. His goal was to replace white minority-rule with a one-party Marxist regime. He left Rhodesia in 1976 to join the Zimbabwe Liberation Struggle (Rhodesian Bush War) from bases in Mozambique. The war ended in 1979; emerging from this conflict, Mugabe was hailed by Africans as a hero. Zimbabwe · Architecture · Communications · Culture · Economy · Education · Environment · Geography · Government · Healthcare · History · Law · Lists · Media · Military · People · Politics · Society · Sport · Transport Zimbabwe stubs · Geography · People Zimbabwe-related tasks You can help! Here are some Zimbabwe related tasks you can do: Requests: Ruwa Scout Park, Central African Jamboree, Lotus Group, Bulawayo Asian Civil Rights League, Rhodesia Bantu Voters Association, Nyasaland Chiefs Conference, Nyasaland African National Congress, Monarchy of Rhodesia, more... 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