Country profiles

• Ghana
• Mali
• Botswana
• Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

• Full name: Republic of Zimbabwe
• Population: 12.9 million (UN, 2005)
• Capital: Harare
• Area: 390,759km² (150,873 miles²)
• Major language: English (official), Shona, Sindebele
• Major religions: Christianity, indigenous beliefs
• Life expectancy: 37 years (men), 37 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 Zimbabwe dollar = 100 cents
• Main exports: Tobacco, cotton, agricultural products, gold, minerals
• GNI per capita: US$340 (World Bank, 2006)

Zimbabwe gained independence from the UK in 1980 and black-majority rule was cemented through Robert Mugabe being instated as Prime Minister in 1987. He has dominated the country’s political landscape for the past 20 years.

Zimbabwe's economy is basically agricultural. Corn is the chief food source, and cotton and tobacco the principal cash crops. Other products include sorghum, peanuts, wheat, sugarcane, soybeans, and coffee. There are also numerous tea plantations in the country; dairying is important in the high veld. Forests in south-eastern Zimbabwe yield valuable hardwoods, including teak and mahogany. The country is rich in mineral resources, including gold, platinum, diamonds, nickel, asbestos, tin, iron, chromite, copper, and coal. Among Zimbabwe's industrial products are iron and steel, cement, foodstuffs, machinery, textiles, and consumer goods.

Despite recent economic and political instability, Zimbabwe boasts good infrastructure, skilled labour and relatively easy access given its close proximity to South Africa.