Zimbabwe Country & Tourist Information

Location
Southern Africa.

Area
390,757 sq km (150,872 sq miles).

Population
12.9 million (UN, 2005).

Population Density
33.01 per sq km.

Capital
Harare.
Population: 1.5 million (2005).

Government
Republic. Gained independence from the UK in 1980.
Recent History: Elections for a new Senate in November 2005 were largely boycotted by the opposition. Mugabe’s party won 24 of the 31 constituencies where elections were held amid low voter turnout. Most controversial has been Mugabe’s urban slum demolition drive. The UN estimates 700,000 people have been left without jobs or homes as a result. It seems that only the removal of Mugabe will halt the spiral of decline. The President is now in his 80s and is coming under pressure to retire from other regional Heads of State (including South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki, Mugabe’s only significant ally) and, more discreetly, from senior figures in ZANU-PF. Either way, Zimbabwe is shortly to reach a critical stage in its post-independence history.

Language
The official language is English, with Shona and Sindebele dialects.

Religion
Christianity, with traditional beliefs in rural areas, and some Hindu, Muslim and Jewish minorities.

Time
GMT + 2.

Electricity
220/230 volts AC, 50Hz.

Head of State
President Robert Mugabe (Head of Government since 1980 and Head of State since 1987).

Telephone
Full IDD is available.

Mobile Telephone
Coverage is limited to a few urban areas.

Internet
There are Internet cafes in Harare and in Mashonaland.

Media
All broadcasters transmitting from Zimbabwe and the main newspapers are state-controlled and follow the Government line. The private press has come under severe pressure. The only privately-owned daily, the Daily News, is subject to a publication ban. The paper and the Government had waged war in the courts.


Post
Airmail to Europe takes up to one week.

Press
The main English-language newspapers are The Chronicle (website: www.chronicle.co.zw), The Financial Gazette (website: www.fingaz.co.zw), The Herald (website: www.herald.co.zw), The Sunday Mail and The Sunday News. Visitors should note that the carrying of the main independent newspapers (The Financial Gazette, The Independent and The Standard (website: www.thestandard.co.zw)) can provoke a hostile reaction from ZANU (PF) supporters.

Radio
Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) is state-run and has four networks.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
6 Apr Good Friday.
9 Apr Easter Monday.
18 Apr Independence Day.
1 May Workers’ Day.
25 May Africa Day.
13 Aug Heroes’ Day.
14 Aug Defence Forces Day.
22 Dec Unity Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day. 
21 Mar Good Friday. 
24 Mar Easter Monday.
18 Apr Independence Day.
1 May Workers’ Day.
25 May Africa Day.
11 Aug Heroes’ Day. 
12 Aug Defence Forces Day.
22 Dec Unity Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

Contact Information:

Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe in the UK
Zimbabwe House, 429 Strand, London WC2R 0JR, UK
Tel: (020) 7836 7755.
Website: www.zimbabweembassy-uk.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700; 0900-1230 (visa section).

Zimbabwe Tourism Office in the UK
Zimbabwe House, 429 Strand, London WC2R 0JR, UK
Tel: (020) 7836 7755.
Website: www.zimbabwetourism.co.zw

Embassy of Zimbabwe in the USA
1608 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA
Tel: (202) 332 7100.
Website: www.zimbabwe-embassy.us
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1600: 0900-1300 (consular section).

Zimbabwe Tourism Office in the USA
128 East 56th Street, New York, NY 10022, USA
Tel: (212) 486 3444.
Website: www.zimbabwetourism.co.zw


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