country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of forced
labor and sexual exploitation; many Zambian child laborers,
particularly those in the agriculture, domestic service, and fishing
sectors, are also victims of human trafficking; Zambian women, lured
by false employment or marriage offers abroad, are trafficked to
South Africa via Zimbabwe and to Europe via Malawi for sexual
exploitation; Zambia is a transit point for regional trafficking of
women and children, particularly from Angola to Namibia and from the
Democratic Republic of the Congo to South Africa for agricultural
labor
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Zambia is on the Tier 2 Watch List
for failing to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat
severe forms of trafficking, particularly in regard to its inability
to bring alleged traffickers to justice through prosecutions and
convictions; unlike 2006, there were no new prosecutions or
convictions of alleged traffickers in 2007; government efforts to
protect victims of trafficking remained extremely limited throughout
the year (2008)
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for moderate amounts of methaqualone, small
amounts of heroin, and cocaine bound for southern Africa and
possibly Europe; a poorly developed financial infrastructure coupled
with a government commitment to combating money laundering make it
an unattractive venue for money launderers; major consumer of
cannabis
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Zimbabwe
Introduction
Zimbabwe
Background:
The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the [British] South Africa
Company in 1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated that favored
whites in power. In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its
independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded more
complete voting rights for the black African majority in the country
(then called Rhodesia). UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising
finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe)
in 1980. Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime minister, has been
the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) and has dominated
the country's political system since independence. His chaotic land
redistribution campaign, which began in 2000, caused an exodus of
white farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in widespread
shortages of basic commodities. Ignoring international condemnation,
MUGABE rigged the 2002 presidential election to ensure his
reelection. The ruling ZANU-PF party used fraud and intimidation to
win a two-thirds majority in the March 2005 parliamentary election,
allowing it to amend the constitution at will and recreate the
Senate, which had been abolished in the late 1980s. In April 2005,
Harare embarked on Operation Restore Order, ostensibly an urban
rationalization program, which resulted in the destruction of the
homes or businesses of 700,000 mostly poor supporters of the
opposition. President MUGABE in June 2007 instituted price controls
on all basic commodities causing panic buying and leaving store
shelves empty for months. General elections held in March 2008
contained irregularities but still amounted to a censure of the
ZANU-PF-led government with significant gains in opposition seats in
parliament. MDC opposition leader Morgan TSVANGIRAI won the
presidential polls, and may have won an out right majority, but
official results posted by the Zimbabwe Electoral Committee did not
reflect this. In the lead up to a run-off election in late June
2008, considerable violence enacted against opposition party members
led to the withdrawal of TSVANGIRAI from the ballot. Extensive
evidence of vote tampering and ballot-box stuffing resulted in
international condemnation of the process, and calls for the
creation of a power-sharing government have been ignored.
Geography
Zimbabwe
Location:
Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia
Geographic coordinates:
20 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 390,580 sq km
land: 386,670 sq km
water: 3,910 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 3,066 km
border countries: Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa
225 km, Zambia 797 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)
Terrain:
mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld);
mountains in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of the Runde and Save rivers 162 m
highest point: Inyangani 2,592 m
Natural resources:
coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore,
vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals
Land use:
arable land: 8.24%
permanent crops: 0.33%
other: 91.43% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,740 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
20 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 4.21 cu km/yr (14%/7%/79%)
per capita: 324 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are 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; poor mining practices have led to toxic waste
and heavy metal pollution
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; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with
Zambia; in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria Falls on
the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water
People
Zimbabwe
Population:
11,350,111
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.9% (male 2,514,135/female 2,465,715)
15-64 years: 52.3% (male 2,671,164/female 3,260,457)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 194,854/female 243,786) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.6 years
male: 16.4 years
female: 18.8 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.787% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
31.62 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
17.29 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA
note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa
and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 33.86 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 36.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 31.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 44.28 years
male: 45.08 years
female: 43.46 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.72 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
24.6% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1.8 million (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
170,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Zimbabwean(s)
adjective: Zimbabwean
Ethnic groups:
African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), mixed and Asian 1%,
white less than 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: 90.7%
male: 94.2%
female: 87.2% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 9 years
male: 9 years
female: 9 years (2003)
Education expenditures:
4.6% of GDP (2000)
Government
Zimbabwe
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe
conventional short form: Zimbabwe
former: Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Harare
geographic coordinates: 17 50 S, 31 03 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial status; Bulawayo*,
Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East,
Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South,
Midlands
Independence:
18 April 1980 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 18 April (1980)
Constitution:
21 December 1979
Legal system:
mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31
December 1987); Vice President Joseph MSIKA (since December 1999)
and Vice President Joyce MUJURU (since 6 December 2004); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since
31 December 1987); Vice President Joseph MSIKA (since December 1999)
and Vice President Joyce MUJURU (since 6 December 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; responsible to the
House of Assembly
elections: presidential candidates nominated with a nomination paper
signed by at least 10 registered voters (at least one from each
province) and elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term
limits); elections last held 28 March 2008 followed by a run-off on
27 June 2008 (next to be held in 2013); co-vice presidents appointed
by the president
election results: Robert Gabriel MUGABE reelected president; percent
of vote - Robert Gabriel MUGABE 85.5%, Morgan TSVANGIRAI 9.3%, other
5.2%; note - first round voting results - Morgan TSVANGIRAI 47.9%,
Robert Gabriel MUGABE 43.2%, Simba MAKONI 8.3%, other 0.6%;
first-round round polls were deemed to be flawed suppressing
TSVANGIRAI's results; the 27 June 2008 run-off between MUGABE and
TSVANGIRAI were severely flawed and internationally condemned
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate (93 seats - 60 elected by
popular vote for a five-year term, 10 provincial governors nominated
by the president, 16 traditional chiefs elected by the Council of
Chiefs, 2 held by the president and deputy president of the Council
of Chiefs, and 5 appointed by the president) and a House of Assembly
(210 seats - all elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
elections: last held 28 March 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - MDC 51.6%,
ZANU-PF 45.8%, other 2.6%; seats by party - MDC 30, ZANU-PF 30;
House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - MDC 51.3%, ZANU-PF
45.8%, other 2.9%; seats by party - MDC 109, ZANU-PF 97, other 4
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; High Court
Political parties and leaders:
African National Party or ANP [Egypt DZINEMUNHENZVA]; Movement for
Democratic Change or MDC [Morgan TSVANGIRAI, anti-Senate faction;
Arthur MUTAMBARA, pro-Senate faction]; Peace Action is Freedom for
All or PAFA; United Parties [Abel MUZOREWA]; United People's Party
or UPP [Daniel SHUMBA]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Ndonga or
ZANU-Ndonga [Wilson KUMBULA]; Zimbabwe African National
Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Robert Gabriel MUGABE]; Zimbabwe
African Peoples Union or ZAPU [Agrippa MADLELA]; Zimbabwe Youth in
Alliance or ZIYA
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition [Xolani ZITHA]; National Constitutional
Assembly or NCA [Lovemore MADHUKU]; Women of Zimbabwe Arise or WOZA
[Jenny WILLIAMS]; Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions or ZCTU
[Wellington CHIBEBE]
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marina Annette VALERE
chancery: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 332-7100
FAX: [1] (202) 483-9326
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James D. MCGEE
embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare
mailing address: P. O. Box 3340, Harare
telephone: [263] (4) 250-593 and 250-594
FAX: [263] (4) 796-488, or 722-618
Flag description:
seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red,
yellow, and green with a white isosceles triangle edged in black
with its base on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird representing
the long history of the country is superimposed on a red
five-pointed star in the center of the triangle, which symbolizes
peace; green symbolizes agriculture, yellow - mineral wealth, red -
blood shed to achieve independence, and black stands for the native
people
Economy
Zimbabwe
Economy - overview:
The government of Zimbabwe faces a wide variety of difficult
economic problems as it struggles with an unsustainable fiscal
deficit, an overvalued official exchange rate, hyperinflation, and
bare store shelves. Its 1998-2002 involvement in the war in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo drained hundreds of millions of
dollars from the economy. The government's land reform program,
characterized by chaos and violence, has badly damaged the
commercial farming sector, the traditional source of exports and
foreign exchange and the provider of 400,000 jobs, turning Zimbabwe
into a net importer of food products. The EU and the US provide food
aid on humanitarian grounds. Badly needed support from the IMF has
been suspended because of the government's arrears on past loans and
the government's unwillingness to enact reforms that would stabilize
the economy. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe routinely prints money to
fund the budget deficit, causing the official annual inflation rate
to rise from 32% in 1998, to 133% in 2004, 585% in 2005, passed
1000% in 2006, and 26000% in November 2007. Private sector estimates
of inflation in 2007 are well above 100,000%. Meanwhile, the
official exchange rate fell from approximately 1 (revalued)
Zimbabwean dollar per US dollar in 2003 to 30,000 per US dollar in
2007.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.342 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$641 million
note: hyperinflation and the plunging value of the Zimbabwean dollar
makes Zimbabwe's GDP at the official exchange rate a highly
inaccurate statistic (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-5.5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$200 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 18.1%
industry: 22.6%
services: 59.3% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
4.032 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 66%
industry: 10%
services: 24% (1996)
Unemployment rate:
80% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
68% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 40.4% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
50.1 (2006)
Investment (gross fixed):
16.7% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.442 billion
expenditures: $3.017 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
218.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12,563% official data; private sector estimates are much higher
(2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
975% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
578.96% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$14.18 billion
note: This number reflects the vastly overvalued official exchange
rate of 30,000 Zimbabwe dollars per US dollar. At an unofficial rate
of 800,000 Zimbabwe dollars per US dollar, the stock of Zimbabwe
dollars would equal only about US$500 million and Zimbabwe's
velocity of money (the number of times money turns over in the
course of a year) would be nine, in line with the velocity of money
for other countries in the region. (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$5.349 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$24.91 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; sheep,
goats, pigs
Industries:
mining (coal, gold, platinum, copper, nickel, tin, clay, numerous
metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel; wood products, cement,
chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages
Industrial production growth rate:
-5% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
9.467 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
11.59 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
34 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - imports:
2.867 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 47%
hydro: 53%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
14,590 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - imports:
15,800 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$649 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$1.52 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
platinum, cotton, tobacco, gold, ferroalloys, textiles/clothing
Exports - partners:
South Africa 33.8%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 8.3%, Japan
8.1%, Botswana 7.4%, Netherlands 5.2%, China 5.2%, Italy 4.1%,
Zambia 4.1% (2007)
Imports:
$2.183 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures, chemicals,
fuels
Imports - partners:
South Africa 50.7%, China 8.4%, US 4.5%, Botswana 4.3% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$367.7 million (2005 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$120 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$5.155 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$26.56 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
Zimbabwean dollar (ZWD)
Currency code:
ZWD
Exchange rates:
Zimbabwean dollars (ZWD) per US dollar - 30,000 (2007), 162.07
(2006), 77.965 (2005), 5.729 (2004), 0.824 (2003)
note: these are official exchange rates; non-official rates vary
significantly
Communications
Zimbabwe
Telephones - main lines in use:
344,500 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.226 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: system was once one of the best in Africa, but
now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000 outstanding
requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed
but unused main lines
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines,
radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop
installations, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet
connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns
and for some of the smaller ones
international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat; 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and
Gweru)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 7, FM 20 (plus 17 repeater stations), shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
1.14 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
16 (1997)
Televisions:
370,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.zw
Internet hosts:
19,157 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6 (2000)
Internet users:
1.351 million (2007)
Transportation
Zimbabwe
Airports:
341 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 19
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 10 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 322
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 152
under 914 m: 166 (2007)
Pipelines:
refined products 270 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 3,077 km
narrow gauge: 3,077 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2006)
Roadways:
total: 97,267 km
paved: 18,481 km
unpaved: 78,786 km (2002)
Waterways:
on Lake Kariba (2005)
Ports and terminals:
Binga, Kariba
Military
Zimbabwe
Military branches:
Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Air
Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ), Zimbabwe Republic Police (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18-24 years of age for compulsory military service; women are
eligible to serve (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,264,258
females age 16-49: 3,048,049 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,643,036
females age 16-49: 1,404,663 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 144,601
female: 147,627 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (2006)
Transnational Issues
Zimbabwe
Disputes - international:
Botswana built electric fences and South Africa has placed military
along the border to stem the flow of thousands of Zimbabweans
fleeing to find work and escape political persecution; Namibia has
supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between
Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River,
thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited,
Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 2,500 (Democratic Republic of Congo)
IDPs: 569,685 (MUGABE-led political violence, human rights
violations, land reform, and economic collapse) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Zimbabwe is a source, transit, and destination
country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of
forced labor and sexual exploitation; large scale migration of
Zimbabweans to surrounding countries - as they flee a progressively
more desperate situation at home - has increased; rural Zimbabwean
men, women, and children are trafficked internally to farms for
agricultural labor and domestic servitude and to cities for domestic
labor and commercial sexual exploitation; young men and boys are
trafficked to South Africa for farm work, often laboring for months
in South Africa without pay before "employers" have them arrested
and deported as illegal immigrants; young women and girls are lured
abroad with false employment offers that result in involuntary
domestic servitude or commercial sexual exploitation; men, women,
and children from neighboring states are trafficked through Zimbabwe
en route to South Africa
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Zimbabwe is on the Tier 2 Watch
List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to
combat severe forms of human trafficking, and because the absolute
number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is significantly
increasing; the trafficking situation in the country is worsening as
more of the population is made vulnerable by declining
socio-economic conditions (2008)
Illicit drugs:
transit point for cannabis and South Asian heroin, mandrax, and
methamphetamines en route to South Africa
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@2001 GDP (purchasing power parity)