Zimbabwe is a country in southern Africa with a population of over 13 million. It was historically important for trade in gold and ivory. Colonized by the British, it gained independence in 1965, but the white minority continued to rule. Guerrilla movements fought against the government, and Robert Mugabe became president in 1980. His rule has been marked by allegations of human rights abuses and corruption. Zimbabwe has a low life expectancy and has faced inflation and food crises. Travel to the country is not encouraged due to ongoing political turmoil.
Zimbabwe is a country in the southern part of Africa, just north of South Africa and west of Mozambique. It is just over 150,000 square miles (390,000 square km) in area, with a population of over 13 million. It has historically been an important region in Africa and continues to have great influence in the world.
The country is populated primarily by the Shona people, who arrived about 2,000 years ago, supplanting earlier Stone Age hunters. The country’s name means “big stone house” and is a reference to Great Zimbabwe, the name given to the state that has created hundreds of stone structures across the country. From about the 10th century to the 15th century, the country played an important role as a commercial center in southern Africa, trading in gold and ivory. By the early 10th century, the dominant Shona people had come into conflict with many other neighboring groups of people, and were for the most part absorbed into the Ndebele, an offshoot of the Zulu people.
In the late 19th century, a Briton, Cecil Rhodes, used mineral rights to colonize the vast majority of today’s Zimbabwe. At the end of the century the region was called Rhodesia – named after Cecil Rhodes – and was rapidly colonized by whites. Both the Shona and Ndebele inhabitants revolted against these settlements, but the rebellions were all quickly put down by the British and colonization continued.
In 1922 the state of Rhodesia changed from that of an absolute colony to an autonomous colony, and remained so for another forty years. Finally, in 1965, Rhodesia declared independence from Great Britain. This independent nation was led by whites – even though they constituted a small minority of the country’s population – and was protested by many nations around the world. Indeed, in 1970 only one nation recognized the government of Rhodesia, that of apartheid South Africa.
The situation in the country—driven in large part by the huge amount of land controlled by the white minority—escalated dramatically during the 1970s, with guerrilla movements across the country fighting against the white government. Two of these movements, the African National Union of Zimbabwe and the African People’s Union of Zimbabwe, wielded enormous control. In 1980, after the white head of government signed an agreement with various guerrilla factions to guarantee the safety of white citizens, the head of ZANU, Robert Mugabe, was elected president, a position he continues to hold.
In the nearly three decades of Mugabe’s rule of the country, numerous allegations of human rights abuses, ethnic cleansing and genocide have surfaced. The system of enforced land redistribution has also led to allegations of corruption, with many claiming the land is used by Mugabe to reward those loyal to him.
Zimbabweans have a fairly low life expectancy of around 51 years for both genders. This is lower than a life expectancy of 60 years in 1990, due to a number of factors including a huge AIDS epidemic, widespread drought and a food crisis. Inflation spiraled out of control from around 30% to over 4000%, but it fell dramatically after the country adopted a multi-currency system in the late 2000s. Although the government blames many of these problems on other governments , foreign observers pointed to the poorly managed land redistribution program as the root cause.
Due to the ongoing political turmoil, travel to Zimbabwe is not particularly encouraged. While the country boasts a number of incredible attractions, including some beautiful wildlife areas, the ruins of Great Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls, it is definitely not a place to visit for anyone but only the most seasoned travellers. Those who decide to visit should carefully check the current political situation and use utmost care in both cities and rural areas.
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