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This article provides information about the historical and socioeconomic overview of Zimbabwe:
The country of Zimbabwe is one of the most economically developed on the African continent, richly endowed with natural resources. The former British colony of Southern Rhodesia became the independent Republic of Zimbabwe on 18th April, 1980 after a prolonged war of liberation.
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Despite its youth, the country has achieved a level of economic development uncharacteristic of the sub-Saharan African nations. Second only to South Africa in economic development, Zimbabwe’s economic system is one indicative of a transitional country, a country making the transition from dependency underdevelopment to self-reliant industrialisation.
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in the southern, sub-Saharan area of the African continent bordered by South Africa to the South, Botswana to the West, Mozambique to the East and Zambia to the North. With an area of 391,090 square km, Zimbabwe is only slightly larger than the state of Colorado. Harare is Zimbabwe’s capital and the largest city with a population of 1,100,000.
Containing vast amounts of rare mineral resources and possessing a favourable climate for growing crops, Zimbabwe’s economy is drawn equally between the mining of minerals and the production of staples and cash crops. Zimbabweans are comprised of two primary ethnic groups, the Shona, comprising 74% of the population and Ndebele comprising 20%. Other ethnic black groups and Asians make 4% of the population while whites make up just over 1% of the population.
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The official language of Zimbabwe is English. Other languages include Ndebele/Sindebele, Shona and numerous tribal dialects. Zimbabwe’s history dates back to the 9th century A.D., they believed period in which many great buildings were built, buildings indicative of an early and great civilisation. Of the many sites the most impressive is the Great Stone House or Great Zimbabwe, the source of the country’s name. Despite the impressive nature of the Great Zimbabwe and other building sites, it is believed that the civilisation that created them did not survive to see the new millennium.
About 900 years after the construction of the Great Zimbabwe many other sites were built, as Zimbabwe became the object of British colonialism in 1888. It was in this year that John Cecil Rhodes obtained mineral rights for the British throne and began the process of bringing Zimbabwe to Great Britain. Due to his accomplishments the throne honored Rhodes by lending his name to the area, now calling it Rhodesia.
Although a colony, throughout the existence of its charter Rhodesia enjoyed self- governing and perceived autonomy. This allowed for the emergence of factions interested in developing Rhodesia’s mineralogical and agricultural potential for the purpose of stimulating domestic growth only. Although growth would benefit the country as a whole, it would benefit whites specifically by design.
The perceived autonomy and racist nature of Rhodesia would have had great implications late in the country’s political future. By 1960 Rhodesia was a country of two factions: the ruling white minority who wanted complete independence from the UK and the indigenous African majority who wanted greater control of their country and an end to institutional racism.
With a dilapidating economy and African discontent with the white ruling minority, Rhodesia fell into a period of economic and political turmoil breeding uncertainty and general political instability. In the mid 1960s, the white minority declared a Unilateral Declaration of Independence. The idea was to be free from pressure from U.K. that was “insisting” that the African majority must have a say in the government.
It was in 1980 that a free democratic election was held in Rhodesia for the first time with Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) achieving an absolute majority. On April 18, 1980 the British Government formally granted independence to the former Rhodesia and four months later Zimbabwe was inducted as a member of the United Nations.
Zimbabwe’s political system as it exists to this day as democratic and majoritarian was implemented through a parliamentary system. Robert Mugabe remains President and utilises a foreign policy of non- alignment. Despite this Zimbabwe is a member of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and performs primary trade with its neighbouring African state, South Africa. It is the period from 1980 to the present that is most fundamental in understanding Zimbabwe’s economic system because it is in this period that Zimbabwe’s economic structure best reveals itself.
Zimbabwe’s economic structure is one of great potential. In the years prior to its Independence Zimbabwe put great emphasis on developing its mining industry and as a result it is one of the most developed in Africa. The mining of such minerals as copper, nickel, gold, and metallurgical-grade ferrochromite is responsible for nearly half the country’s GDP. The other half of Zimbabwe’s GDP is generated primarily in the agricultural sector with the most of the output produced at the subsistence level by most of the population. Zimbabwe’s mineral export industry is key to the nation’s developmental success.
Although small, the country’s mining industry is modernised and strategically developed towards exports. Many paved roads link mines and other industries together that complement mining such as heavy machinery. Also, the areas within the vicinity of the mines are highly developed and urbanised to ensure an adequate and able workforce. Finally, Zimbabwe participates in non-aligned trade for non-strategic products such as textiles. This greatly reduces the country’s chance of becoming dependent on a trade partner.