Southern Africa · AfricaZimbabwe
Discover Zimbabwe - land of Great Zimbabwe's ruins, Victoria Falls, extraordinary wildlife, and a resilient people whose culture thrives despite economic turmoil.
Where Is Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe is a country in Southern Africa. Its capital is Harare.
- Capital Harare
- Population 17M
- Area 390,757 km²
Zimbabwe takes its name from Great Zimbabwe, the massive stone city built between the 11th and 15th centuries that once served as the capital of a trading empire stretching from the Limpopo to the Zambezi. Those ruins - the largest ancient stone structures in sub-Saharan Africa south of the Nile - were so impressive that European colonists refused to believe Africans had built them. They were wrong, and today the Zimbabwe Bird carved from soapstone at those ruins sits on the national flag.
Modern Zimbabwe is a country of contradictions. It has some of the best-educated populations in Africa, extraordinary natural beauty from the eastern highlands to the Zambezi escarpment, and a cricket and rugby culture that hints at its complex colonial past as Rhodesia. It also endured Robert Mugabe's 37-year rule, hyperinflation that once reached 79.6 billion percent per month, and an ongoing economic crisis that has pushed millions into diaspora. Yet Zimbabweans are known for their humor, their resilience, and a cultural sophistication that shows in everything from their stone sculpture tradition to their literary output.
At a glance
Largest cities in Zimbabwe
Harare
Bulawayo
Chitungwiza
Mutare
Victoria Falls
Famous people from Zimbabwe
Tsitsi Dangarembga
LiteratureAuthor of Nervous Conditions, the first novel in English by a Black Zimbabwean woman, and a Booker Prize finalist for its sequel
Peter Ndlovu
SportFirst African to play in the English Premier League, a trailblazer at Coventry City who became Zimbabwe's all-time top scorer
Kirsty Coventry
SportZimbabwe's most decorated Olympian with seven swimming medals, including gold, now President of the International Olympic Committee
Chenjerai Hove
LiteratureAward-winning poet and novelist whose book Bones won the Zimbabwe Publishers' Literary Award and the Noma Award for African publishing
Oliver Mtukudzi
MusicBeloved musician known as Tuku who released over 60 albums blending Zimbabwean mbira music with pop, jazz, and Afro-fusion
Traditional cuisine of Zimbabwe
- Sadza
- Thick white maize porridge and the absolute foundation of Zimbabwean cuisine - eaten by hand with relish at nearly every meal
- Nyama
- Grilled or stewed meat served as the most prized relish alongside sadza, with beef, goat, and chicken being the staples
- Mopane Worms
- Dried caterpillars of the emperor moth harvested from mopane trees, a protein-rich delicacy fried crispy or cooked in tomato sauce
- Dovi
- Rich peanut butter stew with vegetables or chicken, one of the most popular relishes served across Zimbabwe
- Maputi
- Roasted or popped maize kernels sold in small bags as the ubiquitous street snack, Zimbabwe's answer to popcorn
Nature and landmarks in Zimbabwe
- Victoria FallsLandmark
- One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the Zimbabwean side offers unmatched close-up views of the 108-meter cascade
- Hwange National ParkNational Park
- Zimbabwe's largest park with over 100 mammal species and 400 bird species, famous for its enormous elephant herds and painted wild dogs
- Matobo HillsNational Park
- UNESCO World Heritage Site of dramatic granite formations with ancient San rock art, the highest density of leopards in Africa, and Cecil Rhodes' grave
- Great ZimbabweLandmark
- Ruins of the medieval stone city that gave the country its name, the largest ancient stone structure in sub-Saharan Africa south of the Nile
- Eastern HighlandsMountain
- Misty mountain chain along the Mozambique border with Mount Nyangani (2,592m), tea estates, and pine forests that feel nothing like the rest of Africa
Sports in Zimbabwe
- Cricket
- Test cricket nation since 1992, with memorable victories and players like Heath Streak and Andy Flower who competed at the highest level
- Football
- The Warriors have qualified for multiple Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, with a passionate domestic league and growing youth development
- Swimming
- Kirsty Coventry won seven Olympic medals including gold in the 200m backstroke, making her Zimbabwe's greatest ever Olympian
Did you know?
Great Zimbabwe was a medieval city of 18,000 people whose stone walls were built without mortar - the stones are so precisely cut they hold by gravity alone
Zimbabwe has had some of the worst hyperinflation in history - in November 2008, prices doubled every 24 hours and 100-trillion-dollar notes were printed
The Zimbabwe Bird, a soapstone sculpture found at Great Zimbabwe, appears on the national flag, coat of arms, and currency
Kirsty Coventry's seven Olympic swimming medals are the most by any African athlete in Olympic history
Zimbabwe has 16 official languages, more than almost any other country on Earth
The Matobo Hills contain one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world, with San paintings dating back over 13,000 years
Zimbabwe's stone sculpture tradition, centered in the Shona communities, has produced some of the most valued contemporary African art
Read more about Zimbabwe
How the Continents Got Their Names
Zeus disguised as a bull, a Florentine explorer who stole Columbus's credit, and a southern land imagined centuries before it was found. The surprising origins of all seven continent names.
Why Do Some Countries Drive on the Left?
From medieval swordfighters to Napoleon's conquests - the surprising history behind why 76 countries drive on the left while the rest of the world drives on the right.
Can you find Zimbabwe on a map?
Drop a pin where you think it is and see how close you got. A few rounds and you will place Zimbabwe and its neighbours without a second thought.
