What You Need To Know About Zimbabwe

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Zimbabwe is pronounced “zim·baab·way” and is one of the 9 countries located in Southern Africa. The name Zimbabwe means Great House of Stone. This country gained its independence on April 18, 1980 from Great Britain and is known as the “Jewel of Africa”. As of 2017, there are about 30,000 Zimbabweans that live in the United States. Continue reading below to learn more about the beautiful African country, Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe flag simple illustration for independence day or election

Source: Yevhen Borysov / Getty

What Does The Zimbabwe Flag Mean?

GREEN: represents the farming and agriculture in Zimbabwe
YELLOW: represents the abundance of mineral wealth in the country
RED: the blood shed during the first and second Chimurenga (wars of liberation)
BLACK: the heritage and ethnicity of the native Africans of Zimbabwe
WHITE TRIANGLE: symbolizes peace in Zimbabwe
ZIMBABWE BIRD: the national symbol of Zimbabwe
RED STAR: the nation’s hopes and aspirations for the future

Where is Zimbabwe located?

Zimbabwe is located in Southern Africa bordered by Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica / Getty

What Time Zone is Zimbabwe in?

Zimbabwe is in the Central Africa Time Zone. The capital of Zimbabwe, Harare is 6 hours ahead of the east coast, 5 hours ahead of central standard time and 3 hours ahead of the west coast.

Facts About Zimbabwe:

Capital: Harare
Population: 14.9 million
Nationality: Zimbabwean
Zimbabwe is made up of 10 Provinces. [Click here to learn more about each of them]

Political system: Zimbabwe is a unitary republic. The head of state and government is the president, who is elected to a five-year term and can serve no more than two terms.
National symbol or animal: “Great Zimbabwe Bird” aka The golden bird
Drinking age: 16 years old
Side of road to drive on: Left (opposite of the USA)

Watch the video below for more facts:

What Are The Official Languages of Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe has 16 official languages. The main 3 languages are; English, Shona and Ndebele. Other languages practiced in Zimbabwe are; Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Shangani, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa.

Watch the video below to learn how to speak Shona:

Watch the video below to learn how to speak Ndebele:

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What is the Currency in Zimbabwe?

The Zimbabwe dollar (ZWL) is the currency used in Zimbabwe. Learn more about the currency here. The U.S. dollar and South African rand are currencies also legal to use in Zimbabwe.

Source: Steve Allen / Getty

What is the U.S. Dollar to Zimbabwe Dollar Conversion?

$1 = 361.9 ZWD

$20 = 7,238.00 ZWD

$60 = 21,714.00 ZWD

According to living cost.org, the average cost of living in Harare is $882.

See More News About Zimbabwe:

Zimbabwe ranked 38 in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They scored Gold in swimming as well as 3 silver medals in swimming.

Popular genres of music in Zimbabwe are Mbira, Gospel, Sungura, Chimurenga, Afro jazz, Zim Dancehall, Rumba, Urban grooves and Afro fusion. Checkout some of Zimbabwe’s artists in the music video playlist below.

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What Are The Religions of Zimbabwe?

Religion: Christianity (87.4%) is the dominant religion in Zimbabwe. Some of the traditional religions practiced in Zimbabwe are Shona and Ndebele.

What Are The Traditional Foods of Zimbabwe?

Some of the foods you should try from Zimbabwe are; Sadza, Mopane Worms, Muriwo Unedovi, Maheu, Mabhonzo emombe, Nyama, Kapenta, Muriwo na Nyama, Traditional chicken stew, and Muboora.

What are the Key Holidays Celebrated in Zimbabwe?

National Youth Day Robert Mugabe: February 21st

Independence Day: April 18th

Africa Day: May 25th

National Heroes Day: Second Monday in August

Defense Forces Day: Second Tuesday in August

Day of National Unity: December 22nd

Other commons holidays celebrated are Christmas, New Year’s Day, Holy Week, and Easter.

Places to visit in Zimbabwe:

Tourist spots: Places to visit in Zimbabwe

Victoria Falls: The largest waterfall in the world

Is Zimbabwe Safe?

When traveling anywhere especially for the first time, you should be vigilant and take all possible precaution measures in order to minimize the risk of getting stolen from, hurt or put in danger.

The Top 3 Places To Live In Zimbabwe:

Harare
Chitungwiza
Bulawayo

I hope this information has given you more insight into Zimbabwe but there is so much more to learn! Visit their tourism website here to see more and make sure to check all the requirements before you can visit this country.