ZimbabweCountry

With dramatic landscapes and diverse wildlife filling its parks and reserves, the Republic of Zimbabwe is known for its stunning natural beauty. Prior to its independence in 1980, the country had been known by several names: Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, and Zimbabwe Rhodesia. Officially referred to as the Republic of Zimbabwe, this landlocked country is located in Southern Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers. The country has reserves of metallurgical-grade chromite and other commercial mineral deposits such as coal, asbestos, copper, nickel, gold, platinum, and iron ore. Zimbabwe has a population of about 14.8 million people, with an estimated 3 million people residing in its capital, Harare. This culturally diverse country has 16 official languages, with up to 76 percent of the population speaking Bantu languages and Ndebele (18 percent).

Agriculture and mining are the main export-driving forces, making Zimbabwe one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. These successes represent a recovery from negative growth between 1998 and 2008, which is largely blamed on land reform policy and corruption. The country has adequate internal transportation and an electric power network, but maintenance has been neglected over the years. Poorly paved roads link the major urban and industrial centers, and rail lines managed by the National Railways of Zimbabwe tie into an extensive Central African Railroad Network. In recent years, there have been widespread violations of human rights. Elections have been marked by political violence and intimidation, along with the politicization of the judiciary, military, police force, and public services.

Zimbabwe faces many challenges as a result of underdevelopment, including challenges in health. Zimbabwe has a life expectancy of 61 years as of 2019. The common causes of death include lower respiratory infections, tuberculosis, ischemic heart disease, neonatal disorders, stroke, diarrheal diseases, diabetes, road injuries, and protein-energy malnutrition. Deaths due to communicable diseases have decreased substantially between 2009 and 2019, particularly HIV/AIDS and malaria, which both decreased by 70 percent and 50 percent respectively. However, they still remain top causes of death, indicating that there is still much improvement to be made in addressing these two diseases.