Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe, officially designated as the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country positioned in Southeast Africa. The sovereign state spans an area of 390,580 square kilometres between the Zambezi River and the Limpopo River, sharing international borders with South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the north, and Mozambique to the east.

The national capital and largest urban center is Harare, while Bulawayo functions as the second-largest city. According to demographic estimates, the country supports a population of approximately 17.3 million people. The population features the Northern Ndebele and Shona as the largest ethnic groups, which collectively comprise ninety-five percent of the total inhabitants. Linguistic diversity includes 16 official languages recognized by the state, with English, Shona, and Ndebele standing out as the most widely used forms of communication.

Geopolitical positioning and regional cooperation anchor the nation within several international organizations. Zimbabwe maintains active membership in the United Nations, the African Union, the Southern African Development Community, and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.

Historical development across the territory traces back millennia. Early habitation by the San people preceded the arrival of Bantu-speaking groups roughly two thousand years ago. By the eleventh century, the Shona population began construction on the stone city of Great Zimbabwe, transforming the location into a major African trade center by the thirteenth century. Subsequent political entities included the Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe, the Mutapa Empire, and the Rozvi Empire. British imperial involvement expanded during the late nineteenth century, driven by the activities of Cecil Rhodes and the British South Africa Company. Following periods of company rule, colonial administration as Southern Rhodesia, a white minority declaration of independence as Rhodesia, and a prolonged guerrilla conflict, the territory achieved internationally recognized sovereignty as Zimbabwe in April 1980.

Modern governance has evolved through distinct administrative phases. Following independence, Robert Mugabe served as Prime Minister and subsequently as President until his resignation in 2017 during a coup d'état. Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed the presidency following these events and has since led the executive branch of the government.