About 50% of the population professes a kind of mixed religion based on Christianity and pagan beliefs, “pure” Christians make up 25% of believers, the remaining population are adherents of local beliefs. There are also small Muslim communities in the country.
Transport in Zimbabwe
The flight to Zimbabwe takes place with a transfer in Europe, Kenya or South Africa.
The country has an internal network of airlines. Basically, by plane they get to Victoria Falls. By bus you can get anywhere in the country. Modern, comfortable buses run between large cities, and transportation between small cities is carried out by small local buses, which are most often crowded. There are also rail links between Harare, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls and Mutare. The trains have 3 classes of carriages and berths.
Regular bus routes operate only in Harare and Bulawayo. In other settlements, it is better to use taxi services.
Plant and Animal World in Zimbabwe
Most of the country is occupied by tall grass savannah. In the southern part of Zimbabwe, forests with a predominance of ironwood – mopani – grow, in the northwest – dry deciduous forests, and in the arid southeast – thickets of acacias.
Of the animals in Zimbabwe, elephants, antelopes, zebras, giraffes, lions, hyenas, hippos, buffaloes, earthwolves, rhinos are found, leopards have survived in the Eastern Highlands, and crocodiles live in reservoirs. The world of birds and reptiles is diverse. The tsetse fly is widespread in the northern regions of the country.
Minerals in Zimbabwe
Iron ore, coal, copper, nickel, tin, phosphate rock, asbestos, gold, silver and platinum are mined in Zimbabwe.
Banks in Zimbabwe
Banks are open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:00 to 15:00, on Wednesday – until 13:00, on Saturday from 8:30 to 11:30.
Money in Zimbabwe
The official currency of the country is the Zimbabwe dollar. One dollar equals 100 cents. After the denomination (10 zeros were removed from the money) carried out on August 1, 2008, denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 dollars and coins of 5, 2 and 1 dollars are in circulation and 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 cents. The old money will be in circulation until December 31, 2008.
Almost all stores accept US dollars. You can exchange foreign currency at banks, hotels, Harare airport and exchange offices. Major hotels, shops and restaurants accept credit cards. Traveler’s checks are exchanged at banks to avoid commission, it is best to purchase them in US dollars or pounds sterling.
Rate: 1000 Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWD) = 2.15 USD (31.08.2010)
Political State in Zimbabwe
According to politicsezine, Zimbabwe is a parliamentary republic. The head of state and government is the president, who is elected by popular vote for a term of 6 years. Legislative power is exercised by a bicameral parliament, consisting of the Senate and the National Assembly. Executive power is concentrated in the hands of the President and the Cabinet of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister.
Population in Zimbabwe
98% of Zimbabwe’s population is made up of African peoples. The most numerous of them are the Shona (80%), followed by the Ndbele peoples (about 10%). The country is also inhabited by Europeans (English, Portuguese), mulattos and Asians (Indians and Chinese).
Language:
The official language of Zimbabwe is English, but only 2% of the country’s population consider it native. The rest of the inhabitants speak the local languages of Shona, Ndebele, Kalanga and Tonga.
Cuisine in Zimbabwe
The basis of Zimbabwean cuisine is white maize porridge “sadze” and “niame” (chicken, pig or crocodile meat dish). Among exotic dishes, you should try nedjo mushroom soup, crocodile tail in cheese sauce, antelope beef stroganoff or ostrich steak. During the meal, there are always tortillas on the table. Fruit is usually served for dessert.
Of the alcoholic beverages in Zimbabwe, the most popular local beer – “chibuku” and “whawha”.
Masvingo (Zimbabwe)
28 km southeast of Masvingo are the famous ruins of the capital of the ancient civilization of Monomotapa. The city was called Great Zimbabwe , from where the name of the country Zimbabwe later appeared. The capital was built in the Stone Age and consisted of more than 400 buildings. Now from Greater Zimbabwe there are three complexes of buildings left – “Acropolis”, “Temple” and “Valley”, which occupy an area of 40 hectares. All structures here are made of stones, which were placed tightly to each other without the use of mortar. The temple is the largest ruins of ancient settlements that are located south of the Sahara. This is a closed elliptical structure 245 m long and 9.8 m high. Its powerful walls are made of raw stone, the thickness of the walls is 4 m. Above the Temple is the Acropolis, with a complex of passages and numerous rooms that have preserved traces of gold smelting and a complex drainage system.
South of Masvingo, you can go to Gonaresor National Park. It is the only large national park in Zimbabwe. located outside the Zambezi Basin. It is located in the southeast of the country and is the driest and hottest place in Zimbabwe, the maximum temperatures here can reach +50 degrees. The area of the park is 5000 sq. km. In Gonaresor you can see sheer orange-red cliffs and sandy banks of the Runde River. The park is home to such animals as the armadillo, wild dog, long-eared fox, ruan antelope, nyla and the unique small suni antelope.
