Zimbabwe

=Zimbabwe= Official name of the country: Republic of Zimbabwe Geographic orientation (where it is located and its size in square km): 9,000,000,000km Neighouring nation: Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia Population: (2008) 11,350,000 Leteracy rate: 90.7% Official language: English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects Type of government: parliamentary democracy Type of economic system: Market Economy Races/Culture of people: African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), mixed and Asian 1%, white less than 1% Religion: syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1% Natural Resources: coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals Main exports: platinum, cotton, tobacco, gold, ferroalloys, textiles/clothing main imports: machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures, chemicals, fuels Main trading partners: South Africa, China, US, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Japan, Botswana, Netherlands, Italy, Zambia
 * PART A**


 * PART B**

1923: Whites, mostly British, came searching for gold and farmland. These settlers voted Zimbabwe to become the British colony of Southern Rhodesia. 1930: The Land Apportionment Act gave half of the land to the small minority of whites, which later fed the fire of rebellion and civil war. 1965: The white-minority government led by Ian Smith declared independence from Britain. That prompted UN sanctions and sparked years of civil war. 1979: A power-sharing agreement paved the way to multiracial elections in 1980. Zimbabwe was then internationally recognized as an independent republic. Robert Mugabe was elected prime minister. 1980: The white minority finally consented to hold multiracial elections, and Robert Mugabe won a landslide victory. Then the country achieved independence. 1985: Mugabe was reelected as he worked to increase his power and curb opposition. 1987: Mugabe reconciled with his rivals so that ZANU and ZAPU, two main parties in Zimbabwe, forming a strong ruling party-ZANU-PF. Then the constitution was amended, so the post of Prime Minister was removed and all power was resorted to President, who was Mugabe. 1990: Mugabe had instituted multiparty elections. 1991: Mugabe deleted all references to Marxism-Leninism and scientific socialism from the constitution. 1995: Parliamentary elections gave Mugabe's party a staggering victory the majority of contested seats. 1996: Mugabe won another six-year term as president.


 * PART C**

Present Government: Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the current President of Zimbabwe. Mugabe rose to prominence in the 1960s as a Zimbabwe African National Union leader in guerilla warfare against white-minority rule in Rhodesia in the Bush War. Emerging from this conflict, Mugabe was hailed by many Africans as a hero. The white minority finally consented to hold multiracial elections in 1980, and Robert Mugabe won a landslide victory. Thus Mugabe gained the power as the head of government since 1980, as Prime Minister from 1980 to 1987, and as the first executive head of state since 1987. In 2008, his party suffered a defeat in national elections, but Mugabe retained power after running unopposed in a subsequent run-off election. Zimbabwe seems to be a semi-presidential system republic, which has a parliamentary government. In fact all the elections are manipulated by Mugabe and his party, hence the ideology of this country is autocracy.

Main Problems: The human rights are threatened in Zimbabwe, because In mid-2005, Zimbabwe demolished its urban slums and shantytowns, leaving 700,000 people homeless in an operation called “Drive Out Trash.” In 2006, the government launched “Operation Roundup,” which drove 10,000 homeless people out of the capital. Thus Zimbabwe was reelected to the UN Commission on Human Rights, outraging numerous countries and human rights groups. The terrible economy is another problem in this country. Since 2000, Zimbabwe has encountered precipitous hyperinflation and economic ruin. By the end of 2008, inflation skyrocketed to a mind-boggling 231,000,000%, up from 7,000% in 2007, unemployment reached 80%, and the Zimbabwean dollar was basically worthless. the inflation was caused by president Robert Mugabe's policies towards land reform, that confiscated lands of white farmers, and this former net exporter of grain has now been plagued by hunger. The result of Mugabe's policies causes internal upheaval and population displacement, and poverty. Then the government have to print more money to cope with the crisis, however, this response cause worse inflation that make its economy collapse at all.

International Relationship: Since independence, Zimbabwe has enunciated and follows a policy of "active nonalignment." In practice, this has meant that Zimbabwe usually adhered to positions established by the Non-Aligned Movement. The United States was the first country extended official diplomatic recognition to the new government immediately after independence. The United States was the first nation to open an embassy. Parliament convened for the first time on May 13, 1980. Zimbabwe became a member of the United Nations on August 25, 1980. Zimbabwe generally has good relations with its neighbours. Southern African Development Community members have not publicly confronted Zimbabwe on humanitarian, human rights and related political issues. Zimbabwe maintains diplomatic relations with virtually every African country, although some ties are closer than others. African nations with embassies in Harare are Algeria, Angola, Botswana, D.R.C., Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia.Ruled continuously by a liberation party, Zimbabwe developed and maintains close ties with a number of revolutionary states and organizations. Among these are the People's Republic of China, Cuba, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Libya, and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Zimbabwe took a particular interest in the search for independence for Namibia (South-West Africa) from South Africa. In addition, as chairman of the front-line states in southern Africa, Zimbabwe spoke out vigorously against the policies of apartheid in South African and frequently called for the imposition of economic sanctions against Pretoria.
 * Part D**

Pictures The meaning of the colours: Yellow : represents the country's minerals Black : is for black majority White : is for peace Red : represents blood shed in the Liberation War (chimurenga) Green : is for vegetation (agricultural wealth) The bird : is the Zimbabwe bird

On 1 December 1979, delegations from the British and Rhodesian governments and the Patriotic Front signed this treaty, and this picture was a symbol of the ending of the civil war in Zimbabwe. Henceforth Zimbabwe became an independent country.

This picture was taken when people were celebrating the triumph of Mugabe in the election. In fact, Mugabe always controls those elections in order to keep his power forever, so he's a dictator in Zimbabwe, and many of his wrong policies brings the current crisis in Zimbabwe.

Since President Mugabe doesn't fulfill the democratic proccess in Zimbabwe, and many people are suspicious of the property of his approach to get his power. Therefore more and more people begin to protset his dictatorship.