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The ZIMBABWE PORTAL Zimbabwe (/zɪmˈbɑːbweɪ/ zim-BAHB-way; officially the Republic of Zimbabwe) is a landlocked country of southern Africa. It shares a 125-mile (200-kilometre) border on the south with the Republic of South Africa and is bounded on the southwest and west by Botswana, on the north by Zambia, and on the northeast and east by Mozambique. The capital is Harare (renamed from Salisbury in 1982). Zimbabwe achieved recognised independence from Britain in April 1980, following a 14-year period as an unrecognised state under the predominantly white minority government of Rhodesia, which unilaterally declared independence in 1965. Rhodesia briefly reconstituted itself as black-majority ruled Zimbabwe Rhodesia in 1979, but this order failed to gain international acceptance. Zimbabwe has three official languages: English, Shona and Ndebele. The country today equivalent to Zimbabwe was first demarcated by the British South Africa Company in the late 19th century; it became the self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia in 1923. President Robert Mugabe is the head of State and Commander in Chief of the armed forces. Morgan Tsvangirai was the Prime Minister from 2009-2013. Mugabe has been in power since the country's internationally recognised independence in 1980. Under his leadership the economy of Zimbabwe has declined from one of the strongest in Africa to the weakest. Read more... Zimbabwe held a presidential election along with a parliamentary election on March 29, 2008. The three major candidates were incumbent President Robert Mugabe of the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), and Simba Makoni, an independent. The election was expected, because of Zimbabwe's dire economic situation, to provide President Mugabe with his toughest electoral challenge to date. Mugabe's opponents have been critical of the handling of the electoral process, and the government has been accused of planning to rig the election; Human Rights Watch said that the election was likely to be "deeply flawed". However, after the election took place, Jose Marcos Barrica, the head of the Southern African Development Community observer mission, described the election as "a peaceful and credible expression of the will of the people of Zimbabwe." No official results were announced for more than a month after the election. The failure to release results was strongly criticized by the MDC, which sought an order from the High Court that would force their release. An independent projection placed Tsvangirai in the lead, but without the majority needed to avoid a second round. Harare (/həˈrɑːreɪ/ or /həˈrɑri/, formerly Salisbury) is the capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area (2006). It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its administrative, commercial, and communications centre. The city is a trade centre for tobacco, maize, cotton, and citrus fruits. The flag of Zimbabwe was adopted on April 18, 1980. The soapstone bird featured on the flag represents a statuette of a bird found at the ruins of Great Zimbabwe. The bird symbolizes the history of Zimbabwe; the red star beneath it symbolizes the revolutionary struggle for liberation and peace. From Wikipedia's newest articles: ...that Cornway College was established in 2006? ...that the area of the Zambezi basin is 1,390,000 km²? ...that Lobengula, King of Matabeleland, signed the Rudd Concession on 30 October 1888? ...that Josiah Gumede, the only president of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia died in 1989? ...that Zimbabwean footballer, Bruce Grobbelaar, played for Liverpool F.C.? Jul 7: The UK based Observer newspaper reports that oil giant Royal Dutch Shell is considering pulling out of Zimbabwe. The company holds shares in a joint venture with rival BP, which supplies 74 petrol stations around Zimbabwe. Jul 6: South Africa's Thabo Mbeki holds talks in Zimbabwe with President Mugabe and leaders of a breakaway opposition faction. Jul 5: South Africa’s main labour union the Confederation of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) held a demonstration at the Beitbridge border post Saturday protesting against Robert Mugabe’s regime. Spokesman Jan Tsiane urged continental bodies to intervene in the crisis and help restore democracy in the wake of Mugabe’s one-man election. Jul 4: Robert Mugabe has warned neighbouring countries to ‘think twice’ before launching an attack against his regime. Analysts say this could be viewed as a direct threat to Botswana, who this week deployed an army brigade with artillery to patrol its border with Zimbabwe. Jul 3: The South African president’s shameful role as the so called “mediator” in the Zimbabwe crisis appears to have isolated him from his own countrymen, who are now fans of a free Zimbabwe, rather than fans of Mbeki. Jul 2: Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Tuesday night said South Africa had failed its “Apartheid era friends” by supporting Russia and China in the UN Security Council vote with regards to Zimbabwe. Jul 1: MDC Vice-President Thokozani Khupe said African leaders are aware there is a ‘big problem’ in Zimbabwe that urgently needs to be dealt with. Speaking from Johannesburg on her way back home from the AU summit in Egypt, Khupe said 40 African leaders supported the MDC victory in the March elections. Pieter Kenyon Fleming-Voltelyn van der Byl (11 November 1923 – 15 November 1999) served as the Foreign Minister of Rhodesia from 1974 to 1979 as a member of the Rhodesian Front. He was a close associate of Prime Minister Ian Smith. Throughout most of his time in government he opposed attempts to compromise with the British authorities and domestic opposition on the issue of majority rule. However, in the late 1970s he supported the moves which led to majority rule and internationally recognised independence for Zimbabwe. After a high-flying international education, van der Byl moved to the colony of Rhodesia to manage family farms. He went into politics in the early 1960s through his involvement with farming trade bodies, and became a government minister responsible for propaganda. One of the leading agitators for the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, van der Byl was afterwards responsible for introducing press censorship. He was unsuccessful in his attempt to persuade international opinion to recognise Rhodesia as a new nation, but was popular among the members of his own party. Zimbabwe · Architecture · Communications · Culture · Economy · Education · Environment · Geography · Government · Healthcare · History · Law · Lists · Media · Military · People · Politics · Society · Sport · Transport Zimbabwe stubs · Geography · People Zimbabwe-related tasks You can help! Here are some Zimbabwe related tasks you can do: Requests: Ruwa Scout Park, Central African Jamboree, Lotus Group, Bulawayo Asian Civil Rights League, Rhodesia Bantu Voters Association, Nyasaland Chiefs Conference, Nyasaland African National Congress, Monarchy of Rhodesia, more... 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