Capital: Harare

Time: GMT + 2 hours 
 
Population: 11.3 million

Area: 390,580km²

Currency:  Zimbabwe Dollar (Z$)

Climate:  Zimbabwe has a pleasant climate, due to its high elevation.  During summer, which is approximately between October and March, temperatures average around 21°C.  In the winter months between May and September, temperatures usually reach 16°C.  The rainy season is during summer months.

People: African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), Asian 1%, Less than 1% are of European origin.   

Official language: English.  Other languages include Shona and Sindebele. 

Geography: Zimbabwe lies across a high plateau with a mountain range in the east, and is bounded by the Zambezi River to the north and the Limpopo River to the south.

Neighbouring countries: Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia

Economy:  Zimbabwe’s economy is facing a crisis due to various political, managerial and fiscal reasons.  The government’s controversial land reform programme has caused extensive disruptions, as much of the economy was dependent on the agricultural industry.  Other key industries include the mining of coal, copper, gold and other minerals.

When to go:  As the country does not have a specific season during which the weather becomes unbearably hot or wet, it is pretty much a year round destination.  However, for game-viewing, the dry winter months are best as animals are generally found congregating around waterholes and their favourite drinking haunts. 

What to pack: When travelling to Africa, it is best to take comfortable, lightweight clothing that does not take up a lot of space.  If going on safari with an operator, it is best to split your luggage into two bags weighing no more than 15kg.

• Shorts, T-shirts, sun dresses
• Swimming costumes
• Good comfortable walking shoes
• Casual lightweight cotton, khaki or neutral coloured clothes for safaris
• Fleece or sweater and a warm jacket for game drives or cool evenings
• Wide brimmed hat
• Lots of sun tan lotion, sunblock and lip cream – don’t underestimate the hot African sun, you can get burnt even on overcast days
• Anti-malaria prophylactics – consult your doctor/pharmacist about the regions you will be visiting as the southern parts of the country do not have malaria, but if you are going to the far north, you will definitely need them
• Insect repellent creams
• Binoculars, camera (different kinds of film are widely available )
• Sunglasses