ZIMBABWE. Republic of Zimbabwe
A country in southern Africa. Area - 390.8 thousand km². Capital - Harare (1.5 million). Administrative division - 8 provinces. Population - 12.5 million (2004), of which the overwhelming majority are Africans (Shona, Ndebele, Tonga, etc.), about 100 thousand are of European descent. Official languages - English, Shona, Ndebele. Religion: the majority of the African population adheres to local traditional beliefs (60%), Christianity is also widespread (30%). Currency - Zimbabwean dollar.
It has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (established with the USSR on February 18, 1981).
National holiday - April 18 - Independence Day (1980).
Zimbabwe is a presidential republic. The constitution of 1980 (with amendments) is in effect. The head of state is the president (R. G. Mugabe; since 1980 - Prime Minister, elected president of the republic in December 1987 after the abolition of the post of Prime Minister, re-elected for another 6-year term in March 2002). Elected by universal direct voting for a term of 6 years. The president heads the government. The highest legislative body is a bicameral parliament, consisting of a senate elected in November 2005 (66 members - 10 traditional chiefs, 50 senators representing electoral districts, and 6 members appointed by the president) and the National Assembly (150 deputies - 120 elected from districts, 8 represent councils of chiefs, 10 provincial governors are ex officio members, and 12 deputies are appointed by the president). Elections to the National Assembly were held in March 2005. Deputies are elected by universal direct voting. The term of office is 5 years.
In August 2005, parliament passed a bill to create an upper chamber - the senate (66 senators) alongside the National Assembly.
Several political parties operate in the country: the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU - PF), founded in 1963, is the ruling party (78 seats in parliament). The first secretary of the party is R. Mugabe. At the II Congress of ZANU - PF (1984), a course was taken to build a socialist society in the country based on the principles of Marxism-Leninism, taking into account the realities of Zimbabwean society. Subsequently, ideas about revising the ideological concept in favor of a social-democratic model spread within ZANU - PF. In September 1994, the party's charter was updated. It no longer mentions Marxism-Leninism, and the goal of establishing a one-party state in Zimbabwe was removed. The Movement for Democratic Change is a major opposition party, created in January 2000 based on Zimbabwean trade unions. The chairman is M. Tsvangirai. Its main goals are to achieve economic stability, return the country to a path of progressive development, and it sharply criticizes the government's socio-economic policy. Other smaller parties and opposition organizations do not have a significant influence on the political life of the country.
By the 14th century, the state of Munhumutapa had formed in the territory of Zimbabwe. By the mid-19th century, most of the country was united under the rule of the supreme chief of the Ndebele people. After capturing Zimbabwe in the late 19th century, Britain named it Southern Rhodesia. From 1923 - a self-governing colony. From 1953 to 1963, it was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Under pressure from the anti-colonial struggle, the British government was forced to dissolve the Federation and grant independence to Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and Nyasaland (Malawi) in 1964. In Southern Rhodesia, with the complicity of the British administration, power fell into the hands of representatives of the white minority, who declared the "unilateral declaration of independence" of the country on November 11, 1965. These measures were accompanied by an increase in repression against the local African population. The parties representing its interests - the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) and the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), which began to operate underground after the split of ZAPU in 1963.
In 1966, an armed struggle against the ruling regime began. Its development was facilitated by the creation of the Zimbabwe Patriotic Front in 1976, which included ZANU and ZAPU. In February 1978, an agreement on "internal settlement" was reached between the leader of the Rhodesian Front party, which represented the interests of the white minority, Ian Smith, and puppet African leaders, and in April 1978, the Republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia was proclaimed, with African bishop Abel Muzorewa as Prime Minister. The regime of Muzorewa and Smith did not receive international recognition, and amid further intensification of armed struggle in the country, a constitutional conference on Rhodesia took place in London from September to December 1979 with the participation of delegations from Britain, the Patriotic Front, and the Muzorewa-Smith government. Agreements were reached on a ceasefire, a future constitution of an independent state, and the holding of elections. In the elections held in February 1980, the ZANU party (now ZANU - PF) won. On April 18, 1980, the independent Republic of Zimbabwe was proclaimed. The government was headed by the leader of ZANU - PF, R. Mugabe. In April 1982, the capital Salisbury was renamed Harare. In 1985, the ZANU - PF party again won convincingly in parliamentary elections. In December 1987, an agreement was reached on the unification of the ZANU - PF and ZAPU parties, the integration process of which was completed at a unification congress in December 1989. Currently, the internal political situation is characterized by relative stability.
In foreign policy, Zimbabwe pursues a course of non-alignment and the development of mutually beneficial relations with all countries. It advocates strengthening peace and security, limiting the arms race, and universal and complete disarmament. Since 1980, it has been a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of African Unity (since 2002 - African Union).
Zimbabwe is one of the most economically developed countries in Africa.
The basis of its economy consists of agriculture, mining, and manufacturing industries. The agro-industrial sector is capable of meeting the country's needs for all types of agricultural products and exporting them. However, in recent years, the country's economy has been characterized by a crisis state. The country's GDP has decreased by more than 50%. In 2004, the economic decline was 2.5%, and external debt increased to 5.3 billion dollars.
Agriculture in Zimbabwe is focused on the cultivation of tobacco, sugarcane, wheat, cotton, corn, as well as horticultural crops - flowers, vegetables, fruits. The industry accounts for 25% of GDP and includes food, textile, woodworking, chemical, automotive assembly, metallurgical, and mining enterprises. Zimbabwe has a rich mineral resource base, which is actively developed by both local and several leading foreign companies. Significant volumes of gold, chrome, nickel, palladium, tantalum, ruthenium, asbestos are mined, and industrial development of diamonds has begun.
Zimbabwe exports gold, tobacco, metals, cotton; imports machinery and equipment, chemicals, energy resources, food. Main partners - South Africa, England, Germany, USA, Japan, neighboring African countries.
Newspapers such as "Herald," "Chronicle," "Sunday Mail," "Sunday News," and others are published in English. The media trust, operating as a joint-stock company, with its main capital held by the state, owns the Zimbabwe Inter-Africa News Agency (ZIANA). There is a state broadcasting and television service.