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Full country name: Republic of Zimbabwe
Area: 390,000 sq km
Population: 11.2 million
Capital city: Harare (population 1.6 million)
People: Shona (76%), Ndebele (18%), Batonka (2%), Shangaan (1%), Venda (1%), European, Asian
Languages: Shona, Ndebele, English
Religion: Christian, Mwari
Government: Parliamentary democracy
President: Robert Gabriel Mugabe

GDP: US$18 billion
GDP per head: US$1,600
Inflation: 25%
Major industries: Mining, agriculture, clothing, tourism
Major trading partners: South Africa, UK, Argentina, US, Japan

Events

The most pleasant cultural events will be those you run across incidentally: a rural fair, a primary school theatre production, a traditional wedding or a town anniversary. You'll almost certainly be welcomed to share in local festivities.

There are also several fixed events. On 18 April, Independence Day festivities are celebrated around the country, and in late May, Africa Day commemorates past independence struggles. On 11 and 12 August, the Zimbabwean military forces are feted and heroes of the independence movement are honoured. There's also the enormous Zimbabwe Agricultural Society Show, held at the Harare showgrounds around the end of August, and the Houses of Stone Music Festival, a celebration of traditional Zimbabwean music that takes place in Harare on a different date each year.

Traveling Guidelines

Visas: Most visitors are not required to obtain a visa for stays of up to 90 days.
Health risks: Bilharzia, cholera, malaria, rabies, yellow fever
Time: GMT/UTC plus two hours
Electricity: 220V
Weights & measures: Metric
Tourism: About 500,000 visitors per year

Ideal Time to visit

The dry winter months (May to October) are the most comfortable for travelling, but you'll miss the green landscapes that characterise the hotter and wetter summer season (November to April). In winter, night-time temperatures can fall below freezing but the days are best for wildlife viewing because animals tend to concentrate close to water holes and are therefore easily observed. National parks are most crowded during South African school holidays, so to avoid the throngs, avoid mid-April to mid-May and mid-July to mid-September. There's a secondary rush around the Namibian school holidays in December and early January.