Zimbabwe as a country offers a plethora of adventures and natural places to explore.
Zimbabwe is named after Great Zimbabwe and it is located in central southern Africa. Its landmark is 242,700 square miles and 390,580 square kilometers.
Zimbabwe is bordered by South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique.
it remains a regional tourism powerhouse with loyal repeat visitors from all over the world.
Its main attractions are the reason why the country continues to be the biggest draw of western tourists in Africa.
In Zimbabwe, men are allowed to be polygamous and the families are very much involved when it comes to marriages. Marital unions give their women access to own land, but properties are owned by men.
The capital of Zimbabwe is Harare, in Mashonaland which covers the eastern two-thirds of the country. The official language of Zimbabwe is English. Other wide languages spoken are Shona and Sindebele. The earliest inhabitants of Zimbabwe are Bushmen (San) when Bantu-speaking people migrated from the north at the end of the second century.
The major grain for consumption in Zimbabwe is maize, Valley Millet, and sorghum.
Zimbabwe has a strong manufacturing base. It is the largest sector of the economy in addition to agriculture and forestry, restaurants and hotels, and public administration. Some of the products manufactured range from steel, commercial agricultural products, engineering products, etc.
The country isn’t left out when it comes to Exportation. It exports gold, asbestos, alloys, nickel, and tobacco to countries such as Great Britain, Germany, and South Africa.
South Africa is considered to be the largest source of imports and machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, petroleum products, and electricity are the largest imports.
The country has a rich culture of oral literature which developed after colonization by the Europeans.
Zimbabwe is not left out of countries with delicious cuisines as they wear modern and western-style clothing. It is a safe place to travel so you can relax while chilling in your hotel.
There are a lot of reasons why your next trip should be to Zimbabwe. From its national parks, amazing wildlife, victoria falls, safari experience, delicious food, and rich history.
NATIONALPARKS&HERITAGESITES
The government of Zimbabwe set up areas known as its Natural Parks to preserve and conserve the natural environment.
It is also reserved for public recreation and enjoyment. Although nations designate their Natural park differently, there is a common idea around it which is the conservation of wild nature for posterity and a symbol of National Pride.
Some of the National Parks in Zimbabwe include; Victoria falls, Hwange national park, Chimanimani national park, Chizarira National Park, and Gonarezhou national park amongst others.
Victoria Falls
Hwange national park
Hwange is one of Africa’s largest national parks and Zimbabwe’s largest game area protecting 400 species of birds and 107 animal species.
Matabo Hills
Great Zimbabwe
Lake Kariba
Lake Kariba is the largest man-made lake in the world. It spans a distance of 40 Kilometers
WILDLIFE
Zimbabwe’s wildlife covers a land mass of 12.5% of the country’s land. Some of the predators include gazelles, lions, antelopes, hunting dogs, bird
TRADITIONAL CUISINES
Zimbabwean food is usually characterized by fresh ingredients, exotic meals, and indigenous recipes considered staple dishes in Africa. Some of its delicacies include; maize meal, porridge, yellow watermelon, peanuts maize, and bean dish.
Sadza- Maize meal
Zimbabwe Porridge
TRADITIONAL OUTFIT
The people of Zimbabwe prefer to wear colorful dresses.
The elderly people of the country are known to wear the traditional native dress, which forms the basis of Zimbabwe Clothing. Headdresses are worn by both men and women.
The national dress of the country is a wraparound cloth, head wrap, earrings, and necklaces. Traditional Zimbabwe Clothing is worn on some special occasions like Independence Day or Hero’s Day.
It is believed that the traditional dresses for the women of the country are decked up with beautiful beads.
Women take great pride in their dress. Their traditional dress is colorful and bright and is decorated with a lot of beautiful beadwork. A woman’s traditional dress shows her age and status in the community.
Married women also wear some form of head covering as a sign of respect for their husbands. These range from a beaded headband or a knitted cap to fancy beaded headdresses called “Gamecube”.
Little girls wear beaded aprons or beaded skirts, while older girls who undergo initiation wear many thick “isigolwani” around their necks, arms, legs, and waist. They also wear “isiphephetu”, a beaded apron given to them by their mothers as a symbol of entering into womanhood
The main part of the male attires of Zimbabwe is the breastplate, which is also known as Iporiyana. It is worn around the neck. Men also wear animal skin, headbands, and ankle bands. To keep warm, they wear animal skin “karos” around their shoulders. Animal skin traditionally played an important role in men’s dress because each Ndebele group is associated with a different animal.
Some fun facts about Zimbabwe;
- It is illegal for the Police to impound your car on the road. They can only do so when you are being asked to produce your driver’s license.
- The name of the country was derived from the fortified trading hub, Great Zimbabwe, which was built in medieval times and was used by the people of the ‘Shona’ tribe
- One of the largest waterfalls in the world, Victoria Falls, is located on the Zambezi River
- Manufacturing, mining, and farming constitute the backbone of the Zimbabwean economy.
- In Zimbabwe, there is a strong belief that mermaids exist
- Zimbabweans see potbellies in men as a sign of success and wealth.
- Zimbabwe’s President – Robert Gabriel Mugabe – was one of the current oldest and also the longest-serving leaders of a non-royal country in the world.
Value is something we pursue when we are embarking on any project which in this instance is a visit to Zimbabwe. It is home to friendly people in Africa with an excellent positive attitude towards tourists.
You can rest assured your trip would be a worthwhile adventure.