The capital city of Zimbabwe (Harare)

Formerly Salisbury, Harare, the capital, is Zimbabwe's commercial and industrial centre and also the usual starting point for any visit. it is a beautiful , clean and sophisticated city. It is a city of modern buildings, wide thoroughfares, numerous parks and gardens.A city whose streets are lined with flowering trees and a wonderful and invigorating climate.






 Harare is Zimbabwe's largest city and its administrative, commercial, and communications center. It has a mild climate and is the trade center for an agricultural region .




Main products
are tobacco, corn, cotton, and citrus fruits.

Manufactures
 include textiles, clothing, processed food and tobacco, beverages, steel, chemicals, furniture, fertilizers, and construction materials.
Gold is mined in the area.


 Harare is connected by rail with Bulawayo, in SW Zimbabwe. The city was founded in 1890 as a fort by the Pioneer Column, a mercenary force organized by Cecil J. Rhodes to seize Mashonaland. The city was originally named Salisbury after the 3d marquess of Salisbury, then British prime minister. It became a municipality in 1897 and a city in 1935. Salisbury was the capital of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (1953-63). After  World war II the population grew as many people migrated to the city. After Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980, the name of the city was changed to Harare.








There is a strong appreciation for the city's cultural and historical heritage and a number of the older buildings have been preserved. The Mining Pension Fund Building at Central Avenue and Second Street is one example and many more are to be found along Robert Mugabe Road between Second Street and Julius Nyerere Way.





The National Gallery houses not only a valuable and interesting national collection but also hosts travelling international exhibitions and has a permanent display of some outstanding Shona soft-stone carvings.

The priceless collection of Rhodesiana and Africana in the form of diaries, notebooks and reports of various origins, are housed in the National Archives. Some of the original works of some of the greatest names in African exploration and missionary can be viewed.


Other institutions which are well worth visiting include the Queen Victoria Museum and the Queen Victoria National Library, both at the Civic Centre; in Rotten Row.

The city was laid out with large open spaces like the 68ha National Botanic Garden with more than 900 species of wild trees and shrubs from all over the country. The Mukuvisi Woodlands
is 277 hectares of remarkably preserved natural woodland that stances astride the banks of the small Mukuvisi stream.






A variety of bird and of wild animal species such as giraffe, zebra, impala, tsessche, wildebeest, bushbuck, steenbuck, reed buck and eland can be viewed.

If you want to experience shopping the way it is traditionally done in many African countries, you need to stroll around at the open flea-market at Mbare. Here tourists can feast their eyes on a colourful array of baskets, food, clothing and other items.




You can find it all here—vegetables, plumbing supplies, thumb pianos, ceremonial herbs.





Quick Facts

The official language is English. Shona and Ndebele are also spoken.

July is the coldest month and October is the hottest month in Harare.

One of the important rivers of Harare is Manyame River.

The local time of Harare is +2 hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

A yellow fever vaccination certificate has to be produced by the travelers coming from infected countries to Harare.

For emergency service, one has to make a call at '999'.

The international dialing code is +263. The STD code of Harare is (0)4.

Matobo (attraction)

Fast Facts

• Location:Approximately 50 km south of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe.
• Attraction Type: National park
• Significance: A UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its rock paintings
• Best Time to Visit: May to October
• Visiting Hours: Daytime
• How to Reach: By road from Bulawayo
• Nearest International Airport: Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport, Bulawayo

Matobo National Park is an amazing landscape of granite boulders located about 50 km from Bulawayo. Matobo National Park in Zimbabwe was initially named 'Sindebele', meaning 'bald heads', by Mzilikazi, a local warrior chief. The landscape is stunning with cracks and crevices, which even go down to the bedrock level, created by agents of erosion over millennia. In addition to its breathtaking landscape, Matobo is also renowned for its inimitable cave paintings. 

the ancient granite formations of the Matobo Hills, situated about 20 minutes by car from Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, are of great historical and spiritual significance, with art and artifacts dating back thousands of years.

No one can visit the Matobo Hills and stay unaffected by their brooding majesty. Situated in the heart of Matabelaland in Zimbabwe, these hills have long been the scene of ceremonies and rituals. Mzilikazi, founder of the Ndebele nation, gave the area its name. Apparently the smooth granite boulders reminded him of a gathering of his old indunas and he called the area amaTobo, “the bald heads”. Mzilikazi is interred here in a hillside tomb. His possessions, including wagons and furniture, have been sealed for over a century in a cave nearby, and visitors can view this fascinating collection through small openings in the rocks.

One of the most bizarre attractions of the Matobo Hills is the lizard feeding that takes place here at World’s View. A ranger, holding out a small piece of cooked maize meal, or sadza, calls out to the rocks. Then, from underneath various boulders, scores of rainbow-hued lizards appear and race across the rocks and even clamber over the ranger to get their share. This spectacle occurs three times a day and is not to be missed.

Zimbabwe Has a Magic

Zimbabwe has a magic that has puzzled people for centuries, many of them famous, like David Livingstone the explorer, they felt compelled to come back again and again, each time the love becoming deeper than before. 






picture of David Livingstone the explorer









David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary

with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa His meeting with H. M Stanley
 gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"

As sunny as their magical land, studded with granite hills, green and fertile plains, high moorlands and craggy, forest-topped mountains, rolling savannah and flowing rivers.

the people from Zimbabwe seem to be from a bygone era - an era that one sometimes yearns for. A simpler life, yet a bigger life and a life not engrossed with modern day complications.

Victoria Falls - to be seen

Victoria Falls , The Smoke that Thunders' ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ it is the biggest curtain of falling water on the planet and is one of the world's greatest natural spectacles and a must see .Victoria Falls waterfall is on the Zambezi River, bordering Zambia and Zimbabwe in Africa, you can view the falls face on ,mostly from the Zimbabwe side

The Victoria Falls Facts

· The Falls are 1690m wide

· the highest point it is 103m high (the average height is 92 meters)

. Devils cataract in the Zimbabwe corner is the lowest point and hence has most water cascading over it.

· At the lowest water level (Nov/Dec), there are less than 20 000 cubic meters of water per minute flowing over the Falls

· At peak flood (Feb/April), over 550 000 cubic metres of water per minute pass over the Falls

· The spray can reach 1km high and can be seen over 30km away

· Small islands stand on the lip of the Falls, including Livingstone Island, where David Livingstone first viewed the falls

All segments except the Eastern Cataract are on the Zimbabwe side

The Rainforest is sustained by the spray from Victoria Falls, with plant species that are rarely found elsewhere in Zimbabwe or Zambia

When to Visit Victoria falls? -( Different times of the year will provide different experiences)

The months of February to April Is  flooding time the falls cannot be seen on foot. On the Zimbabwe side, with clouds of spray rising high into the sky and drenching all tourists, your view is still beautiful (high water time).The months during April and May , is  better viewing the falls on foot but often the spray is so thick it is difficult to see the full width of the falls ( mid water) . From May onwards it floods . lastly during the months of October, November and December ;Visitors are able to fully expeirence , the falls and the full length .  this is when Water and time is the best (low water).

All about and intresting Facts on Zimbabwe....

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is set in south-central Africa, between two of the well known African rivers the Limpopo and the mighty Zambezi.It is bordered by Botswana on the west, Zambia on the north, Mozambique on the east, and South Africa on the south. It has no coastline and is totally landlocked.Zimbabwe is roughly three times the size of England or slightly larger than Montana 

Climate: tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)

Population:Just under 13 million people live in Zimbabwe. Life expectancy is around 36 years. Birth rate is on average 3.5 per woman. 25% of the population is believed to have HIV/AIDS. Literacy rate is just over 90%.

Ethnic Groups: 
African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), mixed and Asian 1%, white less than 1%.Religion: 
Syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%.
Natural resources: coal, Chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metaBlessed be the Land of Zimbabwe’ is the national anthem of Zimbabwe 


Sport & symbols:

• Football is the most popular of sports in the country, along with rugby union and cricket.  
• The two main traditional symbols of Zimbabwe are the Zimbabwe Bird and the Balancing Rocks. Others include the flame lily and the Sable Antelope.

Government:
Zimbabwe has a centralized government and is divided into eight provinces and two cities with provincial status, for administrative purpose 
Zimbabwe has a semi-presidential system republic, which has a parliamentary government
 the armed forces of the country comprise of the Zimbabwe National Army and the Air Force of Zimbabwe 

Zimbabwe's International Airport: Harare International Airport (code: HRE) lies 7 miles (12km) southeast of Harare.

Getting to Zimbabwe: By air, visitors usually arrive in Harare, or Victoria Falls.Zimbabwe's 

Embassies/Visas: Visa requirements change frequently for visitors to Zimbabwe, check with their embassy for up to date information.

$$Currency: US Dollar


Fun Questions ????  

• What is the  currency unit of Zimbabwe ?

Dollar. 1 Zimbabwe dollar = 100 cents 

• What are the best festivals and when do they take place?

The main national holidays in Zimbabwe are: Independence Day (18th of April), Africa Days (25th and 26th of May), and Heroes Days (11th and 12th of August). The Bulawayo Music Festival (mid-June) proposes one week of typical local music, so can be very interesting. The music tradition is very important in country life.

• What about a passport?

You need a passport that is valid 

• Is Zimbabwe dangerous?

In the big cities, like Bulawayo, there is a lot of street robbery at night. Do not walk the streets after sunset. In the daytime, some care should be taken: do not show large amounts of money, be sure to hide your camera when it is not being used and do not wear conspicuous jewellery.  in the eyes of most Africans we are super wealthy.

• What color is the lion on Zimbabwe's flag? 

There is no lion on Zimbabwe's flag.. Zimbabwe's flag has seven horizontal stripes of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow and green. A white triangle on the left contains a yellow Great Zimbabwe bird on a red star. There is no lion on Zimbabwe's flag. 

•  What does the word "zimbabwe" mean in the Shona language? 

house of stone. The Shona people established their rule about A.D. 1000. They built a city called "Zimbabwe", or "Great Zimbabwe". The city's ruins lie near the province of Masvingo. 

• What is the official language of Zimbabwe? 

English. The official language of Zimbabwe is English, but Shona and Sindebele are widely spoken. When to Go: The best time to travel to Zimbabwe is from April to October during the dry season. 

• What is the best time to see wild life?

Winter is the best time to spot wildlife because it’s dry and animals tend to concentrate around a few waterholes.










So, I'm sorry to say, but it's time to leave! Did you enjoy the trip?