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Home  >  World  > Africa  > Zimbabwe General Information Area: 390,757 sq km (150,873 sq miles). Population: 12,293,953 (1997). Population Density: 31.5 per sq km. Capital: Harare. Population: 1,189,103 (1992). GEOGRAPHY: Zimbabwe is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Mozambique to the northeast, South Africa to the south and Botswana to the southwest. The central zone of hills gives rise to many rivers, which drain into the man-made Lake Kariba to the northwest, the marshes of Botswana to the west or into the Zambezi River to the northeast. The highveld landscape is dotted with kopjes (massive granite outcrops). Along the eastern border for some 350km (220 miles) is a high mountainous region of great scenic beauty, rising to 2592m (8504ft) at Mount Inyangani, the country’s highest point. Zimbabwe offers some of the best wildlife parks in southern Africa, notably Hwange (southwest), Matopos (south) and Nyanga (northeast) national parks. These, together with the Victoria Falls and Great Zimbabwe, are the principal attractions for visitors. Government: Republic. Gained independence from the UK in 1980. Head of State and Government: President Robert Mugabe (Head of Government since 1980 and Head of State since 1987). Language: The official language is English, with Shona and Ndebele dialects. Religion: Christianity, with traditional beliefs in rural areas, and some Hindu, Muslim and Jewish minorities. Time: GMT + 2. Electricity: 220/230 volts AC, 50Hz. Communications:   Telephone Full IDD is available. Country code: 263. Outgoing international code: 110. Mobile telephone GSM 900 network. Operators include Econet (website: www.econet.co.zw), Net One (website: www.netone.co.zw) and Telecel Zimbabwe (website: www.telecel.co.zw). Coverage is limited to a few urban areas. Fax Widely available. Internet ISPs include Data Control, InterData (website: www.id.co.zw), Africa Online (website: www.africaonline.com) and M-web Zimbabwe (website: www.mweb.co.zw). E-mail can be accessed from Internet cafes in Harare and in Mashonaland. Telegram Available at post offices and major hotels. Post Airmail to Europe takes up to one week. Press The main English-language newspapers are The Herald, The Chronicle, The Financial Gazette and The Sunday Mail. BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice): MHz 21.47 12.10 11.94 6.005 Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov): MHz 15.58 11.98 6.035 0.909 Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd. Terms and Conditions apply.