GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
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WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
ELECTRIC CURRENT
PRINCIPAL TOWNS
BUSINESS HOURS
BANKING HOURS
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS (1995)
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Zimbabwe is situated in Central Southern Africa, between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers. It is bounded by Mozambique in the East and North East, Zambia in the North, Botswana in the West and South Africa in the South.
The country lies between 15 and 22 degrees South latitude and between 26 and 34 degrees East longitude. The total surface area is 391 000 square km.
The climate is sub-tropical with the rainy season normally stretching from November to March. The winter season is from May to July. Light summer clothing is suitable from September to May and warmer clothing for the rest of the year.
Total population is estimated to be 10,4 million (1992 census)
INCOME PER CAPITA 1993
US $297
LANGUAGE
English is the official language. Shona and Ndebele are widely spoken local languages.
GMT + 2 hours.
The metric system is used.
Alternating current (AC) 50 cycles; 220/380 volts; 1,3 phases; 2,3,4 wires.
Harare (1.4 million) (Capital city and main commercial centre) Bulawayo (621 000) Chitungwiza (274 000) Gweru (125 000) Mutare (132 000) Kwekwe ( 75 000)
Monday to Friday : 8.00 am to 4.30/5.00 pm
Saturday: Government offices are closed but the commercial sector opens in the morning until 12.30 pm.
Monday to Friday: 8.00 am to 3.00 pm Wednesday: 8.00 am to 1 pm Saturday: 8.00 am to 11.30 am
1, 2 January New Year's 14 April Good Friday 17 April Easter Monday 18 April Independence Day 1 May Workers Day 25 May Africa Day 11, 12 August Heroes Days 25, 26 December Christmas
Many companies close for one to two weeks over the Christmas/New Year period.
One Zimbabwean Dollar (Z$) = 100 cents
November 1995oCustomes Forex Rate Z$9.1703 = US$1
Zimbabwe is in the process of introducing a modern digital telephone system. The system already offers telephone, telex, fax and packet switching facilities.
Zimbabwe's international telephone country code is 263.
Exports
Zimbabwe's major exports are flue-cured tobacco, gold, ferro-alloys, ginned cotton, textiles, nickel, maize, asbestos, foodstuffs, fresh cut flowers and horticultural produce.
Principal export markets are the Republic of South Africa; the European Union (predominantly United Kingdom and Germany); SADC/PTA/COMESA (Botswana, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique).
Imports
Petroleum products, machinery and equipment, chemicals , flat steel and industrial inputs are the country's major imports. These are sourced primarily from South Africa, United Kingdom, USA and Germany.
SADC
Zimbabwe is a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) which was established to facilitate and co-ordinate development projects in Southern Africa.
PTA/COMESA
Zimbabwe is also a member of the Preferential Trade Area for East and Southern Africa (PTA)/Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa COMESA - another regional organisation set up to encourage trade by reducing and eventually eliminating trade barriers and to create a common market.
LOME CONVENTION
Being one of the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) signatories to the Lome Convention. Zimbabwe's products enter the European Union duty free or qualify for reduced customs rates.
OTHER
UN, ADB, WB, IMF, MIGA, OPIC, the 1965 convention on Settlement of Investment Disputes, etc. The latter three are investment protection treaties.
Zimbabwe International Trade Fair
The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) is an annual event held at the end of April to the beginning of May in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city. ZITF is both an agricultural and industrial event aimed at giving a buyer a picture of the wide range and quality of Zimbabwe's products.
Zimbabwe International Book Fair
Zimbabwe International Book Fair is also an annual event held during the first week of August in Harare. It has become Africa's publishing shopwindow. Exhibits include books, magazines, journals, educational aids, audio visual material and computer software.
International Flower Show
The International Flower show is a biannual event held in Harare. The next show will be held on 23 - 26 February 1995. Organised by ZimTrade, the show brings together importers and exporters of floricultural products and inputs. It is also a forum for disseminating current information on all aspects of floriculture.
Zimbabwe Travel Expo
Held annually in Harare during the second week of February the travel expo is one of the leading travel and tourism fairs in the region for both trade and consumer participants.
With three daily newspapers, numerous weekly and monthly publications, two television channels and four radio stations, the country's media is reasonably advanced.
Valid passports and visas are required. Citizens of most Commonwealth countries and specified European and North American countries do not require visas. People intending to travel to Zimbabwe should check whether they require visas before leaving their countries.
Visas are obtainable from the Department of Immigration, Private Bag 7717, Causeway, Harare or at the nearest Zimbabwean Embassy abroad. The British Embassy in countries where Zimbabwe is not represented can also issue Zimbabwean visas.
Fees for Zimbabwean visas are U$25 for single entry, US$40 for double entry and US$50 for multiple entry.
Foreign travellers leaving Zimbabwe by air are required to pay an Airport Tax of US$20.