CyberProp for Properties in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe officially the Republic of Zimbabwe and formerly Southern Rhodesia, the Republic of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe Rhodesia, is a landlocked country, slightly smaller than California, located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest, and Mozambique to the east. The official language of Zimbabwe is English. However, the majority of the population speaks Shona, which is the native language of the Shona people, a Bantu language; the country's other native language is Sindebele, which is spoken by the Matabele people.

The name Zimbabwe derives from "Dzimba dza mabwe" meaning "great house of stone" in the Shona language. Its use as the country's name is a tribute to Great Zimbabwe, site of the capital of the Empire of Great Zimbabwe. In other languages, such as German, the initial Z is replaced with an S so as to produce the same sound in the phonics of the said language; for example Zimbabwe is spelled "Simbabwe".

Since Independence Day, Robert Mugabe, the nation's first prime minister, has been the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) and has dominated the country's political system.

Bridge over the mighty one

The country is of course world famous for Victoria Falls, and as one of Africa's largest and most impressive concentrations of wildlife, national parks and stupendous scenery. The Victoria Falls constitutes one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world. The Local people call it "Mosi-oa-Tunya" -- the smoke that thunders and the Victoria Falls are remarkable.

There is a magic about them manifested in the towering column of spray known as the Victoria falls when the river is high, the thunder of the falling water, the terrifying abyss and tranquil lagoons upstream in which hippo and deadly crocodiles lurk.

The Victoria falls is 1 708 meters wide, making it the largest curtain of water in the world. The Victoria falls drops between 90m and 107m into the Zambezi Gorge and an average of 550,000 cubic metres of water plummet over the edge every minute.

The Victoria falls annual rains start in the middle of November but it's only in January that the headwaters hit Victoria Falls, levels climb again and 'high water season' starts. The peak of the annual flood usually hits the Victoria falls around Easter time. Rafting stops when the Zambezi is in full spate, sometimes from around mid March to early May each year.

Land Divisions 8 provinces and 2 cities with provincial status; provinces include: Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Midlands. Provincial cites include: Bulawayo and Harare.

Attractions

Zimbabwe has many attractions to offer and to visit them all in just one visit could be impossible. Following are just a few of the great places to visit whilst in Zimbabwe.

Victoria Falls is Zimbabwe's number one attraction. The falls measure a huge 1.7km wide and drop between 90m and 107m into the Zambezi Gorge. With the size and sound of the magnificent waterfall, it is hard to think that anything else exists in the surrounding jungle. Zambezi is, however, packed with wildlife. You may spot warthog, crocodile, hippo, or even elephant, buffalo and lion.

Hwange National Park is the easiest to reach out of all of Zimbabwe's game parks and offers the biggest variety and concentration of game.

The Great Zimbabwe Ruins is sub-Saharan Africa's greatest archaeological site. It's also an astonishingly peaceful place to relax for a couple of days of camping and exploring.

Chimanimani National Park is home to Zimbabwe's wildest and most rugged mountain wilderness. There are no roads in the park, however, there are many hiking tracks that offer the best bushwalking in Zimbabwe.

Matobo National Park is the best place in the world to see white rhino. The Matobo Hills near Bulawayo also shelter hundreds of amazing caves and rock paintings.

Mana Pools National Park is one of the only parks where visitors are alowed to venture out alone on foot. Access to Mana Pools is difficult, the best way to arrive here is by canoe safari along the Zambezi River.

Lake Kariba is a favourite amongst Zimbabweans. Around the lake you can find great fishing, boating, game viewing and camping.

Vumba National Park is famous for the beautiful forests and botanical gardens. Vumba offers excellent walking opportunities and expansive views across nearby Mozambique.

Domboshawa and Ngomakurira are located just 30km from Harare. They offer brilliant hiking over stunning lichen-covered domes, you can also see as well as the opportunity to see lots of rock paintings.

Bulawayo Museum of Natural History includes information on the geology, palacontology, anthropology, zoology and history of Zimbabwe. This is a must see and is definitely Zimbabwe’s best museum.

Mzilikazi Arts & Crafts Centre is located just outside Bulawayo. It displays the amount of artistic talent to be found in Zimbabwe.

Culture

There are a huge percentage of artists in Zimbabwe. Many Zimbabweans make a living out of traditional arts, such as pottery, basketry, textiles, jewellery and carving. The work is brilliant and Zimbabwe has some of the best sculptors in the world.

A little less than half of Zimbabweans belong to Christian churches. The Mwari cult is the dominant non-Christian religion. This entails ancestor worship, and spiritual mediation. Mwari, the unknowable being, speaks to his human subjects through The Voice of Mwari, a cave-dwelling oracle who is most often female. The oracle serves as an intercessionary between the spirits, the god and the people.

English is the official language of Zimbabwe, however, it is the first language for only about 2% of the population. The rest of the population are native speakers of Bantu languages, the two most prominent of which are Shona, spoken by 76% of the population, and Sindebele, spoken by 18%.

Zimbabwean cuisine is mainly made of sadza, a white maize meal porridge and nyama, which is meat, usually beef or chicken, but can also be crocodile, kudu and impala. Fruit and vegetables are limited.

The currency in Zimbabwe is the Zimbabwe dollar (Z$).

Banks are open Monday to Saturday (closed Wednesday and Saturday afternoons). All brands of travellers' cheques in US dollars or UK pound denominations can be easily exchanged for Zimbabwe dollars at any bank. Major international currencies are also accepted. Informal currency exchange is illegal and not worth the risks - you're almost certainly dealing with a scammer. Credit cards are accepted by establishments catering to tourists and business people.

There's a 15% tax on hotel rooms, safaris and other tourist services. Tips of around 10% are expected by taxi drivers and in tourist-class hotels and restaurants. Some establishments automatically add a 10% service charge to the bill.