20 Untold Zimbabwe Facts that Will Make You Wonder

Zimbabwe, officially famous as the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked nation in southern Africa. It has an area of 390,757 square kilometers and is situated between Limpopo and Zambezi rivers.

It is a beautiful African country with vibrant culture and ancient history 🌍.

Also, the people of this country are well-known for their friendliness and hospitality. So, in this article, let us closely examine several interesting Zimbabwe Facts.

Zimbabwe Facts Discover a Land of Marvels, Legends, and Untouched Wilderness

The origin of its name

The name of the country Zimbabwe originated from the fortified trading hub called Great Zimbabwe 🏰.

It was created in medieval times and was utilized by the people of the famous “Shona” tribe. Also, about 70% of the current population of Zimbabwe 👥 is the people of this Shona tribe.

It is a landlocked country.

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country bordered by the countries like Zambia, South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, and Namibia.

Also, the nation’s first people were the Bantu-speaking Iron Age farmers that resided in the area around 300 AD 🗺️.

Zimbabwe is more than 10,000 years.

According to archaeological evidence, there was human habitation for more than 10,000 years, like cave paintings and arrowheads in present-day Zimbabwe.

The first known residents of the region are believed to be the San people 🔍, followed by the famous Bantu people.

The arrival of the Bantu people coincides with the Bantu expansion, which happened almost 2000 years ago 📜.

The ninth century saw the emergence of the proto-Shona language communities in the middle of the valley of the Limpopo River. Later, they moved to the highlands of Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe’s history during the 10th century

During the 10th century, the people of the Shona tribe dominated the plateau of Zimbabwe, making it the center of the Shona states.

Development in trade with Arab merchants during this time brought about the story of the Mapungubwe kingdom in the 11th century, which ushered the Shona civilization during the 13th and 15th centuries.

The ruins of Great Zimbabwe are evidence of the culture from that time 🏛️.

Zimbabwe abandoned its currency.

The country of Zimbabwe abandoned its currency and is now using the money of others 💸. This occurred after the massive inflation that struck the nation in 2008.

The government of Zimbabwe abandoned its currency and has been using the South African Rand, the U.S. Dollar, and the Botswana Pula since April 12, 2009. However, the official money of this country remains the U.S. Dollar and the Zimbabwean dollar 💰.

It is one of the last nations in Africa to gain independence.

The country of Zimbabwe is one of the last countries in Africa 🌍 to achieve independence. Zimbabwe gained independence on April 18, 1980, 🗓️from the United Kingdom, and hence, Zimbabwe is often regarded as a young nation.

It had one of the longest-serving leaders.

The former president of Zimbabwe, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, is one of the non-royal nation’s longest-serving and oldest leaders.

He has served as Zimbabwe’s leader for the past 36 years ⌛. He even served as Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister from 1980 to 1987.

After that, he assumed office as Zimbabwe’s President on December 22, 1987, 👴and resigned on November 21, 2017. Later, he was succeeded by Emmerson Mnangagwa, who assumed office on November 24, 2017.

It is the second nation in Africa to have a TV station.

In the year 1961, the country of Zimbabwe became the second African country to have a TV station. At the time, Zimbabwe was still famous by the name Rhodesia.

Also, this TV station is one of the few nations on the planet with just one TV station 🌍.

Although Zimbabwe had more than one TV station at some point, all the channels shut down for multiple reasons 📺, such as political reasons. Now, the only TV station in the country is ZTV or ZBC.

Cannan Banana: The first ceremonial president of the country

After becoming independent in 1980, the first ceremonial president of Zimbabwe was Cannan Banana 🎩. Although many people mistake Robert Mugabe as the first president of Zimbabwe, Banana was Zimbabwe’s first president, while Mugabe was the prime minister.

Just like the other countries that used to be under British rule 👑, it is natural for the prime minister to have a more prominent role in politics.

The Binga Beach in Zimbabwe

Binga Beach, located on the shores of Lake Kariba, is the only sand beach in Zimbabwe 🏖️. The location of this beach is perfect, and its sand is lovely, which makes it an ideal place to enjoy a family or group picnic.

The water here is attractive and clear; hence, it is a prevalent location to stop for relaxation on your visit to Zimbabwe.

The largest artificial lake in the globe by volume

The nation of Zimbabwe is home to the world’s largest artificial lake by volume called Lake Kariba 🌊. This famous lake can hold almost 180 cubic books of water, with a width of 40 km and a length of around 220 km.

However, this lake has shallow shorelines, so it is not a safe swimming zone.

The shallow shorelines of Lake Kariba host waterborne parasites, such as bilharzia, and also a good number of crocodiles and hippos 🐊. Interestingly, it is safe to enjoy swimming further out in deeper water.

The famous Victoria Falls is here.

Zimbabwe is home to one of the world’s seven natural wonders, “Victoria Falls.” 🌊 It was named after the famous African explorer David Livingstone after Queen Victoria II.

Victoria Falls is the giant sheet of falling water in the world, and the massive noise of its falls can be heard even 40 km away from the falls. Another interesting fact is that Victoria Falls is around double the height of Niagara Falls 💦.

Due to this noise, the locals of Zimbabwe call it “Mosi-oa-Tunya,” which can be translated as “The smoke that thunders.” 💨⚡️

The national dish of Zimbabwe is Sadza.

In Zimbabwe, you will get to taste many traditional dishes; however, Sadza takes the place of the national food of this exciting country 🍛. Also, this delicious dish is straightforward to make.

Sadza is made with water and corn flour. However, other grains, like millet and sorghum, can be used to make it.

Sadza can be prepared by mixing hot water and corn flour until it becomes thick enough to be easily molded by hand.

Sadza is usually consumed with various types of stew and soup or fish or meat. Also, you must eat this food with your hands 🥘.

Great Zimbabwe Ruins

The Great Zimbabwe Ruins is famous as one of Zimbabwe’s most preferred tourist attractions 🗿. It is a stunning collection of granite stones utilized to build a city. These famous ruins were believed to be founded in the 9th century AD during this nation’s late Iron Age era.

The Great Zimbabwe Ruins is the most extensive ruins collection in the African continent and was said to be the capital of a great kingdom at that time. The ruins are well-protected and preserved, an incredible sight to behold.

Zimbabwe is a perfect place for wildlife lovers.

Another fantastic fact about Zimbabwe is that it is one of Africa’s most famous nations for safari tours 🦁. This country boasts a great diversity of wildlife.

The list of fauna here almost seems nonexhaustive. Some prevalent animals in Zimbabwe include wild dogs, African leopards, African buffalo, African bush elephants 🐘, lions, and different antelope species.

Languages in Zimbabwe

A fascinating fact about Zimbabwe is that there are about 16 official languages in the country. Hence, this country ever earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

These languages are Shona, English, Tonga, Xhosa, Kalanga, Sotho, Ndebele, Koisan, Sign language 🗣️, Ndau, Shangani, Nambya, Venda, Chewa, Chibarwe, and Tswana.

Zimbabwe had different names.

The country of Zimbabwe had multiple names before it became the Republic of Zimbabwe 📜. In 1898, when it was under British rule, it was known as Southern Rhodesia; later, in 1965, it became Rhodesia.

After that, in 1979, the nation was called Zimbabwe Rhodesia. Lastly, in 1980, after gaining independence, it became the Republic of Zimbabwe 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿.

The capital of Zimbabwe is Harare.

Harare is the capital of Zimbabwe, and it is home to a good number of the nation’s population 🏛️. Almost 3 million people reside in Harare, the largest city in Zimbabwe, covering a land area of about 940 square km.

The total land area of Zimbabwe is more than 390,760 square km, at least 1.6 times larger than the United Kingdom.

It has the world’s lowest life expectancies.

The nation of Zimbabwe has one of the lowest life expectancies on the planet ⏳❌. Here the males survive for about 61.18 years on average, and the females may expect to live 65.52 years.

Also, according to the data from UNICEF, over 1.4 million people in Zimbabwe live with AIDS 💔😷.

It needs more healthcare professionals.

The people of Zimbabwe are suffering from a shortage of healthcare professionals. Many of this country’s healthcare professionals left Zimbabwe for better opportunities in other countries. Spiritual healing advice is still used here to treat primary and minor ailments.

Moreover, AIDS is prevalent here and has been proven to be the cause of death of thousands of citizens in the last few years 💉.

So, Zimbabwe is a unique African country with a unique history, exciting culture, attractive wildlife, delicious dishes, interesting people, and many more.

At the end of this article, we learned 20 exciting facts that offer us a clear picture of this unique and beautiful African country, Zimbabwe. You can see our website if you want to know some additional points.