Can you tell me some info on Zimbabwe (Africa)?

Question

I need some info on the Economy, Lifestyle, (extent of consumerism, number of automobiles per house hold, miles traveled), Urban vs. Suburban -to what extent does this influence the number of miles driven? , and last but not least Fuel Efficiency.
I need some info. AND Please do not copy and paste from Any given source you used. Please either type or give some info, and you can also give a link.
Thanks!
p.s. im doing this for a Global Warming Project in my Ecology Class.
Thanks!

Answer 1

Mineral exports, agriculture, and tourism remain the main export of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is the biggest trading partner of South Africa south of the equator. Land distribution to the black majority has led to a decline in agriculture exports. The government of Zimbabwe faces a wide variety of difficult economic problems after having abandoned earlier efforts in developing a market-oriented economy. Current problems include a shortage of foreign exchange, soaring inflation, and supply shortages. Its 1998–2002 involvement in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, drained hundreds of millions of dollars from the economy. The downward spiral of the economy has been attributed mainly to mismanagement, corruption and Zimbabwe's inability to feed itself after evicting more than 3500 white farmers in the controversial farm invasions of 2000. [11] Robert Mugabe has repeatedly blamed economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the UK and the USA [12].

According to the United Nations World Health Organization, the life expectancy for men is 37 years and the life expectancy for women is 34 years of age, the lowest in the world in 2006.[13] An association of doctors in Zimbabwe have made calls for President Mugabe to make moves to assist the ailing health service.[14] Zimbabwe has a very high HIV infection rate. In 2001, it was measured at its highest level ever of 33.7% for people aged 15–49. Subsequent figures from the Zimbabwean government show an apparent decrease, down to about 20%.

Zimbabwe on 3 October 2006 launched the world's first official HIV/AIDS Toolkit, which forms the basis for a global AIDS prevention, treatment and support plan. The country was chosen to test it because of its excellence in initiating different strategies on home based care. Zimbabwe has managed to reduce its HIV/AIDS prevalence rate from 20.1 percent 2005 to 18.1 percent 2006. The figure was as high as 25 percent a few years ago.[15]



(The black ethnic groups total 98% of the population.)
Shona 80-84%. The ruling party is linked to the Shona majority ethnic group and a small Ndebele group from Joshua Khomo's ZAPU, although there is also considerable opposition support among the Shona.
Ndebele 8-10%. The Ndebele are descended from Zulu migrations in the nineteenth century and the other tribes with which they mixed. Support for the opposition is particularly strong both from the Ndebele and the Shona majority. Up to 1 million Ndebele may have left the country, mainly for South Africa, over the last five years.
Bantus of other ethnicity 8-10%.
White Zimbabweans Less than 1%. These are mostly of British origin, but some are of Afrikaner, Portuguese or Dutch origin. The white population dropped from a peak of 275,000 in 1970 to possibly 120,000 in 1999, and was estimated at no more than 60,000 in 2006, possibly many less. Much emigration has been to the UK, South Africa, Zambia and Australia.
Mixed Race 0.5%.
Asian ethnic groups (various) 0.5%. Mostly Indian and Chinese. Zimbabwe is now experiencing a surge of Asian immigrates who run business. If the trend continues, they will surpass whites as the largest non-African minority group in Zimbabwe.


There have been widespread reports of various civil and political human rights abuses throughout Zimbabwe, in particular against opponents of the government

Football is the most popular sport in Zimbabwe, although rugby and cricket also have a following, traditionally among the white minority.

Zimbabwe celebrates its national holiday on April 18.

Arts
Traditional arts in Zimbabwe include pottery, basketry, textiles, jewelry, and carving. Among the distinctive qualities are symmetrically patterned woven baskets and stools carved out of a single piece of wood. Shona sculpture in essence has been a fusion of African folklore with European influences. Also, a recurring theme in Zimbabwean art is the metamorphosis of man into beast.

Religion
There are various forms of spiritual practice in Zimbabwe. Forty to fifty percent of Zimbabweans attend Christian churches. However like most former European colonies, Christianity is often mixed with enduring traditional beliefs. Besides Christianity, Ancestral worship is the most practiced non-Christian religion which involves ancestor worship and spiritual intercession; the Mbira Dza Vadzimu, which means "Voice of the Ancestors", an instrument related to many lamellaphones ubiquitous throughout Africa, is central to many ceremonial proceedings. Mwari simply means God the creator, musika vanhu. 1% of the population is Muslim.

Abner Chauke is the current bishop of Zimbabwe's Free Methodist Church.

Language
English is the official language of Zimbabwe, though less than 2% consider it their native language, mainly the white and Coloured (mixed race) minorities. The rest of the population speak Bantu languages like Shona (76%) and Ndebele (18%). Shona has a rich oral tradition, which was incorporated into the first Shona novel, Feso by Solomon Mutswairo, published in 1957. English is spoken primarily in the cities, but less so in rural areas. Radio and Television news is now broadcast in three languages namely Shona, Ndebele and English.

Food
Like in many African countries, a majority of Zimbabweans depend on staple foods. Mealie meal or cornmeal as it is known in other parts of the world is used to prepare 'bota', a porridge made by mixing the cornmeal with water, to produce a thick paste. This is usually flavoured with peanut butter, milk, butter, and sometimes even jam. Bota is usually eaten for breakfast. Cornmeal is also used to make sadza, which is usually eaten for dinner, and by many for lunch too. The process of making sadza is similar to bota, however after the paste has been cooking for several minutes, more cornmeal is added to thicken the paste until it is hard. This meal is usually served with greens, (spinach, collard greens) etc, beans and meat that is stewed, grilled or roasted. Sadza is also commonly eaten with curdled milk commonly known as lacto (mukaka wakakora), or a small dried fish called kapenta (matemba). On special occasions rice and chicken with cabbage salad is often served as the main meal. Graduations, weddings and any other family gatherings will usually be celebrated with the killing of a goat or cow, which will be braaied (the Africans word for a barbecue) for the family.

For the Afrikaners, a white minority group, meat is especially important, though often expensive and rare in Zimbabwe. Biltong, a type of jerky, is a popular snack. It is prepared by hanging bits of raw meat to dry in the sun. Boerewors (pronounced burr-uh-voars) is served alongside sadza. It is a long sausage, often well-spiced, composed of various meats, and barbecued. Afrikaners - possibly borrowing from the Britons' fancy for tomatoes - like to serve their sadza with a tomato and onion sau

Answer 2

Going to Zimbabwe at this time must be one of the dumbest ideas you have ever had! You must have been living under a rock not to have heard about conditions there. The economy is totally wrecked, even the most basic necessities are unobtainable most of the time. The police are the worst criminals in the country. Everyone except the ruling elite (Mugabe and friends) is desparately poor. Medical and other essential services have totally collapsed. Even the water can kill you! Go to South Africa, one of the best destinations on earth, but only cross the Limpopo if you are tired of living.

Answer 3

Happy reading ...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwe