Land area

390,580 sq km

Population

12.5m(a) (2009, IMF mid-year estimate)

Main towns

Population in '000, 2002 (independent estimates)

Harare (capital): 1,444

Bulawayo: 676

Chitungwiza(b): 321

Gweru: 137

Climate

Subtropical

Weather in Harare (altitude 1,472 metres)

Hottest months, October and November, 16-27°C; coldest months, June and July, 7-21°C (average daily minimum and maximum); driest month, July, 1 mm average rainfall; wettest month, January, 196 mm average rainfall

Languages

English (official), Shona, Ndebele and local dialects

Measures

Metric system

Currency

Zimbabwe dollar (Z$) = 100 cents; however, because of rampant inflation the government has moved to a multi-currency system, using the US dollar and South African rand in preference to the Zimbabwe dollar

Time

2 hours ahead of GMT

Public holidays

January 1st (New Year's Day), Good Friday, Easter Monday, April 18th (Independence Day), May 1st (Workers' Day), May 25th (Africa Day), August 11th (Heroes' Day), August 12th (Defence Forces' National Day), December 22nd (Unity Day), December 25th and 26th (Christmas Day and Boxing Day); many firms close for a summer break of one to two weeks over the Christmas and New Year period

(a) Estimates of Zimbabwe's population vary considerably depending on how they account for the impact of AIDS. The most recent census was in 2002; preliminary results show a population of 11.6m-about 2m below earlier projections. (b) Harare's former township.