Zimbabwe

Harare, until 1982 officially called Salisbury, is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. Situated in the Northeast of the country, in the heart of historic Mashonaland, the city has an estimated population of over 1.5 million with nearly 3 million in its metropolitan area. It is situated at an elevation of 1,492m and its climate falls into the subtropical highland category.

The city was founded in 1890 by the Pioneer Column, a small military force in the service of the British South Africa Company and named Fort Salisbury after the British Prime Minister Lord Salisbury. Company administrators demarcated the city and ran it until Southern Rhodesia achieved responsible government in 1923.

Salisbury was thereafter the seat of the Southern Rhodesian (later Rhodesian) government and, between 1953 and 1963, the capital of the Central African Federation. It retained the name Salisbury until 1982, when it was renamed Harare on the second anniversary of Zimbabwe’s independence.

Bulawayo is the second-largest city in Zimbabwe, after the capital Harare, with a population of over 600,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 440km Southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland.

Colloquially Bulawayo is also known by various names, these being the “City of Kings”, “Skies”, “Bluez”, “Bulliesberg” or “KoNtuthu ziyathunqa” – an isiNdebele phrase for "a place that continually exudes smoke". This name arose from the city's historically large industrial base. The majority of Bulawayo's population belongs to the Ndebele ethnic and language group. It is the nearest large city to Hwange National Park, Matobo National Park and Victoria Falls.

Mosi-oa-Tunya meaning "The Smoke That Thunders", commonly known as Victoria Falls, is one of the most amazing sights in the world: twice as tall as Niagara Falls and several times longer. Although not the highest, the widest or the greatest volume of water, they have the largest sheet of water for any fall in the world and are a sight not to be missed.

Victoria Falls is a town in the western portion of Zimbabwe, across the border from Livingstone, Zambia, and near Botswana. The town lies immediately next to the falls, which are the major attraction, and offer to both adventure seekers and sightseers plenty of opportunities for a longer stay. Tourist numbers are now back to historical levels, with many package tour operators adding Victoria Falls back to their itineraries. This is easily Zimbabwe's busiest tourist destination.

Named after a local Nhanzwa chief, Hwange National Park is the largest park in Zimbabwe occupying roughly 14,650km2. It is located in the northwest corner of the country, about one hour south of the mighty Victoria Falls. It became the royal hunting grounds to the Ndebele warrior-king Mzilikazi in the early 19th Century and was set aside as a national park in 1929.

Hwange boasts a tremendous selection of wildlife with over 100 species of mammals and nearly 400 bird species recorded. The elephants of Hwange are world famous and the park's elephant population is one of the largest in the world.

UNESCO: Outstanding universal value!

The Great Zimbabwe Ruins are among the most important archaeological sites in Africa, giving testimony to the lost civilization of the Shona. A great city existed here from the 11th century on, with over 10.000 inhabitants. Great Zimbabwe was a main regional trading center, its wealth associated with gold trading.

There were also trade links with East Africa (Kilwa), and fragments of Persian and Chinese pottery have been found at the site. Arab and European travelers in the 16th century sent marveling reports back home about this place and its impressive stonewalls. The site was abandoned in the 15th century (for Khami) because of a lack of food and firewood.

The ruins nowadays are spread out over three main areas: the Hill Ruins, the Great Enclosure and the Valley Ruins.

Lake Kariba is among the 4 largest man-made lakes in the world and the second largest in Africa. The shoreline is over 2,000km long. Kariba is home to numerous species of flora and fauna and is an exciting and unique safari destination. It lies 1,300km upstream from the Indian Ocean, along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwean town of Kariba was built for construction workers on the lake's dam, while some other settlements such as Binga village and Mlibizi in Zimbabwe, and Siavonga and Sinazongwe in Zambia have grown up to house people displaced by the rising waters. The lake has several islands, including Maaze Island, Mashape Island, Chete Island, Sekula, Sampa Karuma, Fothergill, Spurwing, Snake Island, Antelope Island, Bed Island and Chikanka.