CORE —
EXTRACTED
EXTRACTED
THICKNESS ∝ EVENTS
← THE SECTION CUT · AFRICA
Zimbabwe
20.0S 30.0E · 23 EVENTS · 9 DOMAINS
INDEPENDENCE FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM · 18 APRIL 1980
▼ PULL DOWN TO EXTRACT THE CORE
1980 – present · Independence, Gukurahundi and the Mugabe years
5 EVENTS · READ THE BED →
18 April 1980 · Independence under Robert Mugabe 2 REFS
21 November 2017 · Mugabe forced from power 3 REFS
1923 – 1980 · White rule, UDI and the liberation war
5 EVENTS · READ THE BED →
1963 · Founding of ZANU and ZAPU 3 REFS
11 November 1965 · Unilateral Declaration of Independence 3 REFS
1838 – 1923 · The Ndebele kingdom and British conquest
5 EVENTS · READ THE BED →
c. 1838–1840 · The Ndebele settle the south-west 3 REFS
1888–1890 · Rudd Concession and the Pioneer Column 3 REFS
c. 1450 – c. 1830 · Mutapa, Torwa and Rozvi
4 EVENTS · READ THE BED →
c. 15th century · Rise of the Mutapa empire 3 REFS
c. 1680 · The Rozvi state under Changamire Dombo 3 REFS
c. 1000 – c. 1450 · Great Zimbabwe and the gold trade
4 EVENTS · READ THE BED →
c. 11th century · Great Zimbabwe is built 3 REFS
13th–14th century · Apex of the gold trade 3 REFS
Read the chronicle
EVERY ERA, EVENT AND REFERENCE ON ONE PAGE
↓
Quick facts · atlas reference
- Capital
- Harare
- Population
- 14 m
- Area
- 390,757 km²
- Region
- Eastern Africa
- Languages
- Chibarwe, English, Kalanga
- Currency
- Botswana pula (P)
- Demonym
- Zimbabwean
- UN member
- Yes
Dossier · press a specimen — it turns over
Specimen bench
PRESS A SPECIMEN — IT TURNS OVER
Economy
GDP
$51 B’25 WB-WDI
GDP per capita
$3,021’25 WB-WDI
GDP growth
8.1%’25 WB-WDI
Inflation
104.7%’22 WB-WDI
Trade openness
41.5%’24 WB-WDI
Society
Population
17 m’25 WB-WDI
Life expectancy
63.1 yrs’24 WB-WDI
Urban population
40.5%’25 WB-WDI
Fertility rate
3.7’24 WB-WDI
Literacy rate
93.2%’19 WB-WDI
Governance
Voice & accountability
34.8’24 WB-WGI
Political stability
48.5’24 WB-WGI
Government effectiveness
32.1’24 WB-WGI
Regulatory quality
36.3’24 WB-WGI
Rule of law
36.1’24 WB-WGI
Control of corruption
22.5’24 WB-WGI
Health
Health spending
2.9%’23 WB-WHO
Physicians
0.14’23 WB-WHO
Under-5 mortality
64.7’24 WB-UNICEF-WHO
Measles immunisation
90.0%’24 WB-UNICEF-WHO
Safe drinking water
25.5%’24 WB-WHO
Education
Adult literacy
93.2%’19 WB-UNESCO
Education spending
0.4%’23 WB-UNESCO
Primary enrolment
93.1%’24 WB-UNESCO
Secondary enrolment
52.4%’13 WB-UNESCO
Tertiary enrolment
7.7%’24 WB-UNESCO
Technology
Researchers (per million)
95’12 WB-UNESCO
Internet users
41.6%’24 WB-ITU
Mobile subscriptions
94’24 WB-ITU
High-tech exports
2.8%’24 WB-WDI
Geography
Land area
386,850 km²’23 WB-WDI
Forest area
44.7%’23 WB-WDI
Agricultural land
41.8%’23 WB-WDI
CO₂ per capita (t)
0.8’24 WB-WDI
Renewable energy
82.4%’21 WB-WDI
Resources
Resource rents
6.4%’21 WB-WDI
Oil rents
0.0%’21 WB-WDI
Mineral rents
4.2%’21 WB-WDI
Forest rents
1.8%’21 WB-WDI
Electricity access
62.0%’24 WB-WDI
Lithium (mined)
28.0 kt’25 USGS-MCS
Military
Military burden
0.4%’24 WB-SIPRI
Defense spending
$98 M’24 WB-SIPRI
Armed forces
51,000’20 WB-SIPRI
A hatched gap has no underside — there is nothing to turn over. Absence is stated, never zeroed.
The record · what changed here
- GDP — 2025 observation published ($51 B), superseding 2024 ($42 B) → THE SPECIMENLEDGER № 0001 · 2026-08-14
- GDP per capita — 2025 observation published ($3,021), superseding 2024 ($2,497) → THE SPECIMENLEDGER № 0001 · 2026-08-14
- GDP growth — 2025 observation published (8.1%), superseding 2024 (1.7%) → THE SPECIMENLEDGER № 0001 · 2026-08-14
- Trade openness — 2024 value revised by the publisher: 41.5% → 41.5% — +0.02 points → THE SPECIMENLEDGER № 0001 · 2026-08-14
- Electricity access — 2024 observation published (62.0%), superseding 2023 (62.0%) → THE SPECIMENLEDGER № 0001 · 2026-08-14
- Population — 2025 observation published (17 m), superseding 2024 (17 m) → THE SPECIMENLEDGER № 0001 · 2026-08-14
- Urban population — 2025 observation published (40.5%), superseding 2024 (39.9%) → THE SPECIMENLEDGER № 0001 · 2026-08-14