Zimbabwe Geography 1997

Location Southern Africa, northeast of Botswana

Geographic coordinates 20 00 S, 30 00 E

Map references Africa

Area
total : 390,580 sq km
land: 386,670 sq km
water: 3,910 sq km

Area - comparative slightly larger than Montana

Land boundaries
total: 3,066 km
border countries: Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797km

Coastline 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims none (landlocked)

Climate tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)

Terrain mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountainsin east

Elevation extremes
lowest point: junction of the Lundi and Savi rivers 162 m
highest point: Inyangani 2,592 m

Natural resources coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium,lithium, tin, platinum group metals

Land use
arable land : 7%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 13%
forests and woodland: 23%
other: 57% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 1,930 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare

Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution;the black rhinoceros herd - once the largest concentration of the speciesin the world - has been significantly reduced by poaching

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, OzoneLayer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Desertification

Geography - note landlocked

NOTE: The information regarding Zimbabwe on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Zimbabwe Geography 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Zimbabwe Geography 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.