Mhoro! Welcome to the land of the Great Stone House—Zimbabwe, a landlocked country in Southern Africa known for its dramatic landscapes and ancient civilizations. There are around 17,000,000 people living here, and the capital is Harare, a city famous for its wide avenues lined with purple-blossomed Jacaranda trees. While the country has 16 official languages, Shona, Ndebele, and English are the most widely used.
Zimbabwe covers about 390,757 square kilometers (150,872 square miles). It’s roughly the same size as the state of Montana or about twice the size of Great Britain. Much of the country sits on a high plateau, with the stunning Eastern Highlands forming a mountainous border with Mozambique.
The most popular sports are Football, Cricket, and Rugby, with the national cricket team having a long history of competing on the world stage. Their national animal is the Sable Antelope, a majestic creature with scimitar-shaped horns, though the Zimbabwe Bird (a soapstone carving of a raptor) is the most iconic national symbol.
The flag consists of seven horizontal stripes of green, yellow, red, and black with a white triangle at the hoist containing a red five-pointed star and a gold Zimbabwe Bird, where the green represents the agriculture and rural areas, the yellow symbolizes the mineral wealth, the red stands for the blood shed during the liberation struggle, the black represents the native heritage, and the white triangle signifies peace.
The food is hearty and centers on fresh local produce. You must try Sadza, a thick maize porridge that serves as the staple for almost every meal, usually paired with Nyama (meat stew) or leafy greens. Another favorite is Mopane Worms, which are edible caterpillars harvested from trees, dried or fried as a high-protein snack. For a delicious side, look for Dovi, a traditional peanut butter stew made with meat or vegetables.
Zimbabwe is home to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, the massive stone remains of a city that was the capital of a great kingdom between the 11th and 15th centuries. The country shares Victoria Falls with Zambia, offering breathtaking views of the “Smoke that Thunders” from the Zimbabwean side, which features a lush rainforest fed by the falls’ constant spray. You can visit Hwange National Park, the largest natural reserve in the country, where huge herds of elephants roam freely. For an artistic experience, head to the Tengenenge Arts Village, famous for its world-renowned Shona stone sculptures. Interestingly, Zimbabwe is home to the world’s largest man-made lake by volume, Lake Kariba, which was created by damming the Zambezi River!
From the balancing rocks of Epworth to the misty peaks of Nyangani, Zimbabwe is a land of ancient majesty and enduring warmth. Tatenda! That means “Thank you!”