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Geography of Zimbabwe – The Ultimate Free Guide 2021

Learn the facts and Geography of Zimbabwe including Major Geographical Features, Natural resources, Region, area, Capital, Border countries, rivers in Zimbabwe.

• Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozambique to the east.
• The capital and largest city is Harare. The second largest city is Bulawayo.
• Zimbabwe has 16 official languages.
• Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern Africa, lying between latitudes 15° and 23°S, and longitudes 25° and 34°E.
• Most of the country is elevated, consisting of a central plateau (high veld) stretching from the southwest northwards with altitudes between 1,000 and 1,600 m.
• The country has borders with Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km and almost meets Namibia at its westernmost point.

Geography of Zimbabwe

Region:

Southern Africa

Area:

Ranked 63rd

Capital:

Harare

Population:

15,092,171

Bordering Countries:

Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia.

Total Size:

390,757 km2

Geographical Coordinates:

17°49′45″S 31°03′08″E

World Region or Continent:

South Africa

General Terrain:

Mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east.

Geographical Low Point:

junction of the Runde and Save rivers 162 m

Geographical High Point:

Inyangani 2,592 m

Climate:

• The climate is markedly varied by altitude.
• There is a dry season, including a short cool season during the period May to September when the whole country has very little rain.
• The rainy season is typically a time of heavy rainfall from November to March.
• The whole country is influenced by the Intertropical Convergence Zone during January.

Major cities:

Environmental Issues:

• Deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd – once the largest concentration of the species in the world – has been significantly reduced by poaching; poor mining practices have led to toxic waste and heavy metal pollution.

Major Rivers and Lakes:

Major rivers:

Zambezi River

Major Lakes:

Lake Kariba

Natural Hazards:

• Recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare

Natural Resources:

• Coal, Chromium ore, Asbestos, Gold, Nickel, Copper, Iron ore, Vanadium, lithium, Tin, Platinum group metals

Major Geographical Features:

Biomes & Ecosystems:

Three biomes: Savanna, Grassland, and Forest, with savanna (including woodlands) predominating.

Hydrology:

• The country is divided into six drainage basins. The largest are the Zambezi and the Limpopo. Western parts of Matabeleland connect to the Okavango inland drainage basin through the Nata river.
• Most of southern Mashonaland and adjacent parts of Masvingo drain through the Save river into the Indian Ocean.
• Two smaller drainage basins cover parts of Manicaland, and drain into the Indian Ocean through Mozambique.
• These are the Pungwe river to the north and the Buzi river to the south.
• Sediment transport has been studied for rivers in Zimbabwe using the HBV hydrology transport model.

Oceans:

The Indian Ocean

Islands:

Chundu Island

Mountain Ranges:

• Mount Nyangani
• Guruguru Mountain
• Mount Fura
• Monte Binga
• Mvurwi Range
• Castle Beacon

Province of Zimbabwe:

See Also:

World Map

References:

• Countryreports.org – Geography of Zimbabwe
• Wikipedia – Geography of Zimbabwe
• briannica.com – Geography of Zimbabwe
• wikipedia.org – Geography of Zimbabwe
• natucate.com – Geography of Zimbabwe