Map of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a country in Africa with its capital at Harare, home to about 16.95 million people across 390,757 km². The interactive map below plots 20 cities and towns, 7 rivers, 1 lakes, 1 mountain summits and 1 major dams recorded for Zimbabwe in YearMaps.
- Population
- 16.95 million
- Area
- 390,757 km²
- Capital
- Harare
- Continent
- Africa
Interactive Map of Zimbabwe
Centred on Harare at 17.8158° S, 31.0428° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
Great Monument of Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe (Great Enclosure) is marked on the map above. Click a pin or use "Show on map" to fly to it.
Great Zimbabwe (Great Enclosure)
Kingdom of Zimbabwe · High Middle Ages
Great Zimbabwe was a city in the south-eastern hills of the modern country of Zimbabwe, near Masvingo. It was settled from around 1000 AD, and served as the capital of the Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe from the 13th century. It is the largest stone structure in precolonial Southern Africa. Major construction on the city began in the 11th century and continued until the 15th century. The city was abandoned in the 16th or 17th century. The edifices were erected by ancestors of the Shona people, who are currently located in Zimbabwe and nearby countries. The stone city spans an area of 7.22 square kilometres (2.79 mi2). Population estimates vary. Earlier estimates suggest a peak population of around 20,000 people. A recent study using archaeological, ethnographic, and historical evidence, along with statistical modeling, suggests that the site's population did not exceed 10,000 people. The Zimbabwe state centred on it likely covered 50,000 km² (19,000 sq mi). It is recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The site of Great Zimbabwe is composed of the Hill Complex, the Valley Complex, and the Great Enclosure (constructed at different times). It also contained area for commoner housing within the perimeter walls. Scholars disagree on the functions of the complexes. Some believe these to have been residences for the royals and elites at different periods of the site, while others infer them to have had separate functions. The Great Enclosure, with its 11 m (36 ft) high dry stone walls (that is, constructed without mortar), was built during the 13th and 14th centuries, and likely served as the royal residence, with demarcated public spaces for rituals.
The first confirmed visits by Europeans were in the late 19th century, with investigations of the site starting in 1871. Great Zimbabwe and surrounding sites were looted by European antiquarians between the 1890s and 1920s.
Some later studies of the monument were controversial, as the white government of Rhodesia pressured archaeologists to deny its construction by black Africans. Its African origin did not become consensus among scholars until the 1950s. Great Zimbabwe has since been adopted as a national monument by the Zimbabwean government, and the modern independent state was named after it.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Great Zimbabwe (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Built by
- Kingdom of Zimbabwe
- Built
- 1200 CE
- Era
- High Middle Ages
- Type
- Dry-stone Fortress Citadel
- Status
- UNESCO World Heritage Site (Great Zimbabwe National Monument)
- Coordinates
- 20.2678° S, 30.9333° E
Architectural Significance
Coursed granite blocks laid without mortar into curving walls up to 5 meters thick, enclosing a solid conical tower and chevron-patterned parapets.
Photos of Great Zimbabwe (Great Enclosure)
Aart Rietveld · CC BY-SA 4.0 
ctsnow (Flikr user) · CC BY 2.0 
ctsnow (Flikr user) · CC BY 2.0
History & architecture of Great Zimbabwe (Great Enclosure)
History and description
The Great Zimbabwe area was previously settled by the San, dating back 100,000 years. Starting around 150 BC, Bantu-speaking peoples settled there, forming agricultural chiefdoms starting in the 4th century AD. Between the 4th and the 7th centuries, communities of the Gokomere or Ziwa cultures farmed the valley, and mined and worked iron, but built no stone structures. These are the earliest Iron Age settlements in the area identified from archaeological diggings.
The later Gumanye people are considered the ancestors of the Karanga (south-central Shona), who would construct Great Zimbabwe. Their culture developed and lasted centuries.
Construction of the stone buildings started in the 11th century and continued for over 300 years. Agriculture and cattle were the basis of the people developing a vital social network, and served to "enfranchise management of goods and services distributed as benefits within traditional political and social institutions". Long-distance trade was crucial for the transformation of localised organisations into regional ones. The ruling dynasty used their wealth to have houses built out of thick daga (earthen daub), rather than daga and poles, and built stone walls to shield themselves from public view. The aforementioned process advanced rapidly in the 13th century, and resulted in the construction of large dry-stone walls.
History of research and origins of the ruins
There has historically been much debate around the origins of Great Zimbabwe, termed the "Zimbabwe controversy". Mired in racial prejudice, Rhodesians found it inconceivable that the structures could have been built by indigenous Africans, stipulating that archaeological discoveries of Persian bowls and Chinese celadon were the result of pre-Bantu settlement. The colonial government pressured archaeologists to deny that the structure was built by indigenous Africans, because acknowledging it would have dismantled their "civilising mission" rationale. The refutation of various fantastical and dehumanising theories ascribing the construction to Jews, Arabs, Phoenicians, and anyone but the Shona, along with other activities of the antiquarians, dominated the historiography of Great Zimbabwe throughout the 20th century. Its African origin only became consensus by the 1950s.
The first European visit may have been made by the Portuguese traveler António Fernandes in 1513–1515, who crossed twice and reported in detail the region of present-day Zimbabwe (including the Shona kingdoms) and also fortified centers in stone without mortar. However, passing en route a few kilometres north, and about 56 km (35 mi) south of the site, he did not make a reference to Great Zimbabwe. Portuguese traders heard about the remains of the medieval city in the early 16th century, and records survive of interviews and notes made by some of them, linking Great Zimbabwe to gold production and long-distance trade. Two of those accounts mention an inscription above the entrance to Great Zimbabwe, written in characters not known to the Arab merchants who had seen it.
In 1506, the explorer Diogo de Alcáçova described the edifices in a letter to Manuel I of Portugal, writing that they were part of the larger kingdom of Ucalanga (presumably Karanga, a dialect of the Shona people spoken mainly in Masvingo and Midlands provinces of Zimbabwe). João de Barros left another such description of Great Zimbabwe in 1538, as recounted to him by Moorish traders who had visited the area and possessed knowledge of the hinterland. He indicates that the edifices were locally known as Symbaoe, which meant "royal court" in the vernacular. As to the actual identity of the builders of Great Zimbabwe, de Barros writes:
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Great Zimbabwe (CC BY-SA 4.0).
About Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo River, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the north, and Mozambique to the east. The capital and largest city is Harare, and the second largest is Bulawayo.
A country of roughly 17.3 million people per 2026 estimates, Zimbabwe's largest ethnic groups are the Northern Ndebele and Shona, who make up 95% of the population, followed by the other smaller minorities. Zimbabwe has 16 official languages, with English, Shona, and Ndebele the most common. Zimbabwe is a member of the United Nations, the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.
The region was long inhabited by the San, and was settled by Bantu peoples around 2,000 years ago. Beginning in the 11th century the Shona people constructed the city of Great Zimbabwe, which became one of the major African trade centres by the 13th century. From there, the Kingdom of Zimbabwe was established, followed by the Mutapa and Rozvi empires. The British Empire began to consolidate control of the area following the 1890 British Ultimatum against the Portuguese, who had claimed the area between Angola and Mozambique in the 1885 Pink Map. The British South Africa Company of Cecil Rhodes demarcated the Rhodesia region in 1890 when they conquered Mashonaland and later in 1893 Matabeleland after the First Matabele War. Company rule ended in 1923 with the establishment of Southern Rhodesia as a self-governing British colony. In 1965, the white minority government unilaterally declared independence as Rhodesia. The state endured international isolation and a 15-year guerrilla war with black rebel forces; this culminated in a peace agreement that established de jure sovereignty as Zimbabwe in April 1980.
Robert Mugabe became Prime Minister of Zimbabwe in 1980; he was the President of Zimbabwe from 1987, after converting the country's initial parliamentary system into a presidential one (with the abolishment of direct presidential elections as of 2026 it is now an assembly independent system), until his resignation in 2017 following a coup. Under Mugabe's authoritarian regime, the state security apparatus dominated the country and was responsible for widespread human rights violations, which received worldwide condemnation.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Zimbabwe (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Zimbabwe
The hunter-gatherer San people first inhabited the area that eventually became Zimbabwe. Farming communities migrated to the area around A.D. 500 during the Bantu expansion, and Shona-speaking societies began to develop in the Limpopo valley and Zimbabwean highlands around the 9th century. These societies traded with Arab merchants on the Indian Ocean coast and organized under the Kingdom of Mapungubwe in the 11th century. A series of powerful trade-oriented Shona states succeeded Mapungubwe, including the Kingdom of Zimbabwe (ca. 1220-1450), Kingdom of Mutapa (ca. 1450-1760), and the Rozwi Empire. The Rozwi Empire expelled Portuguese colonists from the Zimbabwean plateau, but the Ndebele clan of Zulu King MZILIKAZI eventually conquered the area in 1838 during the era of conflict and population displacement known as the Mfecane. In the 1880s, colonists arrived with the British South Africa Company (BSAC) and obtained a written concession for mining rights from Ndebele King LOBENGULA. The king later disavowed the concession and accused the BSAC agents of deceit. The BSAC annexed Mashonaland and then conquered Matabeleland during the First Matabele War of 1893-1894, establishing company rule over the territory. In 1923, the UK annexed BSAC holdings south of the Zambezi River, which became the British colony of Southern Rhodesia. The 1930 Land Apportionment Act restricted Black land ownership and established rules that would favor the White minority for decades. A new constitution in 1961 further cemented White minority rule. In 1965, the government under White Prime Minister Ian SMITH unilaterally declared its independence from the UK. London did not recognize Rhodesia’s independence and demanded more voting rights for the Black majority in the country. International diplomacy and an uprising by Black Zimbabweans led to biracial elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert MUGABE, who led the uprising and became the nation's first prime minister, was the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) from independence until 2017. In the mid-1980s, the government tortured and killed thousands of civilians in a crackdown on dissent known as the Gukurahundi campaign. Economic mismanagement and chaotic implementation of land redistribution policies periodically crippled the economy. General elections in 2002, 2008, and 2013 were severely flawed and widely condemned but allowed MUGABE to remain president. In 2017, Vice President Emmerson MNANGAGWA became president after a military intervention that forced MUGABE to resign, and MNANGAGWA cemented power by sidelining rival Grace MUGABE (Robert MUGABE’s wife). In 2018, MNANGAGWA won the presidential election, and he has maintained the government's longstanding practice of violently disrupting protests and politicizing institutions. Economic conditions remain dire under MNANGAGWA.
- Location
- Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia.
- Climate
- Tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)
- Terrain
- Mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east.
- Highest point
- Inyangani 2,592 m.
- Lowest point
- Junction of the Runde and Save Rivers 162 m.
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
- Land borders
- Total: 3,229 km; border countries: Botswana 834 km; Mozambique 1,402 km; South Africa 230 km; Zambia 763 km.
- Major rivers
- Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s]), Angola, Namibia, Botswana, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Limpopo (shared with South Africa [s], Botswana, and Mozambique [m]) - 1,800 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth.
- Natural resources
- Coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 41.8% (2023 est.); arable land: 10.4% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 31.3% (2023 est.); forest: 35.9% (2023 est.); other: 22.3% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare.
- Geographic note
- Landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural river boundary with Zambia; in full flood (February-April), the massive Victoria Falls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water; Lake Kariba on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border forms the world's largest reservoir by volume (180 cu km; 43 cu mi)
- Languages
- Shona (official, most widely spoken) 80.9%, Ndebele (official, second most widely spoken) 11.5%, English (official, traditionally used for official business) 0.3%, 13 minority languages (official; includes Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Shangani, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa) 7%, other 0.3% (2022 est.)
- Religions
- Apostolic Sect 40.3%, Pentecostal 17%, Protestant 13.8%, other Christian 7.8%, Roman Catholic 6.4%, African traditionalist 5%, other 1.5% (includes Muslim, Jewish, Hindu), none 8.3% (2022 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- African 99.6% (predominantly Shona; Ndebele is the second largest ethnic group), other (includes Caucasian, Asiatic, mixed race) 0.4% (2022 est.)
- Economy
- Low income Sub-Saharan economy; political instability and endemic corruption have prevented reforms and stalled debt restructuring; new Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency latest effort to combat ongoing hyperinflation; reliant on natural resource extraction, agriculture and remittances.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Zimbabwe in Numbers
- Population
- 16.95 million
- GDP
- US$51.2 billion
- GDP per person
- US$3,021
- Life expectancy
- 63.1 years
- Population growth
- 1.88% a year
- Population density
- 43 per km²
- Urban population
- 40.5%
- Surface area
- 390,760 km²
- Forest cover
- 35.7%
- Arable land
- 10.4%
- Access to electricity
- 62.0%
- Internet users
- 41.6%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Zimbabwe in Depth
History
Archaeological records date archaic human settlement of present-day Zimbabwe to at least 500,000 years ago. Zimbabwe's earliest known inhabitants were most likely the San people, who left behind a legacy of arrowheads and cave paintings. Approximately 2,000 years ago, the first Bantu-speaking farmers arrived during the Bantu expansion.
Societies speaking proto-Shona languages first emerged in the middle Limpopo River valley in the 9th century before moving on to the Zimbabwean highlands. The Zimbabwean plateau became the centre of subsequent Shona states, beginning around the 10th century. Around the early 10th century, trade developed with Arab merchants on the Indian Ocean coast, helping to develop the Kingdom of Mapungubwe in the 13th century.
Geography
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern Africa, lying between latitudes 15° and 23°S, and longitudes 25° and 34°E. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the west and southwest, Zambia to the northwest, and Mozambique to the east and northeast. Its northwest corner is roughly 150 m (490 ft) from Namibia, nearly forming a four-nation quadripoint. Most of the country sits on the Zimbabwean Plateau, which generally has an elevation of over 1,000 m (3,300 ft). The country's extreme east is mountainous, this area being known as the Eastern Highlands, with Mount Nyangani as the highest point at 2,592 m (8,504 ft).
Economy
The main foreign exports of Zimbabwe are minerals, gold, and agriculture. Zimbabwe is crossed by two trans-African automobile routes: the Cairo-Cape Town Highway and the Beira-Lobito Highway. Zimbabwe is the largest trading partner of South Africa on the continent. Taxes and tariffs are high for private enterprises, while state enterprises are strongly subsidised. State regulation is costly to companies; starting or closing a business is slow and expensive. Tourism also plays a key role in the economy but has been failing in recent years. The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force released a report in June 2007, estimating that 60% of Zimbabwe's wildlife had died since 2000 as a result of poaching and deforestation.
Demographics
Expanding from a population of 2,746,396 in 1950, Zimbabwe's population has rapidly increased. Based on the 2022 revision of the World Population Prospects, the population of Zimbabwe was estimated by the United Nations at 15,993,524 in 2021.
According to the 2022 census report, 99.6% of the population is of African origin. The majority people, the Shona, comprise 82%, while Ndebele make up 14% of the population. The Ndebele descended from Zulu migrations in the 19th century and the other tribes with which they intermarried. Up to one million Ndebele may have left the country over the last five years, mainly for South Africa.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Zimbabwe (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Zimbabwe: Key Facts
| Currencies | United States dollar, Zimbabwe ZiG |
|---|---|
| Official languages | English, Shona, Northern Ndebele, Chewa, Barwe |
| Head of state | Emmerson Mnangagwa |
| Head of government | Emmerson Mnangagwa |
| Calling code | +263 |
| Internet domain | .zw |
| Highest point | Mount Nyangani |
| Lowest point | Runde River |
| Established | 18 April 1980 |
Facts from Wikidata Q954 (CC0).
History of Zimbabwe: Empires and States
The atlas records 5 polities whose mapped territory included part of Zimbabwe, from British Africa in 1890 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| British Africa | 1890–1960 CE | Nearly all |
| The British Empire | 1890–1968 CE | Nearly all |
| British East Africa | 1961–1968 CE | Nearly all |
| Rhodesia | 1967–1978 CE | Nearly all |
| Republic of Zimbabwe | 1983–2024 CE | Nearly all |
Historical Maps of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. For those looking to travel in Africa, Zimbabwe is a great starting place. It is rich in fauna (being home to the big five) and flora and has numerous ancient stone cities including the largest in Africa south of the Sahara, Great Zimbabwe. Its border with Zambia is formed by the Zambezi River which when in full flood drops as the world's largest curtain of falling water at the mighty Victoria Falls which is a major tourist attraction.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Zimbabwe (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Zimbabwe
20 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harare | 1.57 million | Harare | National capital |
| 2 | Bulawayo | 699,385 | Bulawayo | Populated place |
| 3 | Chitungwiza | 340,360 | Harare | Populated place |
| 4 | Mutare | 249,365 | Manicaland | Admin-1 capital |
| 5 | Gweru | 183,358 | Midlands | Admin-1 capital |
| 6 | Kwekwe | 99,149 | Midlands | Populated place |
| 7 | Kadoma | 79,174 | Mashonaland West | Populated place |
| 8 | Masvingo | 76,311 | Masvingo | Admin-1 capital |
| 9 | Chinhoyi | 61,739 | Mashonaland West | Populated place |
| 10 | Zvishavane | 35,896 | Midlands | Populated place |
| 11 | Victoria Falls | 35,761 | Matabeleland North | Populated place |
| 12 | Hwange | 33,989 | Matabeleland North | Populated place |
| 13 | Chiredzi | 28,205 | Masvingo | Populated place |
| 14 | Beitbridge | 26,459 | Matabeleland South | Populated place |
| 15 | Kariba | 25,531 | Mashonaland West | Admin-1 capital |
| 16 | Karoi | 25,030 | Mashonaland West | Populated place |
| 17 | Gwanda | 14,450 | Matabeleland South | Populated place |
| 18 | Shamva | 10,317 | Mashonaland Central | Populated place |
| 19 | Mazowe | 9,966 | Mashonaland Central | Populated place |
| 20 | Plumtree | 2,148 | Matabeleland South | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Zimbabwe
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inyangani | 2,592 m | 8,504 ft | Africa |
Inyangani
Mountain · 2,592 m
Inyangani is a mountain rising to 2,592 metres (8,504 ft) in Zimbabwe, in the Africa region.
Mount Nyangani (formerly Mount Inyangani) is the highest mountain in Zimbabwe at 2,592 metres or 8,504 feet. The mountain is located within Nyanga National Park in Nyanga District, about 110 km (68 mi) north-northeast of Mutare. The summit lies atop a small outcrop of rock around 40 metres or 130 feet above the surrounding area. The remainder of the peak is a broad moor of mainly rolling hills and plateau with an area of about 8 km2. The edges of this plateau then fall steeply to the east and west sides. The mountain vegetation is largely composed of heath around the summit plateau with evergreen forest along the wetter eastern slopes and grassland to the western side. Annual rainfall totals are high (around 2,200 millimetres or 87 inches) but long spells of dry weather occur during the winter period of May to August. Due to its relatively low elevation and tropical location, snowfall is very rare; the last recorded snowfall occurred in August 1935.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Mount Nyangani (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 2,592 m (8,504 ft)
- Global rank
- #319 of 641 indexed
- Region
- Africa (#41)
- Country
- Zimbabwe
- Coordinates
- -18.2813°, 32.8474°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Inyangani ranks #319 by elevation, below Devils Paw (2,593 m) and above Pico de Almanzor (2,592 m).
- Ranges:
- Inyanga Mountains (Africa), Lebombo Mountains (Africa)
- Neighbouring summits:
- Emlembe (1,862 m), Monalanong Hill (1,494 m), Mafadi (3,451 m)
- Settlements below:
- Mutare (79 km), Chimoio (114 km), Chitungwiza (187 km)
More about Inyangani
Inyangani: Key Facts
| Topographic prominence | 1,515 m |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata Q152294 (CC0).
Major Dams in Zimbabwe
1 dam recorded. Ranked by structural height.
| # | Name | Height | River | Capacity | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kariba Dam | 128 m | Zambezi | 1,830 MW | 1959 |
Largest Lakes in Zimbabwe
1 lake recorded. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Kariba | 4,724 km² | Reservoir |
Lake Kariba
Reservoir · 4,724 km²
Lake Kariba is an artificial reservoir in Zimbabwe and Zambia, with a mapped surface area of about 4,724 km². About 53% of its surface lies in Zimbabwe, and the rest in Zambia. It exists because of a dam rather than natural drainage, and was filled in 1959 behind Kariba Dam.
Lake Kariba is the world's largest artificial lake and reservoir by volume. It lies 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) upstream from the mouth of the Zambezi river on the Indian Ocean, bordering Zambia and Zimbabwe. Lake Kariba was filled between 1958 and 1963 following the completion of the Kariba Dam at its northeastern end, flooding the Kariba Gorge on the Zambezi River.
The Zimbabwean town of Kariba was built for construction workers on the dam, while some other settlements such as Binga village and Mlibizi in Zimbabwe and Siavonga and Sinazongwe in Zambia have expanded to house people displaced by the resulting lake.
On 11 August 2026, the ferry Mbuya Nehanda running from Kariba to Chalala capsized, resulting in the death of at least 97 people, including 18 children. It is believed to be one of the deadliest boat disasters in Zimbabwe's history.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Kariba (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Surface area
- 4,724 km²
- Area rank
- #40 of 756 indexed
- Type
- Reservoir
- Countries
- Zimbabwe, Zambia
- Impounded
- 1959
- Dam
- Kariba Dam
- Coordinates
- -17.4204°, 27.4675°
Among the 756 water bodies with a mapped extent in YearMaps, Lake Kariba ranks #40 by surface area, after Lake Nipigon (4,727 km²) and ahead of Rybinsk Reservoir (4,712 km²). Areas are computed from the mapped outline and are approximate.
- Impounding dam:
- Kariba Dam (128 m)
More about Lake Kariba
Ecology
During the filling phase of the lake, the water was high in nutrients from decomposing inundated vegetation, creating a thick layer of fertile soil on land that became the lake bed. As a result, the ecology of Lake Kariba is vibrant. A number of fish species have been introduced to the lake, notably the sardine-like kapenta (transported from Lake Tanganyika), which now supports a thriving commercial fishery. Other inhabitants include the Nile crocodiles and hippopotamuses.
Gamefish, particularly tigerfish, which are indigenous to the Zambezi river system, now thrive on the kapenta, which in turn encourages tourism. Both Zambia and Zimbabwe are attempting to develop tourism along their respective shores.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Kariba (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Lake Kariba: Key Facts
| Surface area | 5,400 km² |
|---|---|
| Maximum depth | 78 m |
| Volume | 180 km³ |
| Surface elevation | 485 m |
| Inflows | Zambezi River, Sengwa River, Munyati River |
| Outflows | Zambezi River |
| Drainage system | Zambezi Basin |
Facts from Wikidata Q1047206 (CC0).
Rivers in Zimbabwe
7 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Zimbabwe
3 World Heritage Sites recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas | 1984 | Natural | (vii) (ix) (x) |
| 2 | Great Zimbabwe | 1986 | Cultural | (i) (iii) (vi) |
| 3 | Khami | 1986 | Cultural | (iii) (iv) |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Zimbabwe
2 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Africa | 29.41M km² | Continent | Africa |
| 2 | Inyanga Mountains | 58,492 km² | Range/mtn | Africa |
Inyanga Mountains
Range/mtn · 58,492 km²
Inyanga Mountains is a range/mtn in Africa, covering an estimated 58,492 km². It extends across Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Mount Nyangani (formerly Mount Inyangani) is the highest mountain in Zimbabwe at 2,592 metres or 8,504 feet. The mountain is located within Nyanga National Park in Nyanga District, about 110 km (68 mi) north-northeast of Mutare. The summit lies atop a small outcrop of rock around 40 metres or 130 feet above the surrounding area. The remainder of the peak is a broad moor of mainly rolling hills and plateau with an area of about 8 km2. The edges of this plateau then fall steeply to the east and west sides. The mountain vegetation is largely composed of heath around the summit plateau with evergreen forest along the wetter eastern slopes and grassland to the western side. Annual rainfall totals are high (around 2,200 millimetres or 87 inches) but long spells of dry weather occur during the winter period of May to August. Due to its relatively low elevation and tropical location, snowfall is very rare; the last recorded snowfall occurred in August 1935.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Mount Nyangani (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Range/mtn
- Mapped extent
- 58,492 km²
- Size rank
- #73 of 216 mountain ranges
- Region
- Africa
- Countries
- Zimbabwe, Mozambique
- Coordinates
- -17.5018°, 32.5704°
- Summits:
- Inyangani (2,592 m)
- Adjacent ranges:
- Lebombo Mountains (Africa), Witwatersrand (Africa)
- Settlements:
- Mutare (70 km), Chitungwiza (152 km), Harare (165 km)
States and Provinces of Zimbabwe
1 first-level divisions with their own map.
Countries Bordering Zimbabwe
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Africa
Zimbabwe: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Zimbabwe?
- The capital of Zimbabwe is Harare.
- What is the population of Zimbabwe?
- Zimbabwe has a population of about 16.95 million, the #74 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Zimbabwe?
- Zimbabwe covers 390,757 km², ranking #62 by area, with about 43 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Zimbabwe in?
- Zimbabwe is in Africa.
- Which countries border Zimbabwe?
- Zimbabwe shares a land or maritime border with South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique.
- What is the largest city in Zimbabwe?
- Harare is the largest city in Zimbabwe, with a metropolitan population of about 1.57 million.
- What is the highest mountain in Zimbabwe?
- The highest summit recorded for Zimbabwe in YearMaps is Inyangani at 2,592 m (8,504 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.
- What is the largest lake in Zimbabwe?
- The largest lake recorded in or bordering Zimbabwe is Lake Kariba, at roughly 4,724 km².
- What are the famous wonders and monuments of Zimbabwe?
- Zimbabwe's great monuments in YearMaps are Great Zimbabwe (Great Enclosure). Each is written up on this page with photographs and its history.
- What is the tallest dam in Zimbabwe?
- The tallest dam recorded for Zimbabwe is Kariba Dam at 128 m, on the Zambezi.