2012-04-23
Zimbabwe Bicycle Touring Statistics
Information
Located in Africa, Zimbabwe (formally called the Republic of Zimbabwe) can be found at Latitude: -17.817778 and Longitutde: 31.044722 occupying 390,757 sq/km of area. At last count, Zimbabwe has the population of 12,523,000 residents (with an annual 1.50% growth rate) who are known as Zimbabwean(s).
This landlocked plateau country in southern Africa takes its name from Great Zimbabwe, a fortified trading hub built in medieval times and used by the majority Shona tribe. The high central plateau moderates the tropical climate. The warm, wet season (November to May) usually provides the year's rain, although droughts are frequent. The major ethnic group is the Shona, who make up more than 70 percent of the population. Ndebeles are the second largest ethnicity (16 percent), and they live mostly in southwestern Zimbabwe. White Zimbabweans have been leaving the country due to harsh government policies and political instability, going from a population of some 270,000 in the late 1970s to less than 30,000 today. In 1890 the first British settlers arrived; colony status came in 1923 under the name Southern Rhodesia. In 1965, the white minority government unilaterally declared independence as Rhodesia. International sanctions and guerrilla warfare against the illegal regime led to legitimately independent Zimbabwe in 1980. The country became a one-party state under the autocratic rule of Robert Mugabe until a transitional power-sharing government was formed in 2009. The economy centers on farming, mining, and manufacturing. But the economy has declined rapidly since the 1990s due to poor government. Violent farm invasions reduce agricultural production, and most Zimbabweans are unemployed.
37% of Zimbabwean(s) live in urban centers, and 91% can read and write one of the many languages such as English, Shona, Sindebele, numerous minor tribal dialects. Zimbabwean(s) have an average life expectancy rate of 41 years and most follow the Christian, indigenous beliefs, Muslim religions. 66% Agriculture of Zimbabwean(s) work in the agriculture industry which produces , and 10% Industry work in the industry producing mining (coal, gold, platinum, copper, nickel, tin, clay, numerous ores), steel, wood products, cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages. Another 24% Services work in the services sector such as tourism and retail environments. platinum, cotton, tobacco, gold, ferroalloys, textiles, clothing are regularly exported to other countries in the world from Zimbabwe. The Gross Domestic Product per capita is $200 with 3.70% annual growth.
Zimbabwe uses the telephone country code of 263 and internet hosts use the .zw suffix. Zimbabwe uses the Dollar (ZWD).
Currency
Although the dollar was considered to be among the highest valued currency units when it was introduced in 1980 to replace the Rhodesian dollar at a ratio of 1:1, political turmoil and hyperinflation rapidly eroded the value of the Zimbabwe dollar to become one of the least valued currency units in the world, undergoing three redenominations, with paper denominations including a $100 trillion banknote.Despite attempts to control inflation by legislation, and three separate redenominations in 2006, 2008 and 2009, the use of the dollar as an official currency was effectively abandoned on 12 April 2009. This was a result of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe legalizing the use of foreign currencies for transactions in January 2009.Currencies such as the South African rand, Botswana pula, pound sterling, euro, and the United States dollar are now used for all transactions in Zimbabwe; the policy of the government of Zimbabwe has insisted that any attempts to reintroduce Zimbabwean currency should be considered only if industrial output improves.
(One Canadian Dollar equals 0 ZWD)
My Experience
Road Conditions: Mostly tarred, some villages only offering dirt roads – good condition roads
Hills: Rolling hills the entire country, look out for Chirundu climb on the west and Christmas Pass on the East!
Weather: Cold in the high elevations, mostly sunny with brief patches of rain
Best Beer: Golden Pilsner
Visa Cost: $75 USD
Visa Length: 90 days
Photos
Journal Entries
The following is a list of journal entries I wrote while traveling through Zimbabwe. Click one to read!
Statistics
Totals
| Distance Traveled: 1446.33 km Distance Ascended: 10,437 m Distance Descended: 10,348 m Energy Consumed: 64,034 calories | Overall Cost: $117.58 Food: $85.08 Drink: $8.00 Transport: $0.00 Entertainment: $18.50 Equipment: $1.00 Misc: $0.00 |
| Longest Day: 2012-04-22 - 123.93 km Most Climbed: 2012-04-23 - 1056.00 m | Most Energy Burned: 2012-04-22 - 5013.00 calories Most Expensive Day: 2012-04-12 - $ 24.03 |
Daily Statistics
Date | Location | Distance (km) | Cost ($CAD) | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-04-25 | Mutare, ZW | 0.00 | $0.00 | |
| 2012-04-24 | Mutare, ZW | 0.00 | $4.00 | |
| 2012-04-23 | Mutare, ZW | 68.40 | $1.00 | Map |
| 2012-04-22 | Middle of Nowhere, ZW | 123.93 | $3.00 | Map |
| 2012-04-21 | Middle of Nowhere, ZW | 112.40 | $4.00 | Map |
| 2012-04-20 | Masvingo, ZW | 97.79 | $15.73 | Map |
| 2012-04-19 | Zvishavane, ZW | 88.83 | $0.60 | Map |
| 2012-04-18 | Fred, ZW | 99.76 | $20.23 | Map |
| 2012-04-17 | Bulawayo, ZW | 92.31 | $18.73 | Map |
| 2012-04-16 | Bulawayo, ZW | 0.00 | $0.00 | |
| 2012-04-15 | Bulawayo, ZW | 0.00 | $0.00 | |
| 2012-04-14 | Bulawayo, ZW | 71.08 | $1.25 | Map |
| 2012-04-13 | Middle of Nowhere, ZW | 79.70 | $1.00 | Map |
| 2012-04-12 | Middle of Nowhere, ZW | 81.95 | $24.03 | Map |
| 2012-04-11 | Kwekwe, ZW | 108.66 | $5.88 | Map |
| 2012-04-10 | Chiguku, ZW | 95.26 | $9.53 | Map |
| 2012-04-09 | Chinhoyi, ZW | 90.37 | $3.00 | Map |
| 2012-04-08 | Karoi, ZW | 86.99 | $3.00 | Map |
| 2012-04-07 | Makute, ZW | 62.67 | $1.00 | Map |
| 2012-04-06 | Chirundu, ZW | 86.23 | $1.60 | Map |