Zimbabwe's Economic Problems

INTRODUCTION

Although there is no widely accepted definition of a developing country, it is generally known as a country whose general population has a low level of living. Out of the vast number of developing countries that exist, we narrow our focus to a single country known to the world as Zimbabwe. The purpose of the paper is to discuss why Zimbabwe's economic development is limited by many factors. We will discuss these factors in detail and how they have prevented Zimbabwe from further economic growth. We will explore the depths of Zimbabwe's economic problems by touching up upon various topics that range from the economy to the education and health aspects.

GEOGRAPHY

Zimbabwe is a country that geographically located in the south of the African continent. Its close surrounding neighbors include South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, and Mozambique. The country is landlocked between these neighbors, and has a total area of 390,757 sq. km. The country has a tropical climate, and has a rainy season that is usually between November and March. The country's environment has seen substantial issues, which are said to have stemmed from poverty, population growth, and lack of energy and fuel. All of which have led to the deforestation of a once green-forested land, therefore resulting in soil erosion and unfertile land.

HISTORY

During the pre-colonial era of the now called Zimbabwe, the Shona and Ndebele peoples ruled the country. During this era Zimbabwe was know as the Kingdom of Mutapa. The British arrived in Zimbabwe in the 1880s, and during this era the country was known as South Rhodesia. In the mid 1965 the British Government gave independence to Rhodesia, but the ruling white supremacist rule under the regime of Ian Smith, continued to rule the country suffered through apartheid. The continued power by Ian Smith forced the United Nations to enforce economic sanctions on the country, this cut Rhodesia off from the rest of the world, limiting its growth and economic development. Around this time there was the uprising of 2 rebels groups, one being the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), which was under Robert Mugabe, the other was Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), which was under Joshua Nkomo. These two groups enforced a civil war against the white government, which lasted from 1965-1979. In 1979, the Ian Smith regime that was near collapse and under pressure signed an accord with the 2 rebel groups. Following which the British government signed the Lancaster House Agreement, which would let Britain oversee the elections and the transition to power. In 1980 elections were held, whereby the ZANU party, under Robert Mugabe had won. This resulted in a rift between the 2 rebel groups, which led to another war between the 2 parties. The war led to the Gukurahundi Massacres,