Zimbabwe Essay Research Paper ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN

Zimbabwe Essay, Research Paper

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN ZIMBABWE Description: Pretty much self explanatory. This paper discusses the economicdevelopment in the country if Zimbabwe detailing the countries economicsuccesses and reasons for them. Economic Development in Zimbabwe The country of Zimbabwe is one of the most economically developed on the African continent . Afairly young political entity, Zimbabwe has only enjoyed recognized autonomy since 1980, the yearin which the United Kingdom repealed its imperialistic claims to the African nation . Despite itsyouth the country has achieved a level of economic development uncharacteristic of sub-SaharanAfrican nations. Second only to South Africa in economic development, Zimbabwe’s economicsystem is one indicative of a transitional country, a country making the transition from dependencyunderdevelopment to self-reliant industrialization. The purpose of this essay is to make a cursory butadequate examination of Zimbabwean socio-economic and political system, as means to analyzingthe countries economic development. The ultimate purpose of this study is to provide a model of thestructure necessary to achieve economic development where none previously existed. Zimbabwe isan appropriate model because the dynamics of underdevelopment to development in this countryare readily apparent. This model can be useful in understanding underdevelopment in other so called”third-world” countries and in determining what is necessary for these countries to make thetransition to industrialization. GeographyZimbabwe is a landlocked country in the southern, sub-Saharan area of the African continentbordered by South Africa to the South, Botswana to the West, Mozambique to the East andZambia to the North. With an area of 391,090 km2 Zimbabwe is only slightly larger than the stateof Colorado. Harare is Zimbabwe’s capital and largest city with a population of 1,100,000.Containing vast amounts of rare mineralogical resources and possessing a favorable growing climateZimbabwe’s economy is drawn almost equally between the mining of minerals ($2.2 billion) and theproduction of staples and cash crops ($2.1 billion) . PeopleZimbabweans are comprised of two primary ethnic groups, the Shona, comprising 74% of thepopulation and the Ndebele comprising 20%. Other ethnic black groups and Asians make up 4% ofthe population while whites make up just over 1% of the population. Zimbabwe has a population of10.35 million people with a population density of 24 persons per km2. 1992 census figures estimateZimbabwe’s growth at 3.0% with 90% of this growth rate within the Shona group. This 3.0%growth is quite rapid given its relation to the countries declining annual growth rate of -15% . HistoryZimbabwe’s history dates back to the 9th century A.D., the believed period in which many greatbuildings were built, buildings clearly indicative of an early and great civilization. Of the many sitesthe most impressive is the Great Stone House or Great Zimbabwe the source of the countries name.Despite the impressive nature of the Great Zimbabwe and the other building sites, it is believed thatthe civilization that created them did not survive to see the new millennium . Some 900 years after the construction of the Great Zimbabwe many other sights were built asZimbabwe became the object of British colonialism in 1888. It was in this year that John CecilRhodes obtained mineral rights for the British throne and began the process of bringing Zimbabwehome to Great Britain. Pleased with his accomplishment the throne honored Rhodes by lending hisname to the area, now calling it Rhodesia. Headed by Rhodes the British South Africa Company(BSA) was chartered in 1889 with the responsibility of colonizing the areas of Northern andSouthern Rhodesia and bringing back to the Kingdom the vast mineralogical resources Rhodesiahad to offer . Although a colony, throughout the existence of its charter Rhodesia enjoyed self-governing andperceived autonomy. The United Kingdom reserved the right to intervene in the policies of Rhodesiaat any prompting, but this right was rarely employed leaving Rhodesia’s autonomy all but assumed.The perceived autonomy the nation enjoyed allowed for the emergence of factions interested indeveloping Rhodesia’s mineralogical and agricultural potential for the purpose of stimulatingdomestic growth only. Although growth would benefit the country as a whole, it would benefitwhites specifically by design. An apartheid-type land apportionment act passed in 1934 allotted keyresource rich areas to whites only. The perceived autonomy and racists nature of Rhodesia wouldhave great implications late in the countries political future. PoliticsBy 1960 Rhodesia was a country of two factions: the ruling white minority who wanted completeindependence from the United Kingdom and the indigenous African majority who wanted greatercontrol of their country and an end to institutional racism. On November 11, 1965 in a step to

hasten along political change white progressives announced the Unilateral Declaration ofIndependence (UDI) thereby declaring their independence from Great Britain . The Britishgovernment was not hostile to the UDI but did insist that the Rhodesian government demonstrate itsintention to move toward free and democratic majority rule. Considering the majority of Rhodesiawas African the ruling whites were diametrically opposed to any such form of majority rulegovernment and refuse