Zimbabwe |
by Holland, Natalie C., Natalie D.
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Population:There are 14.15 million people in Zimbabwe.
3 Most Practiced Languages:Zimbabwe has 16 official languages, however the most widely spoken languages are English, Shona, and Ndebele.
Major Religions:Most of the population in Zimbabwe are Christian. However some people still practice indigenous religions.
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General Geography & Environment:Zimbabwe summers last from October to April and are hot and wet. Their winters last from May to September and are cool and dry. Most of Zimbabwe is a rolling plateau. Average rainfall is about 15 inches in the west to 50 inches in the east.
Major Ethnicities:In Zimbabwe, Africans make up most of the population. The percent of Africans in Zimbabwe is 98% of the total population. That leaves only 2% of other ethnicities in Zimbabwe. Whites make up 1%, and Asians and mixed race people make up the other 1%.
Popular Music:Zimbabwe music styles include pop and folk influences. Some of the popular music genres are indigenous Mbira music, Chimurenga music, Sungura music, Sungumba music, Zimbabwean hip-Hop, Zimbabwean Reggae (Dancehall music), Shangara, Jerusarema, Gospel Music, Mhande, Mbaqanga, Afro-Jazz and Rhumba. Some of Zimbabwe's most popular musicians are Aiyaho, Betty Makaya. See here for music.
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Zimbabwe & Water:
There are many problems with the water supply in Zimbabwe. The people of Zimbabwe do not have access to clean water but the government is still charging them for water bills. Since there is no water delivered to the people, people use boreholes. The boreholes were built when cholera spread throughout Zimbabwe. It killed 4,923 people. The water boreholes are an alternative many people use, but 33% of that water is contaminated. In some of the videos that we watched the residents of Harare talked about how there was only one working borehole in their community and its water was not even clean. There is not even enough water to flush the toilets so they burst and contaminate the outdoor streams. Until the late 1980's, there was a clean water system. Nobody would've thought in 1985 that they would have a contaminated environment because of the lack of clean water. The whole system collapsed in 1988 and you can still see it's repercussions in Harare. There are many problems that occur when there is no access to clean water. Children cannot play outdoors because of the sewage that covers the streets. The people don’t have a lot of money and they are being charged about $50 or more per month for water that is not provided. That is taking away money that could've been spent on food, health, or clothes. In most places with little water, education and women's rights are also being affected. When there is no access to clean water, the women are forced to go fetch it instead of going to school. When children catch diarrhea and other water related diseases, it makes them have to miss school. Everything is affected by the lack of clean water. In 2013, Zimbabwe took a loan from China to clear out sewage. The government claimed this was the solution, but it didn’t work. Some organizations are working hard to raise money that will go towards building new ways of accessing clean water. But without the government stepping in to help the people they are left wondering what steps the government are taking towards healing the water crisis. Zimbabwe has been in crisis for 28 years.
Photographs are courtesy of the following websites:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zimbabwe_in_Africa.svg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drilling_boreholes_for_clean_water_(9084603915).jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Dumping_of_faecal_sludge_into_the_river.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_community_worker_talks_to_a_group_of_woman_who_are_waiting_to_collect_their_food_ration_at_a_food_distribution_point_in_Epworth,_in_Harare,_Zimbabwe_on_the_23rd_April,_2009._Photo-_Kate_Holt_-_AusAID_(10661520275).jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_of_Zimbabwe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Namibia
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zimbabwe_in_Africa.svg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drilling_boreholes_for_clean_water_(9084603915).jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Dumping_of_faecal_sludge_into_the_river.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_community_worker_talks_to_a_group_of_woman_who_are_waiting_to_collect_their_food_ration_at_a_food_distribution_point_in_Epworth,_in_Harare,_Zimbabwe_on_the_23rd_April,_2009._Photo-_Kate_Holt_-_AusAID_(10661520275).jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_of_Zimbabwe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Namibia