Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The United Kingdom, which had never recognised Rhodesian independence, briefly imposed direct rule in order to grant independence on 18 April that year as the new country of Zimbabwe. In the 2000s Zimbabwe's economy began to deteriorate due to various factors, including the imposition of economic sanctions by Western countries led by the United ...
The name "Zimbabwe" stems from a Shona term for Great Zimbabwe, a medieval city in the country's south-east.Two different theories address the origin of the word. Many sources hold that "Zimbabwe" derives from dzimba-dza-mabwe, translated from the Karanga dialect of Shona as "houses of stones" (dzimba = plural of imba, "house"; mabwe = plural of ibwe, "stone").
The country has been officially called Zimbabwe since 1980, when its name was formally changed from Southern Rhodesia, the name given to it by the British South Africa Company in 1895. Southern Rhodesia was often simply called Rhodesia, particularly between 1964 and 1980. The name Zimbabwe Rhodesia was briefly used in 1979.
The country was initially run by an administrator appointed by the British South Africa Company. The prime ministerial role was first created in October 1923, when the country achieved responsible government, with Sir Charles Coghlan as its first Premier. The third premier, George Mitchell, renamed the post prime minister in 1933.
White immigration to the Company realm was initially modest, but intensified during the 1900s and early 1910s, particularly south of the Zambezi. The economic slump in the Cape following the Second Boer War motivated many white South Africans to move to Southern Rhodesia, and from about 1907 the company's land settlement programme encouraged more immigrants to stay for good. [5]
Zimbabwe, a name that conjours images of sprawling savannahs, majestic wildlife, and the enigmatic ruins of an ancient city, is a country with a deeply layered past. From its precolonial prosperity and complexity to the trials of colonialism and the eventual tumult of independence and beyond, Zimbabwe's history is a profound story of resilience ...
The Zimbabwe state was composed of over 150 smaller zimbabwes and likely covered 50,000 km² (19,000 square miles). It is unknown what caused Great Zimbabwe's decline from the 15th century, however land depletion or a depletion of critical resources, a decline in global trade, and increased regional competition likely played a role.
The most impressive of these sites is the Great Zimbabwe ruins, after which the country is named, located near Masvingo. Evidence suggests that these stone structures were built between the 9th and 13th centuries AD by indigenous Africans who had established trading contacts with commercial centers on Africa's southeastern coast.