Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, and formerly known as the Republic of Rhodesia, is a landlocked country in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It borders South Africa to the south, Botswana to the west, Zambia to the northwest, and Mozambique to the east. The name Zimbabwe derives from "dzimba dzemabwe" meaning "houses of stone" in the Shona
language. Its use as the country's name is a tribute to Great Zimbabwe, site of the capital of the Munhumutapa Empire.
Following elections in 2005, the government initiated "Operation Murambatsvina", a supposed effort to crack down on illegal markets and homes that had seen slums unfit for human habitation emerge in towns and cities. This action has been widely condemned by opposition and international figures, who charge that it has left a large section of the urban poor homeless. The Zimbabwe government has described the operation as an attempt to provide decent housing to the population although they have yet to deliver any new housing for the forcefully removed people. Zimbabwe's current economic and food crisis, described by some observers as the country's worst humanitarian crisis since independence, has been attributed, in varying degrees, to a drought affecting the entire region, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and the government's price controls and land reforms.
The highest professional board for accountants is the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Zimbabwe, (ICAZ) with direct relationships with similar bodies in South Africa, Canada, UK and Australia meaning if you are a qualified Chartered Accountant from Zimbabwe, you are also a member of similar bodies in these countries after writing a conversion paper which is normally easier than the normal qualifying examination papers. In addition, Zimbabwean trained Doctors only require one year of residence to be fully licensed doctors in the USA,
Zimbabwe is divided into eight provinces and two cities with provincial status. The provinces are subdivided into 59 districts and 1,200 municipalities.
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country, surrounded by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the west, Zambia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east and northeast.Inyangani is the highest mountain in Zimbabwe at 2,592 meters. The north-western border is defined by the Zambezi River. Victoria Falls is a popular tourist destination on the Zambezi. To the south, Zimbabwe is separated from South Africa by the Limpopo River. Zimbabwe also shares a narrow border with Namibia to the west via a narrow land corridor.
There have been widespread reports of various civil and political human rights abuses throughout Zimbabwe, in particular against opponents of the government. There is support from large East Asian Nations to monitor telephone calls, email and all other forms of communication in the country.
