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Zimbabwe: map, flag, capital and key facts

Zimbabwe is a country in Africa, in East Africa, with about 17 million people (2025) and an area of 390,760 square kilometres. Its capital is Harare, and it shares land borders with 5 countries.

By Team Geography Last reviewed

Flag of Zimbabwe
Flag of Zimbabwe
Map showing where the country sits among its neighbours
Zimbabwe in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.

Key facts about Zimbabwe

CapitalHarare
ContinentAfrica
RegionEast Africa
Population16,950,795 2025, World Bank. 73rd of 195.
Area390,760 km² (150,873 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 61st largest of 195.
Population density43 people per km²
Land neighbours5: Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia
Official nameRepublic of Zimbabwe
UN statusMember state
Capital coordinates17.82° S, 31.04° E Harare, Natural Earth.

Land neighbours

Zimbabwe borders 5 countries on land. Each links to its own page.

BotswanaGaboroneMozambiqueMaputoNamibiaWindhoekSouth AfricaPretoria, Cape Town and BloemfonteinZambiaLusaka

From the Geography app

The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Zimbabwe's 6, in full.

PLACELens 1 of 6

Placing Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is landlocked on a high plateau in southern Africa, with Zambia north, Mozambique east, South Africa south, and Botswana west. The Zambezi forms the northern boundary, spilling over Victoria Falls before filling Lake Kariba; the Limpopo marks the southern edge. Between them the central highveld rises above 1,500 meters, giving a temperate climate that underwrote the country's farming economy. Along the Mozambican border, the Eastern Highlands reach 2,592 meters at Mount Nyangani and catch moisture-laden winds, supporting forests and tea plantations.

More on Eastern Highlands

Cooler and wetter than the rest of the country, the Chimanimani and Nyanga ranges draw hikers and support tea, coffee, and timber industries, a contrast with the drier lowveld cattle country to the west.

5 more lenses on Zimbabwe in the app

  • STORY Great Zimbabwe and the name it gave a nation
  • NOW Hyperinflation, land reform, and the long economic crisis
  • STORY A literary tradition that outlasted censorship
  • THREAD Zimbabwe between its neighbors and the wider world
  • NOW A currency backed by gold and a deadline

Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.

Compare Zimbabwe with another country

Opens the country comparison tool with population, area, income and more side by side, every figure dated.

Common questions

What is the capital of Zimbabwe?
The capital of Zimbabwe is Harare. Harare lies at about 17.8 degrees south and 31.0 degrees east. Zimbabwe is in Africa, in the region often called East Africa. It is home to about 17 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Zimbabwe?
About 17 million people live in Zimbabwe, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 73rd most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 390,760 square kilometres, that is about 43 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe shares land borders with 5 countries: Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia. The map on this page outlines each of them around Zimbabwe. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake.
How big is Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe covers 390,760 square kilometres, or about 150,873 square miles. That makes it the 61st largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 17 million gives a density of 43 people per square kilometre.

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