Harare, Zimbabwe

Harare is the capital and biggest city in Zimbabwe. Covering 960.6 sq km (370.9 sq mi) on the north-central part of the country, it has a population of 1.6 million people within a metropolitan area that contains 2.8 million inhabitants.

The city was founded in 1890 by settlers organized by Cecil Rhodes, and was originally called Fort Salisbury, in honor of the then British prime minister. The name was later changed to Salisbury, and in 1935 was given city status. From 1953 to 1963 Salisbury served as the capital of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Its name was changed to Harare on 18 April, 1982.

Harare suffered from Zimbabwe's depressed economy particularly from 1999 to 2008. The economic difficulties which brought hyperinflation are seen in the general deterioration of city infrastructure and municipal services. Since 2009 the city has gradually been on the rebound though financial difficulties persist.

Coming to Harare, you can visit some of the cultural and historical sights. Its botanic garden covering 68 hectares has some 900 different species of plants and trees from across the country. Also within the city is the Mukuvisi Woodlands, 277 hectares of preserved natural woodland that is home to a rich variety of wildlife.

Among the things to buy in Harare include colorful textile of African motifs and tribal sculptures. When making a purchase, be careful as shops have a tendency of overcharging you if they know you are a tourist.

Downtown Harare, Zimbabwe
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harare_secondst.jpg
Author: Damien Farrell

Visiting Harare

The Harare Airport serves as the international gateway for Zimbabwe. Many of the flights to Harare originate from Johannesburg.

Places of Interest in Harare

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.