Harare

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Harare (IPA: [həˈrɑreɪ] or [həˈrɑri], formerly Salisbury) is the capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area (2006). It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its administrative, commercial, and communications centre. The city is a trade centre for tobacco, maize, cotton, and citrus fruits. Manufactures include textiles, steel, and chemicals, and gold is mined in the area. Harare is situated at an elevation of 1483 metres (4865 feet) and its climate falls into the warm temperate category.

Harare is the site of the University of Zimbabwe, the largest and most complete institution of higher learning in Zimbabwe, which is situated about 5km north of the city. Surrounding the city are numerous suburbs that retain the names they were given during the 19th century, such as Warren Park 'D', Borrowdale, Mount Pleasant, Marlborough, Tynwald and Avondale.

History

The city was founded in 1890 as a fort by the Pioneer Column, a military volunteer force of settlers organised by Cecil Rhodes. The city was originally named Fort Salisbury after the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, then British prime minister and it subsequently became known simply as Salisbury. It was declared to be a municipality in 1897 and it became a city in 1935. Salisbury was the capital of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland from 1953 to 1963. After that point it was the capital of the Independent Republic of Rhodesia, until independence from minority rule in 1980, whereupon the country was renamed Zimbabwe. In between it was the capital of the short-lived state of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia. It retained the name Salisbury until 1982.

The name of the city was changed to Harare on April 18, 1982, the second anniversary of Zimbabwean independence, taking its name from the Shona chieftain Neharawa. It is also said the name derived from the European corruption of "Haarari" ("He does not sleep"), the epithet of the chief whose citadel was located in the area known today as the Kopje (pronounced "Koppie"). It was said that no enemy could ever launch a sneak attack on him. Prior to independence, "Harare" was the name of the Black residential area now known as Mbare.

The area at the time of founding of the city was poorly drained and earliest development was on sloping ground along the left bank of a stream that is now the course of a trunk road (Julius Nyerere Way). The first area to be fully drained was near the head of the stream and was named Causeway as a result. This area is now the site of many of the most important Government buildings, including the Senate House and the Office of the Prime Minister (now renamed for the use of President Mugabe after the position was abolished in January 1988.)^[2]

Climate

Harare has a pleasant and healthy climate. The average annual temperature is 17.95°C, rather low for the tropics, and this is due to its high altitude position and the prevalence of a cool south-easterly airflow.^[3] There are three main seasons - a warm, wet season from November to March/April; a cool, dry season from May to August (corresponding to the Southern Hemisphere winter); and a hot, dry season in September/October. Daily temperature ranges are about 7°C to 20°C in July (coldest month), about 13°C to 28°C in October (hottest month) and about 15.5°C to 25°C in January (midsummer). The hottest year on record was 1914 - 19.73°C - and the coldest year was 1965 - 17.13°C. The average annual rainfall is about 825mm in the south-west rising to 855mm on the higher land in the north-east(around Borrowdale to Glen Lorne). Very little rain usually falls during the period May to September although sporadic showers occur in most years. Rainfall varies a great deal from year to year and follows cycles of wet and dry periods that are from 7 to 10 years long. Records begin in October 1890 but all three Harare stations stopped reporting in early 2004. ^[4]

The climate supports a natural vegetation of open woodland. The most common tree of the local region is the Msasa Brachystegia Spiciformis that colours the landscape wine-red with its new leaves in late August. An introduced tree that contributes most to the town's atmosphere is the Jacaranda (a South American species) that produces a burst of lilac when it blooms in September.

International Venue

Harare has been the location of several international summits such as the 8th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (6 September 1986) and Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (1991). The latter produced the Harare Declaration, dictating the membership criteria of the Commonwealth. In 1995, Harare hosted most of the 6th All-Africa Games, sharing the event with other Zimbabwean cities such as Bulawayo and Chitungwiza.

Transportation

Harare International Airport serves Harare.

Current Developments

In the early 21st century Harare has been adversely affected by the political and economic crisis that is currently plaguing Zimbabwe, after the contested 2002 presidential election and 2005 parliamentary elections. The elected council was replaced by a government-appointed commission for alleged inefficiency, but essential services such as rubbish collection and street repairs have rapidly worsened, and are now virtually non-existent. In May 2006 the Zimbabwean newspaper the Financial Gazette, described the city in an editorial as a "sunshine city-turned-sewage farm." ^[5]

In May 2005 the Zimbabwean government demolished shantytowns in Harare and the other cities in the country in Operation Murambatsvina (Operation "Drive Out Trash"). This caused a sharp reaction in the international community because it took place without prior warning and no advance plans were made to provide alternative housing. It was widely alleged that the true purpose of the campaign was to punish the urban poor for supporting the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and to reduce the likelihood of mass action against the government by driving people out of the cities. The government claimed it was necessitated by a rise of criminality and disease. This was followed by Operation Chikerema (Operation "Better Living") a year later which consisted of building inadequate concrete shacks with no electricity, plumbing or other infrastructure in poorly accessible areas.

Sister cities

• Nottingham, United Kingdom
• Munich, Germany
• Cincinnati, United States
• Prato, Italy
• Lago, Italy

Image gallery

Sam Nujoma Street, view south	Anglican cathedral	Downtown Harare	African Unity Square (formerly Cecil Square)

References

See also

• Place names in Zimbabwe
• Provinces of Zimbabwe
• Districts of Zimbabwe

External links

• Combined Harare Residents' Association
• * Maps and aerial photos for Coordinates:
• Maps from Google Maps, Live Search Maps, , Yahoo! Maps, or MapQuest
• Topographic maps from TopoZone
• Landuse survey from GlobalGuide
• British Embassy, Harare

•  • [ e] Geography of Zimbabwe
Provinces	Bulawayo Harare Manicaland Mashonaland Central Mashonaland East Mashonaland West Masvingo Matabeleland North Matabeleland South Midlands
Districts	Beitbridge Bikita Bindura Binga Bubi Buhera Bulawayo Bulilimamangwe Chegutu Chikomba Chimanimani Chipinge Chiredzi Chirumhanzu Chivi Gokwe North Gokwe South Goromonzi Guruve Gutu Gwanda Gweru Harare Hurungwe Hwange Hwedza Insiza Kadoma Kariba Kwekwe Lupane Makonde Makoni Marondera Masvingo Matobo Mazowe Mberengwa Mudzi Mukumbura Murehwa Mutare Mutasa Mutoko Muzarabani Mwenezi Nyaki Nyanga Rushinga Seke Shamva Shurugwi Tsholotsho Umguza Umzingwane Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe Zaka Zvimba Zvishavane
Municipalities	See main article at Municipalities of Zimbabwe
Largest Cities in Zimbabwe	Harare Bulawayo Chitungwiza Mutare Gweru Kwekwe Kadoma Masvingo Chinhoyi Marondera

•  • [ e] Capitals of Africa

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