Geography & environment — Zimbabwe
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Zimbabwe: Africa
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
Africa
- Geographic Coordinates
20 00 S, 30 00 E
- Total Area
150,871 Square Miles 390,757 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
149,362 Square Miles 386,847 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
1,510 Square Miles 3,910 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
1,905 Miles 3,066 Kilometers
- Border Countries
Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km
Physical geography
- Terrain
mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east
- Highest Point
2,592 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Inyangani 2,592 m
- Lowest Point
162 Meters
- Lowest Point Location
junction of the Runde and Save rivers 162 m
- Natural Resources
coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals
- Irrigated Land
670 Square Miles 1,735 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Climate
- Climate
The climate on the central plateau is moderate in all seasons with warm days and cool nights. Homes do not have central heating or air-conditioning, although room heaters and fireplaces are used on winter nights (May-August). Annual rainfall averages about 28 inches on the highveld (Harare), more in the Eastern Highlands, and much less in the lowveld of the southeast and the Zambezi Valley. The sun shines nearly every day, even at the height of the warm rainy season (November-April). In Harare, the average low temperature in winter is 45°F at night, though frost occasionally occurs. The average daily temperature in summer is 75°F, with temperatures seldom surpassing 90°F.
- Terrain
mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east
- Location
Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia
- Total Area
150,871 Square Miles 390,757 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
deforestation
soil erosion
land degradation
air and water pollution
the black rhinoceros herd - once the largest concentration of the species in the world - has been significantly reduced by poaching
poor mining practices have led to toxic waste and heavy metal pollution
- Environment - International Agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
