Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, bordered by South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique. The capital is Harare, and the major ethnic groups are the Shona and the Ndebele. The country takes its name from the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe, a center of a medieval Shona state.

Beginning in the late nineteenth century, Zimbabwe, then known as Southern Rhodesia, was colonized by the British; white minority rule persisted until independence in 1980. Modern Zimbabwe has struggled with economic and political crises, though it remains rich in natural resources like gold, diamonds, and fertile land. English, Shona, and Ndebele are the most widely spoken languages among the country’s large array of official languages.