Exact population: 12,236,805 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)

Literacy: Total population: 90.7%; male: 94.2%; female: 87.2%

Ethnicities: African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), mixed and Asian 1%, white less than 1%

Area: Total: 390,580 sq km; land: 386,670 sq km; water: 3,910 sq km

Land boundaries: Total: 3,066 km; border countries: Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km

Terrain: Mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east

Extremes: Lowest point: junction of the Runde and Save rivers 162 m; highest point: Inyangani 2,592 m

Imports: South Africa 46.9%, Botswana 3.6%, UK 3.4% (2004)

Exports: South Africa 31.5%, Switzerland 7.4%, UK 7.3%, China 6.1%, Germany 4.3% (2004)

Industries: Mining (coal, gold, platinum, copper, nickel, tin, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel, wood products, cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages

Source: CIA World Factbook