Zimbabwe History
Zimbabwe has a rich and colorful history. The earliest inhabitants
were the Khoisan dating back to 200 B.C. Many tribes came
and went but the Shona tribe took power over from the Bantu
and after the Shona came the warrior kingdoms of the Zulu,
Ndebele and Nguni tribes.
The country was "discovered" by the Western world
in the 1850's and was originally named after Cecil John Rhodes
(Rhodesia). In 1923 the country became a self-governing British
colony called Southern Rhodesia.
In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its independence,
but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded more complete
voting rights for the black African majority in the country
(then called Rhodesia). UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising
finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as
Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime
minister, has been the country's only ruler (as president
since 1987) and has dominated the country's political system
since independence.
