Zimbabwe

Official title: Republic of Zimbabwe

Capital city: Hararae (the name of a former African ruler of the area, it means 'one who does not sleep'

Official language: English, although Shona and Ndebele are widely spoken

Currency: Zimbabwe dollar (Z$) = 100 cents

Cash crops for export: Maize, wheat, coffee, cotton, soya beans, groundnuts (peanuts) and tobacco.

Food crops: Maize, wheat, soya beans, groundnuts (peanuts), cattle and fish farming.

Total land area: Approximately 390,759 sq km

"The House of Stone"

The name Zimbabwe means 'House of Stone'. Lying between the Lompopo and Zambesi Rivers in the southern heart of Africa, Zimbabwe is more fortunate than many other African countries for it is self-sufficient in food.

Zimbabwe is the home of great stone ruins built over 8 centuries ago by the Shona people, descendents of a culture that flourished during the Iron Age. The Shona still form the dominant racial group in the country, followed by the Ndebele.

Wonders of Zimbabwe include the Chinhoi Caves and the massive Victoria Falls, known as 'mosi oa tunya' or 'the smoke that thunders'.

Winter Vegetables:

Bowara: Pumpkin leaves, excluding the 'nophopi' variety. Eaten fresh or sun-dried for storage. Soft leaves are frequently used with beef in stews, combined with the flesh of baby pumpkins and pumpkin flowers or served with dovi (chicken).

Derere: This is Zimbabwean name for okro (okra)

Kovo: A large-leaf veggie the size of cabbage, but bigger, sweeter and lighter in texture and taste. Can be eaten fresh after harvest or stored for consumption during winter.

Nyvohi: A wild plant indigenous to Zimbabwe with small, narrow, green leaves. It is important to harvest the leaves at the right season or they will be bitter. Early nyohi shoots usually herald the arrival of summer and the rainy season. Nyovhi is frequently eaten cooked and mixed with mushrooms and baby pumpkins, or in goat stew.