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Geography and Climate:
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country lying entirely between the tropics. The country is largely plateau, giving rise to many rivers which feed into 2 of Africa's greatest river systems: the Zambezi in the north-west and the Limpopo in the south-east. The Zambezi plain extends from man-made Lake Kariba, down to the Victoria Falls, Africa's biggest waterfall. Landscape of the plateau is bushveld, dotted with koppies (rocky outcrops). The scenic Eastern Highlands is the mountainous region. Summer days are hot and generally sunny in the morning with possible afternoon thunderstorms. Daytime temperatures can rise to 30ºC (86ºF) and night temperatures drop to around 14ºC (57ºF) to 16ºC (61ºF). The temperatures given are those for the main centres but it is considerably warmer all year round in the low-lying areas such as Kariba,Victoria Falls, and the Zambezi Valley. The rainy season runs from November to March, although the Eastern Highlands are damp for most of the year. Winter days are dry, sunny and cool to warm while evening temperatures drop sharply. Daytime temperatures generally reach 20ºC (68ºF) and can drop to as low as 5ºC (41ºF) at night. History & PeopleThere is evidence of settlements in Zimbabwe dating from as long ago as the second century AD, but these early inhabitants were supplanted around the 5th century by Bantu-speaking peoples. In southeastern Zimbabwe, in 1870, European explorers came upon an impressive ruined city, which they believed to be the biblical city of Ophir--the site of King Solomon's mines. The immediate result was a frantic, and utterly unsuccessful, search for gold deposits in the surrounding region. Archaeologists have more recently determined that the site was occupied as early as the 3rd century AD, but that its ruins date from the 12th to the 15th century. Known as Great Zimbabwe, it was during its heyday the capital of a Shona trading empire that collapsed for reasons that remain unknown. By the middle of the 19th century, with European influence still slight, the region's Shona states had been defeated by an invading Ndebele army from the south. Ndebele power didn't last long, however. | 
