Makonde District is a
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
in
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
.
Location
The district is located in
Mashonaland West Province
Mashonaland West is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of 57,441 km² and a population of approximately 1.5 million (2012). Chinhoyi is the capital of the province.
Districts
Mashonaland West is divided into 7 districts:
* Chegutu
* ...
, in north central Zimbabwe. Its main town,
Chinhoyi
Chinhoyi, known until 1982 as Sinoia, is a city in central northern Zimbabwe in the Makonde District. It has a population of 90,800 and is primarily a college town, although it was originally founded as an Italian group settlement scheme. The ...
, with an estimated population of 61,739 people in 2004, is located about , by road, northwest of
Harare
Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...
, the
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
of Zimbabwe and the largest city in that country.
Overview
Makonde District is a farming district. Crops grown here include
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...
,
maize
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...
and
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
. Cattle are also raised in the district for
dairy product
Dairy products or milk products, also known as lacticinia, are food products made from (or containing) milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, nanny goat, and ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food items in th ...
s and
beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus'').
In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...
on a commercial basis. Mining of
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
also takes place.
Chinhoyi, the district headquarters is a college town, hosting two major universities, namely:
Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) and
Zimbabwe Open University
Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) is an open distance education university in Zimbabwe. Established in 1999,[Chinhoyi High School
Chinhoyi High School (formerly Sinoia High School) is a Government high school located in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West province, Zimbabwe. The school was established in 1960. The school is located 2 km north of Chinhoyi town centre on the A1 roa ...]
,
Nemakonde High School
Nemakonde High School is a Government high school located in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West province, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and L ...
and
Lomagundi College
, location = Old Strip Road
, city = Chinhoyi
, province = Mashonaland West
, country = Zimbabwe
, coordinates =
, opened =
, type = Independent, boarding and day school
, headmaster = Dean Seeliger
, teaching_staff = 42
, grades_label ...
. In addition the district is home to numerous primary schools.
Population
The current population of Makonde District is not publicly known. In 2010, the district population was estimated at 167,436 people. The next national population census in
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
is scheduled from 18 August 2012 through 28 August 2012.
Urban centers in the district include
Chinhoyi
Chinhoyi, known until 1982 as Sinoia, is a city in central northern Zimbabwe in the Makonde District. It has a population of 90,800 and is primarily a college town, although it was originally founded as an Italian group settlement scheme. The ...
, the
provincial and district headquarters,
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
approximately directly west of Chinhoyi,
and
Lion's Den, which lies about , northwest of Chinhoyi, on the road to Chirundu.
See also
*
Districts of Zimbabwe
The Republic of Zimbabwe is broken down into 10 administrative provinces, which are divided into 59 districts and 1,200 wards.
Bulawayo Province
* Bulawayo
Harare Province
* Harare
Manicaland Province
* Buhera
* Chi ...
*
Provinces of Zimbabwe
Provinces are constituent Polity, political entities of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe currently has ten provinces, two of which are City, cities with provincial status. Zimbabwe is a unitary state, and its provinces exercise only the powers that the centra ...
References
{{Coord, 17, 21, S, 30, 12, E, region:ZW_dim:100000, display=title
Districts of Mashonaland West Province