Matabeleland

Modern-day Matabeleland is a region in Zimbabwe divided into three provinces: Matabeleland North, Bulawayo and Matabeleland South. These provinces are in the west and south-west of Zimbabwe, between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers. The region is named after its inhabitants the Ndebele people. Other ethnic groups who inhabit parts of Matabeleland include the Tonga, Kalanga, Venda and other peoples. As of August 2012, according to the ZIMSAT or Zimbabwe national statistics agency, the southern part of the region had 683 893 people, with the make up of 326 697 males and 356 926 females with an average size household of 4.4 in an area of 54,172 square kilometres. As for the Matabeleland Northern Province, it had a total population of 749 017 people out of the population of Zimbabwe of 13 061 239. The proportion of male and female population was 48 and 52 percent respectively within an area of just over 75,017 square kilometres. The remaining Bulawayo province had a population of 653,337 in an area of 1,706.8 km2 (659.0 sq mi) Thus the region has a combined population of 2,086,247 in an area of just over 130,000 square kilometres and that is just over the size of England. The major city is Bulawayo, other notable towns are Plumtree and Hwange. The land is particularly fertile but dry. This area has important gold deposits. Industries include gold and other mineral mines, and engineering. There has been a decline in the industries in this region as water is in short supply. Promises by the government to draw water for the region through the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project have not been carried out. The region is allegedly marginalised by the government.