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Masvingo is a town in south-eastern Zimbabwe and the capital of Masvingo Province. It the town close to Great Zimbabwe the national monument from which the country takes its name.[1]
[edit] History
Known as Fort Victoria until 1982, when its name was briefly changed to Nyanda. Within a few months its name was again changed to Masvingo when it was discovered that Nyanda did not translate very well across dialects. It is the oldest colonial settlement in Zimbabwe, and grew up around the encampment established in 1890 by the Pioneer Column en route to their eventual destination, Salisbury. The Old Fort national monument is located in the centre of town, and was erected in 1891 as one of a series of fortifications to guard the route from Salisbury to the south. The very first cricket match in Zimbabwe is said to have taken place close by in 1890. [edit] DemographicsThe population was approximately 15,000 in 1970; 30,523 in 1982 and rose to 51,743 in 1992. It had a population of approximately 58,000 in 2002. Masvingo is located 292km south of Harare. Most of the local population belongs to the Karanga Shona ethnic group. It is divided into suburbs including Mucheke, Rujeko, Rhodene. [edit] EducationMasvingo Polytechnique and Great Zimbabwe University at the two main centers of higher education in the city. Both institutes are run by the government. Great Zimbabwe University grew out of what was once Masvingo State University. The two major high schools are Victoria High School and Gokomere High School, one of the most prestigious mission schools in the whole of Masvingo Province. [edit] Geography
The landscape in southern Zimbabwe dull and flat, interspersed with rounded granite mountains. They are known as kopjes (Dutch: little heads) and they are often quite smooth. Mopane trees dominate the savannah landscape. Occasionally, one see baobab trees. The weather is hot and dry throughout the year, except during the summer when the rains come. The town lies near Lake Mutirikwe and is home to a golf course and a freight railway line. It lies on the Mucheke River, with Queen Victoria Gardens in the town centre and Shagashe Game Park and an Italian memorial church built during World War II nearby. It also has an airstrip. Masvingo is situated in a drought-prone area, with average rainfall of 600 mm/a.[2] The raw water source for the city is Lake Mutirikwi. Apart from providing water for the city of Masvingo, Lake Mutirikwi supports water supply schemes for several riparian farmers and large sugar cane irrigation schemes in the Triangle and Hippo Valley areas. The storage capacity of the lake, which was completed in 1960, is 1.4 × 109 m3 and is a reliable source of water to the city. [edit] IndustryThe town used to be the centre of a mining and cattle ranching district. The large-scale destruction of Zimbabwe's agricultural industry since 2000 has had a serious impact on farming in the district. [edit] Tourism
There are a variety of tourist attractions within a thirty mile radius of the town. Within 20km of Masvingo are the Great Zimbabwe National Monument and the Kyle Recreational Park. [edit] Culture and recreationThe major soccer club in the town is Masvingo United, whose home ground is Mucheke Stadium in the suburb of Mucheke. Annually, a Miss Masvingo Province pageant is held. [edit] City TwinningMiddlesbrough, UK. Kernen (Remstal), Germany. [edit] See also[edit] References
[edit] External links
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