Harare is the capital of Zimbabwe. The city was a fort when the Pioneer Column founded it in 1890. The city was formally known as Salisbury. It became a city in 1935 and was made the capital of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland from 1953 to 1963. The city was renamed Harare on April 18th, 1982 during the second anniversary of Zimbabwean independence. The name has been taken from the Shona chieftain Neharawa. Harare was politically and economically affected in the early 21st century. In May 2005,the Zimbabwean government demolished the shantytowns in the other cities of the country, resulting in a sharp reaction from the international community.

Geography

Harare is the largest city in Zimbabwe and is also the administrative, commercial and communications center of the country. The city of Harare is situated in the northeastern part of Zimbabwe.   As per the Harare geography, the city lays on the geographical coordinates of 17° 50′ South and 31° 03′ East latitude and longitude respectively. It is situated at an elevation of 1480 meters (4858 feet) above sea level.

Harare is set above the lowlands of the Zambezi River in the north and Limpopo River in the south. The geography of Harare features that it lies on a high-lying plateau. Harare enjoys a warm and wet season from November to March/April, cool and dry climate from May to August and a hot and dry climate in September/October.

Manyame River is a major river of Harare that flows in the southwestern part of the city. Some of the nearby cities and towns of Harare are: Arcadia Meyrick Park Belgravia Civic Centre Avenues Eastlea History of Harare.

History

This capital was founded in 1890 by Pioneer Column, which was a military volunteer force organized by Cecil Rhodes. This force was led by Major Frank Johnson. Harare was given the status of a fort at that time. It was then known by the name of ‘Fort Salisbury’. The name was kept after the then British Prime Minister, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury. After sometime, the place was known only as ‘Salisbury’. In 1897, Salisbury was declared as a municipality. Railway was introduced in Salisbury in 1899 in the month of May. Cleveland Dam built the Seke Dam in 1913 to introduce piped water in Salisbury. In course of time a locomotive steam boiler was established for supplying electricity. By 1935, a number of industries and factories came up in the region. It was in the year of 1935, that Harare was declared as a city.

According to the history of Harare, it served as the capital of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland for ten long years from 1953 to 1963. Thereafter, it became the capital city of Southern Rhodesia. Zimbabwe achieved its independence on 18th April, 1980. On the same day in 1982, Harare got its current name. The name Harare has been derived from the Shona inhabitants Neharawa. They used to inhabit at ‘The Kopje’, on which the city of Harare stands presently. Due to the pleasant weather, the city is also known as the ‘Sunshine City’.

  Tourist Attractions

The famous Victoria Falls – waterfall from over a 100m-high cliff, The Victoria Falls National Park, Zambezi River Bridge, Victoria Falls- rickety bridge high above the Zambezi River are the major attraction in the country that enthralls the visitors. Khami ruins, National History Museum in Bulawayo, Matobo Hills, Lake Kariba, and Great Zimbabwe-the ruins of the stone city in Masvingo are the tourist attracted places in Zimbabwe.

Major places to see in Harare are: Wild Is Life Trust, The Animal Sanctuary Varden Safaris Lake Chivero Recreational Park Doon Estate Raintree Venue Mukuvisi Woodlands Riding in Hwange National Gallery of Zimbabwe Harare Gardens Domboshawa Avondale flea market The National Archives The Botanical Gardens The Museum of Human Sciences Ruwa Scuplture Gallery Chiremba Balancing Rocks National Heroes’ Acre Africa Unity Square The Book Cafe Harare Gardens The Town House The Kopje Chapungu Sculpture Park.

Best time to Go

Spring or winters (May to August) The weather of Harare is pleasurable almost throughout the year. The climate of Harare can be divided into three, warm and wet season from November to March/April, somewhat cool and dry months from May to August and a hot and dry season in September/October. The average annual temperature of Harare is low due to the influence of the south-easterly cool winds. It stands at 17.95°C. This low annual temperature is also due to the fact that Harare is located at a high altitude.

Harare climate supports the growth of natural vegetation of open woodland. July is the coldest month in Harare while October is the hottest month of this city of Zimbabwe. The month of January is the mid-summer time in Harare. The temperature during July varies from 7°C to 20°C and that during October ranges between 13°C and 28°C. January witnesses a temperature varying from 15.5°C to 25°C.

There is a little rainfall takes  in the months of May to September. The average annual rainfall in Harare is approximately 825 millimeters in the south-west and 855 millimeters on the higher land of the north-east. However, rainfall in the city varies from year to year.

Getting there

Most of the international flights arrive in Harare. Buses, train and taxis constitute the public transport system in the city. The best option to get around is by car, which is easier now. Fuel is freely available at most outlets for cash or through a coupon system.

Harare’s airport is the major gateway for flights into the country. Air Zimbabwe also operated a small network of domestic flights before ceasing operations. By train: Train services have been badly hit by the economic troubles in Zimbabwe during recent years but most domestic trains are now running daily once again. By car: A good road from Johannesburg allows easy access. By bus: Buses from Johannesburg are easily available ranging from Greyhound (for R450 as of April 2010) and Intercape (R420) to the local ones (for R250 as of April 2010). The bus takes between 16-24 hours.

Harare Hotels

The Harare hotels situated in fine locality often serve as host to thousands of tourists visiting the city. There are many international hotels in Harare that provide world-class reception to its guests. The well-known hotels in the city are: Meikles Hotel Holiday Inn Harare Rainbow Towers Crowne Plaza Hotels Harare – Monomotapa Imba Matombo New Ambassador Hotel Harare. Palm Villa Lodge Mundawanga lodge Hillside lodge Small World Lodge Bowood Lodge Cresta Oasis Simba Harare

Eating and Dining in Harare

The best restaurants to try when in Harare are: Cafe espresso 40 Cork Road 167 Enterprise Road Amanzi Restaurant Coimbra Beverlino Restaurant Victoria 22 Shop Cafe Da Eros Trattoria 360 Restaurant Amanzi Restaurant Alo Alo Leonardo’s Restaurant The Olive Salad Bar & Coffee Shop Jaipur Book Cafe Willow Bean Celebration Centre Paula’s Place Emmanuel’s Vanilla Moon La Fontaine Picobella Pizzeria Fish Monga Sitar Fishmonger Sopranos Wild Geese Lodge Keg & Maiden

 Shopping in Harare

One of the major shopping destinations in Harare is the ‘Mbare Musika’ market. It is located at a distance of 3 kilometers from the city center, next to the main bus station. There are shops selling variety of fruits and vegetables. Besides, this shopping center of Harare also sells beautiful crafts, hand made clothes and herbal medicines. ‘Feredays’, Borrowdale sells fishing equipment, camping equipment, safari clothes and other things that one needs on a safari. It also sells books written by local authors. It is open from Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. On weekends, it is open from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm.

Another Harare shopping center is the ‘Doon Estate’. Located in the industrial area of Msasa, it sells potteries, crafts, jewelries and artworks. It operates from 9 am to 4.30 pm from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays, it remains open from 9 am to 1:30 pm. The galleries of the city sell beautiful Shona sculptures. The tourists can have pleasurable time shopping in the numerous shopping centers of the city of Harare.

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