Countries That Start With The Letter Z
Zimbabwe and Zambia are the only two countries on Earth that begin with the letter "Z." The sound that the letter "Z" makes in the English language is quite rare, not just in English but in other languages as well. It only appears in 30% of languages globally.
Additionally, in English, it only appears in 0.07% of all words; this makes it the most uncommon letter used in the English alphabet. That rarity means that how Zimbabwe and Zambia ended up being the only countries that begin with the letter "Z" is nothing short of fascinating.
Countries That Start With the Letter Z
Zimbabwe
Previously known as Rhodesia in colonial times, the country adopted the new name Zimbabwe in 1980 after the white minority government was ousted from power. Zimbabwe comes from the native Shona phrase dzimba dzemabwe, which means "house of stone." This is meant to symbolize the archeological site of Great Zimbabwe.
Located in Southern Africa, Zimbabwe is a landlocked country. Surrounded by its neighbors South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, and Namibia, Zimbabwe relies on leased ports for access to the ocean. Its capital city Harare can be found in the north of the country.
History
Historians and archeologists estimate that human beings have been living in the area that is now Zimbabwe for hundreds of thousands of years. Numerous examples of evidence have been found in the region of Stone Age cultures in the area. The previously mentioned Great Zimbabwe, a large settlement famous for its large stone walls and buildings, is the best example.
The region first came into contact with European explorers in the 15th century when the Portuguese established a handful of trading posts along the coast of East Africa. In the coming centuries, a handful of expeditions were launched by the Portuguese in an attempt to spread Christianity and search for gold.
In the 19th century, Zimbabwe came under British control. In the aftermath of decolonization, the country was ruled by a white minority government that enacted laws that were explicitly discriminatory towards the native black Africans. A brutal guerilla war was fought in the 1970s, resulting in the downfall of this government in 1980.
Culture
Like most African countries, Zimbabwe is a multi-ethnic nation. The Shona language is spoken natively by roughly two-thirds of the population while the remaining mostly speak Ndebele. English is still a common second language and is used primarily as a bridge language. It is still mainly used in business and government affairs.
Zimbabwe is now nearly 99% black African, with a small remainder of whites living primarily on farms or in rural towns. The white population shrunk significantly from around 300,000 in 1975 to 34,000 in 2022. The vast majority of whites left Zimbabwe in the 1980s and 1990s for places like South Africa and Britain.
Zimbabwe is a predominantly Christian country, with the largest denomination being Apostolic. There is still a strong presence of traditional African faiths being practiced. This is most commonly seen in the countryside, far away from large cities.
Economy
While under colonial and white-minority rule, Zimbabwe's economy was quite robust. While the majority of its citizens were denied basic rights and liberties, for a time, the country was one of the African success stories, at least from an economic standpoint.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the economy fell into a tailspin. Corruption was rampant and government programs such as land reform were executed poorly. This dire situation was only made worse when Robert Mugabe, the dictator of Zimbabwe, intervened in the Congo Civil War in 1998 spending hundreds of millions of dollars that was desperately needed elsewhere.
Record levels of inflation and unemployment wracked the country for decades. Zimbabwe has only just started to see progress being made in the right direction in the last handful of years. Only time will tell if this is a positive sign of things to come or just a glimmer of false hope.
Zambia
Once known as Northern Rhodesia while under British colonial rule, Zambia changed its name in 1964 after it was granted independence. The name Zambia comes from the Zambezi River, one of the major geographical features of the country. The name Zambezi translates to "the great river."
Zambia can be found in East Africa, although many consider it a part of Central Africa as well. Completely landlocked, Zambia is surrounded by the neighboring countries of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique.
History
Ancient humans likely lived in what is today Zambia as far back as 100,000 BC. Sometime in the early first millennium AD, the people who lived in the region began to develop ironworking and cultivated crops. It can only be assumed that this helped grow the population exponentially.
It appears as though the people who lived in this area became mater metalworkers in the following centuries. Copper ingots have been recovered in Zambia that date back to roughly 1000 AD. It is thought that Kansanshi, a major settlement in Zambia was a key player in the African Copperbelt.
During colonial times, Zambia first came into contact with early Portuguese traders and missionaries. However, by the end of the 19th century, the region was firmly under British control. During WWI, the often-forgotten African theatre raged across Zambia, claiming the lives of thousands.
Culture
Zambia is far from a homogenous nation and consists of dozens of various distinct cultural and ethnic groups. The largest of these groups is the Bemba, which dominates the northern portions of Zambia. The rest of the country is mostly split along cultural and linguistic lines, with most cases of intermingling happening in big cities.
Zambia has undergone a drastic transformation since the 1950s. Like most African countries, Zambia has rapidly urbanized and has seen a huge influx of its citizens rush into its cities in search of work and new opportunities. International goods from Europe and North America are now widely available, especially in the capital city of Lusaka.
Christianity is the largest religion in Zambia by a long shot. Nearly 95% of the population adheres to some form of the faith, with Protestant denominations making up the majority. The remainder of Zambians usually loosely follow traditional folk religions that are native to the region.
Economy
As Zambia has moved away from its agricultural roots, it has shifted its focus on mineral extraction, particularly copper and other minerals. Major government initiatives have been launched throughout the decades to develop this industry as much as possible.
Despite its shift away from farming, the agricultural sector still employs large numbers of Zambians. Large-scale farms are not uncommon in Zambia, but a significant portion of food is still grown on smaller family-run farms.
Being a landlocked nation has not done any favors to Zambia, but that has not stopped it from cutting deals with its neighbor to allow them to move their goods across borders and into international ports that sit on the Indian Ocean.
