Harare, << huh RAH ray >> (pop. 1,600,000), is the capital and largest city of Zimbabwe. The city serves as Zimbabwe’s center of government, banking, and commerce.
Downtown, modern hotels and office buildings rise along wide, busy streets. Africa Unity Square, an open area with a beautiful park, is there. The Harare area includes the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, the University of Zimbabwe, and an international airport.
Harare is a trading center for products raised on the region’s fertile plains. The chief products are citrus fruits, corn, cotton, and tobacco. Industries in Harare produce clothing, fertilizer, furniture, and steel.
Soldiers hired by British forces founded Harare in 1890. The town was first called Salisbury, a British name. It was governed by a British company organized by the diamond king Cecil Rhodes. In 1923, the United Kingdom made Salisbury the capital of the self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia. The colony became the independent nation of Zimbabwe in 1980. In 1982, Salisbury was renamed Harare, an African name.
