Manicaland is a province in eastern Zimbabwe. After Harare Province, it is the country's second-most populous province, with a population of 1.75 million, as of the 2012 census. After Harare and Bulawayo provinces, it is Zimbabwe's third-most densely populated province. Manicaland was one of five original provinces established in Southern Rhodesia in the early colonial period. The province is divided into ten administrative subdivisions of seven rural districts and three towns/councils, including the provincial capital, Mutare. The name Manicaland is derived from the province's largest ethnic group, the Manyika, a Shona subgroup who speak a distinct Shona dialect, Manyika. Manicaland is bordered by Mashonaland East Province to the northwest, Midlands Province to the west, Masvingo Province to the southwest, and Mozambique to the east. It has an area of, equal to 9.28% of the total area of Zimbabwe. It is the sixth-largest in area of Zimbabwe's ten provinces. Its economy is largely centered around industry and agriculture, particularly manufacturing, diamond and gold mining, timber, tea and coffee plantations, and tourism. In recent years, Manicaland's economy has declined as manufacturing firms and mines continue to fold, and the province now lags behind other Zimbabwean provinces economically and developmentally.
Etymology
The name Manicaland derives from the fact that the area has been occupied in recent history by the Manyika people. The Manyika are a Shona sub-tribal grouping with their own language variant, the Manyika language.
Geography
The province is bordered by Mashonaland East Province to the north, Midlands Province to the west, Masvingo Province to the south and southwest, and the Republic of Mozambique to the east. The provincial capital, Mutare, lies approximately, by road, southeast of Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe and the largest city in that country. The Eastern Highlands run along the eastern edge of Manicaland. The highlands are made up of several mountain ranges and include Mount Nyangani, Zimbabwe's highest peak. The northern part of Manicaland is drained northwards by tributaries of the Zambezi River, including the Gairezi and the Nyangombe. The central and southern portions of the province are drained southwards by the Save River and its tributaries, including the Odzi River. Some areas along the province's eastern edge, including Honde Valley, Burma Valley, and eastern Chimanimani and Chipinge districts, drain eastwards into the Pungwe and Buzi rivers.
Districts
The province is subdivided into seven rural districts and three town/councils:
Manicaland is the second most populated province in Zimbabwe. It has a population of about 1,755,000 which constitutes about 13.5% of the country's total population. The people of Manicaland speak Shona, but different districts have own sub-dialects. For example, Mutasa District uses the Manyika sub-dialect. In Makoni District, the people use the Maungwe dialect, Chipinge, the Ndau and Mutare, the Bocha and Jindwi dialects. A great number of the population practise their own traditional way of worshipping, but many also practice Christianity. The majority falling under the traditional churches: Methodist Church, Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Church. The Pentecostal churches have large followings in the urban areas of Mutare and a few other growth points. Some gatherings fall under the Apostolic Churches, with a notably higher proportion of the Apostolic followers in Mutare and Buhera district. Polygamy is quite prevalent among church members.
Schools
Manicaland boasts of some of the best performing schools in the country. Schools such as St Augastines, St Faith's School, Rusape , Nyanga High School, Marist Brothers, St Marys, Bonda High, Emmanuel High, Kriste Mambo, Mutare Boys' High School, Mutare Girls High, St Dominics Mutare, Marange High, Hartzell High, Lydia Chimonyo, Sakubva High, Dangamvura High. These have produced exceptional results over the years and a great number of academics renowned internationally. The privately run Africa University provides some relief, but it simply cannot absorb the huge numbers of school leavers with high grades. In general, there is a school within a radius across Manicaland. There are numerous primary and secondary schools scattered across the province. The distribution of schools by district is shown in the table below.
