MASVINGO

'Masvingo' is a town in south eastern Zimbabwe and the capital of Masvingo Province. 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. The population was 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. 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.
The town lies near Lake Mutirikwi 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 is also home to an airstrip.
The town used to be the centre of a mining and cattle ranching district, although the large-scale destruction of Zimbabwe's agricultural industry since 2000 has had a serious impact on farming in the district. Most of the local population belongs to the Karanga Shona ethnic group.
Within 20km of Masvingo are the Great Zimbabwe National Monument and the Kyle Recreational Park. It is divided into sub areas like Mucheke, Rujeko, Rhodene and so forth.

Contents

Twin Towns

Reference

External links

Twin Towns

The city is twinned with-

★ Middlesbrough, United Kingdom, since 1990

Reference

★ Bridger, P., House, M., and others, 1973. ''Encyclopaedia Rhodesia'', College Press, Salisbury, Rhodesia.

External links

★ Wildlife and Environment Zimbabwe