Masvingo Province
Victoria Province | |
---|---|
Country | Zimbabwe |
Capital | Masvingo |
Established | late 19th century |
Government | |
• Governor | Josiah Dunira Hungwe (ZANU-PF) |
Area | |
• Total | 56,566 km2 (21,840 sq mi) |
Population (2022 census) | |
• Total | 1,638,528 |
• Density | 29/km2 (75/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+2 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
HDI (2021) | 0.588[1] medium · 4th of 10 |
Masvingo, previously named Victoria, is a province in southeastern Zimbabwe. It has a population of 1.638 million as of the 2022 census, ranking fifth out of Zimbabwe's ten provinces. Established by the British South Africa Company, it was one of the five original provinces of Southern Rhodesia. In 1982, two years after Zimbabwean independence, it was renamed Masvingo Province. The province is divided into seven districts, including Masvingo District, which contains the provincial capital Masvingo City.
Masvingo Province is bordered by Matabeleland South Province to the southwest, Midlands Province to the northwest, Manicaland Province to the northeast, and Mozambique to the southeast. It has an area of 56,566 square kilometres (21,840 sq mi), equal to 14.48% of the total area of Zimbabwe. It is the third-largest in area of Zimbabwe's provinces, after Matabeleland North and Mashonaland West. A diverse province, the Karanga, a Shona subgroup, form the majority, with minorities of Shangani in the southeast and Ndebele in the west. Its economy is largely centred around agriculture and tourism. Masvingo Province is home to the Great Zimbabwe ruins, a World Heritage Site and major tourist attraction.