ZIMSEC Grade 7 Social Science flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Great Zimbabwe

Stone-walled city built by Shona ancestors between the 11th and 15th centuries; its mortarless granite walls and soapstone birds show trade in gold and ivory.

Rudd Concession

1888 agreement in which King Lobengula granted mineral rights to Cecil Rhodes's agents, opening the way for British South Africa Company rule in Zimbabwe.

First Chimurenga

The 1896-97 Ndebele and Shona uprising against company rule, inspired by spirit mediums Nehanda and Kaguvi, who were captured and hanged.

Lancaster House Agreement

1979 London settlement that ended the liberation war, arranged a ceasefire and elections, and led to independence on 18 April 1980.

Highveld

Land above 1 200 metres running along Zimbabwe's main watershed; it is the coolest, wettest and most intensively farmed relief region.

Mount Inyangani

The highest point in Zimbabwe, 2 592 metres, found in the Nyanga highlands of the Eastern Highlands near the Mozambique border.

Lake Kariba

Huge artificial lake on the Zambezi, formed when Kariba Dam was completed in 1959; it supplies hydro-electric power and supports fishing and tourism.

Miombo woodland

Vegetation type of the Highveld dominated by Brachystegia trees, which lose their leaves in the dry season and provide firewood and timber.

Four-figure grid reference

Reference giving the easting then the northing of a square's lower-left corner, identifying an area rather than a single point.

Map scale

The ratio of map distance to real distance; on a 1:50 000 map, 2 cm on the map represents 1 km on the ground.

Contour line

A line on a map joining all points at the same height above sea level; contours packed closely together indicate a steep slope.

Bearing

A direction expressed in degrees measured clockwise from north, ranging from 0 degrees to 360 degrees.

Population density

The average number of people living in each square kilometre, calculated by dividing the total population by the area.

Natural increase

The difference between the birth rate and the death rate of a population, ignoring gains or losses caused by migration.

Rural-urban migration

Movement of people from villages and farms to towns and cities, mainly to find work, schooling and health services.

Census

An official count of everyone in a country, recording age, sex, occupation and place of residence for planning purposes.

Great Dyke

A narrow belt of igneous rock running north to south through Zimbabwe that contains platinum, chrome and nickel deposits.

Tobacco farming

Zimbabwe's leading agricultural export activity; the crop is grown widely by smallholders and commercial farmers and sold at auction floors.

Beitbridge

Zimbabwe's busiest border post, situated on the Limpopo River, handling most road trade between Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Hwange

District in Matabeleland North holding Zimbabwe's main coal reserves and the country's largest national park.

ZimParks

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, the state body responsible for managing national parks and protecting wild animals.

CAMPFIRE

A programme that gives rural communities a share of income from wildlife on their land, so they protect animals instead of poaching them.

Siltation

The build-up of eroded soil on river and dam beds, which reduces water storage, worsens flooding and harms fish.

Dambo

A shallow, seasonally waterlogged grassy wetland in a valley; it stores water, supports grazing and should not be ploughed.

Bill of Rights

Chapter 4 of Zimbabwe's 2013 Constitution, listing fundamental rights such as life, dignity, freedom of expression and education.

Separation of powers

The division of government into executive, legislature and judiciary, each with its own powers so that they check one another.

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission

The independent body that registers voters, delimits wards and constituencies, and runs national and local elections.

Devolution

The transfer of powers and resources from central government to provincial and local councils, provided for in the 2013 Constitution.

Hunhu and Ubuntu

Shona and Ndebele ideas of good personhood, meaning respect, hospitality, solidarity and responsibility towards the wider community.

Roora

Customary bride wealth given by the groom's family to the bride's family, sealing the marriage and creating ties between the families.

Bira ceremony

A Shona ritual held to honour ancestral spirits, using mbira music, singing, dancing and offerings to ask for protection.

Jerusarema dance

A Zimbabwean dance of Mbende origin, performed with drums and vigorous hip movements, listed by UNESCO as intangible heritage.