Population, Settlement and Migration
Population and its measurement
A census counts everyone in a country at one time; in Zimbabwe it is carried out roughly every ten years by ZIMSTAT. Population density is the number of people per square kilometre (people ÷ area). Zimbabwe's population is about 15 million, but it is very unevenly spread: the Highveld, towns and mining areas are crowded, while the lowveld (Zambezi valley, parts of Matabeleland South) is thinly peopled. Physical factors (rainfall, soil, relief), economic factors (jobs, mining, industry) and historical factors (resettlement, land tenure) explain the pattern.
Population structure
A population pyramid shows age and sex. A wide base means a high birth rate and a large young dependent population, which puts pressure on schools and clinics. A narrow top shows few elderly people.
Settlement
Settlements may be rural or urban, and rural patterns may be nucleated (clustered), dispersed (scattered homesteads) or linear (along a road or river). Urbanisation is rapid, led by Harare and Bulawayo, and brings problems such as overcrowding, informal housing and pressure on water.
Migration
Migration may be internal (rural–urban) or international. Push factors drive people away - unemployment, drought, poor services; pull factors attract them - jobs, education, health care. Many Zimbabweans have moved to South Africa, Botswana and the United Kingdom, sending home remittances. Emigration of skilled people is called the brain drain.
Trap: do not confuse density with total population, and do not mix up emigration (leaving) with immigration (arriving).
Rule of thumb: push = problems behind you; pull = attractions ahead of you.