The Republic of Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southeast of Africa, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the west, Zambia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east and northeast.

With a population of over 11 million, the country enjoys a vast area of 390,000 square km, mostly high plateau with higher central plateau and mountains in the east. The capital is Harare, in the north of the country.

Zimbabwe's climate is tropical and the rainy season ranges from November to March.

The country is divided into eight provinces and two cities with provincial status, for administrative purposes. Each province has a provincial capital from where official business is usually carried out.

The president is Zimbabwe's head of state as well as the commander in chief of the defense forces. Cabinet members are appointed by the president and responsible to the House of Assembly.

For the legislative branch, Zimbabwe's bicameral parliament consists of a 93-member Senate and the House of Assembly with a total of 210 seats.

Zimbabwe is rich in natural resources, including coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin and platinum group metals. Mineral exports, agriculture and tourism are the main foreign currency earners of the country.

Zimbabwe has been an active member of COMESA since the 1980s. It is the first time that Zimbabwe is hosting a COMESA summit since the bloc's transformation from the former Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern Africa.